Abstract
This thesis compares and contrasts John Updike’s Rabbit, Run and Don DeLillo’s White Noise. Despite outward appearances to the contrary, Updike’s and DeLillo’s respective works are similar in their approach to an American culture which can be viewed as oppressive. Among the themes which are explored are the individual’s struggle with society, commercialism, religion, the meaning of family, immaturity, and a fear of irrelevance and death. Both novels are aimed at “middle America” which is appealing, particularly the way the authors depict daily life. Since both works are very representative of their time periods, a New Historicist approach is taken to analyze them. However, I attempt to show that New Historicism is lacking in certain areas in relation to the two novels.