Falling Man Delillo
[Formal Paper
September 11, 2001 marked a catastrophic day in United States’ history. Nineteen militants in the terrorist group, Al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger airplanes, crashing two of them into the World Trade Centres in New York City resulting in deaths of over 3,000 innocent people (9/11). The aftermath and the coping of the citizens of New York City set as the backdrop of the novel, Falling Man written by Don DeLillo. As a native New Yorker, DeLillo has made references to the World Trade Centres in his previously written novels such as Americana, Player, Mao II, and Underworld (Conte 562). Falling Man introduces the reader to the family of Keith Glenn, a survivor of the World Trade Centres, Lianne Glenn, spouse of Keith, and their son, Justin. Lianne suffers her life with post traumatic stress disorder, having a constant fear of death after her father’s suicide. She becomes desperate to survive amidst the deaths of the victims of September 11; consequently she fears over a slow painful death, resembling the Alzheimer’s patients she manages over. At the start of the novel, Lianne questions her faith and struggles to deal with death; however with her affiliation to God and the fraternity built among the Alzheimer’s patients, she is able to overcome her ambiguity of life and death.
The significant event concerning death in Lianne’s life is the suicide of her father, Jack Glenn; causing her diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress. The National Institute of Mental Health defines Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as “an anxiety disorder that some people get after seeing or living through a dangerous event”. Jack shoots himself after finding out he was diagnosed with Senile Dementia, a degenerative disease, causing the death of brain cells (Dementia). After her father’s death in northern New Hampshire, Lianne recalls past memories with him as a last resort for her to remember his existence. Throughout the novel, Lianne’s repentance is reflected off of the fact that
September 11, 2001 marked a catastrophic day in United States’ history. Nineteen militants in the terrorist group, Al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger airplanes, crashing two of them into the World Trade Centres in New York City resulting in deaths of over 3,000 innocent people (9/11). The aftermath and the coping of the citizens of New York City set as the backdrop of the novel, Falling Man written by Don DeLillo. As a native New Yorker, DeLillo has made references to the World Trade Centres in his previously written novels such as Americana, Player, Mao II, and Underworld (Conte 562). Falling Man introduces the reader to the family of Keith Glenn, a survivor of the World Trade Centres, Lianne Glenn, spouse of Keith, and their son, Justin. Lianne suffers her life with post traumatic stress disorder, having a constant fear of death after her father’s suicide. She becomes desperate to survive amidst the deaths of the victims of September 11; consequently she fears over a slow painful death, resembling the Alzheimer’s patients she manages over. At the start of the novel, Lianne questions her faith and struggles to deal with death; however with her affiliation to God and the fraternity built among the Alzheimer’s patients, she is able to overcome her ambiguity of life and death.
The significant event concerning death in Lianne’s life is the suicide of her father, Jack Glenn; causing her diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress. The National Institute of Mental Health defines Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as “an anxiety disorder that some people get after seeing or living through a dangerous event”. Jack shoots himself after finding out he was diagnosed with Senile Dementia, a degenerative disease, causing the death of brain cells (Dementia). After her father’s death in northern New Hampshire, Lianne recalls past memories with him as a last resort for her to remember his existence. Throughout the novel, Lianne’s repentance is reflected off of the fact that