In the novel White Noise, written by Don DeLillo, the Gladney family often succumbs to the supposed authority and superior knowledge of doctors. The Gladneys are extremely intimidated by the doctors and they feel like the doctors know everything and hold some sort of dominating power over them. In particular, Jack is affected by the authority of doctors after the "airborne toxic event" and his exposure to the Nyodene derivative. Of the entire Gladney family, Jack shows the worst fear of doctors and especially a fear of the information they keep. Because of this high authority, the doctors can make Jack feel uneducated and helpless, and make him feel like his life depends on every word the doctor says. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get an original essayDuring the scene in which Wilder cries incessantly and for no apparent reason, Jack and Babette decide to take the crying boy to the doctor in order to find out what could possibly be wrong with him. The mere thought of going to a doctor sends Jack and Babette into panic. Jack and Babette attempt to prepare for the visit and they "tried to remember what he had eaten in the past twenty-four hours, anticipated the questions the doctor would ask, and carefully rehearsed the answers." (75). Jack says: “It seemed vital to agree on the answers even if we weren't sure they were correct2E. Doctors are disinterested in people who contradict themselves. » (75). The supposed high authority and omnipotent knowledge of a doctor completely intimidate the couple. They were willing to go so far as to lie to the doctor and risk receiving a false prognosis, if it meant that the doctor considered them good parents. It seems to Jack and Babette that unless they act together and have prepared questions and answers for the doctor, the doctor is likely to dismiss Wilder from his practice without a proper diagnosis. It seems like they feel like they have to try to impress the doctor with how organized and cohesive they are when it comes to the health of their family and children. Trust in a physician's authority has been shown to trump trust within the Gladney. family. When Denise, their daughter who reads scholarly medical texts, suggests giving Wilder an aspirin and putting him to bed, Jack and Babette ignore her idea and take him to the doctor anyway. In the end, Wilder's doctor gives the Gladney family exactly the same advice that Denise had previously suggested. When the doctor asks Babette why she didn't follow Denise's advice, she replies: "She's a child, not a doctor, that's why." (77). Even though Denise's advice is legitimate and Wilder's condition was exceptionally insignificant, Jack and Babette need to hear advice from a higher authority before they can trust their daughter's opinion. Since Jack and his family entrusted such authority to doctors. , they have the impression that doctors are not so-called normal people and that they must be available to the public at all times and have all the answers to their patients' questions. This point is demonstrated through the actions of Jack and Denise, who call Babette's doctor, Dr. Hookstratten, at his home after ten in the evening. Jack seems to believe that a powerful doctor should be available all day and every day to do his job and help affected patients with their problems. However, Babette's doctor believes that Jack's house visit is completely unnecessaryand moved. Jack continues to insult the doctor by describing Dylar as "a little white pill...in an amber bottle" (180). Dr. Hookstratten responds: “You would describe a tablet as small and white and expect a doctor to answer you, at home, after ten o'clock at night. Why not tell me it's round? This is crucial for our case. » (180). Here, Jack displays his high expectations of a doctor's knowledge as he expects the doctor to be able to identify the drug from memory and with simply his mundane description of the drug. Not only does the Gladney family place higher authority over doctors, but doctors also perceive themselves and want patients to view them as having higher authority and a higher level of knowledge than the ordinary citizen. After his exposure to the Nyodene derivative and his fatal evaluation by SIMUVAC technicians, Jack frequently visits his local doctor, Dr. Chakravarty, for checkups, hoping to learn his health status.2E When Dr. Chakravarty Speaks to Jack about his worrying potassium levels. , he speaks as if the condition is beyond Jack's understanding and gives him little to no information about his potassium problem. Could Jack's condition be so complex that the doctor couldn't explain it to him in simple terms and stop flaunting his superior knowledge to Jack? The doctor responds to Jack's questions with phrases such as: "We don't have time to explain. We have real assessments and false assessments. That's all you need to know." (260). He also responds with these statements: "It might mean nothing, it might even mean a lot of things...The less you know, the better." (260). It almost seems like Dr. Chakravarty doesn't know exactly what the problem is and doesn't want Jack to realize his lack of medical knowledge. Jack goes to the doctor looking for answers, but leaves with complete confusion about his condition and orders to see a second doctor. While Jack visits Autumn Harvest Farms, he is put through a series of body tests and the results are relayed to him. its tests are immediately available for printing. The doctor tells Jack, "I ask questions based on the printout, then you answer as best you can. When we're all done, I give you the printout in a sealed envelope and you take it to your doctor for an additional fee. (277). The simple fact that Jack cannot even immediately see his test results demonstrates the position of authority held by the White Noise doctors. Jack will probably leave the doctor's office wanting to know what's going on in his body, but he won't be able to open the envelope until he takes it to another doctor to analyze. . Finally, this doctor reads in the section of the impression that shows traces of Nyodene derivative in Jack's blood. When Jack denies having ever heard of the chemical, the doctor responds, "The magnetic scanner says it's here. I'm looking at the numbers in parentheses with little stars." (279). Additionally, before Jack leaves the office, the doctor hands him the envelope and reiterates, "Your doctor knows the symbols." » (281). Here, Jack is bombarded with the fact that his health and chances of dying are represented by little symbols and scribbles that he can't understand even if he wanted to. He gives authority to the doctor in this case simply because he has no other choice. Without the help of doctors, Jack would never be able to understand the jargon of the symbols and he would never experience the anticipation of his death. Another particularly interesting point is that the..