DeLillo's The Names and Zero K for School PDF

**Modernity and Its Discontents: Alienation in a Globalized World:** - **Idea**: Explore how *The Names* and *Zero K* portray alienation and disconnection in the context of modernity and globalization. Analyze how global forces, whether political, technological, or cultural, contribut...

**Modernity and Its Discontents: Alienation in a Globalized World:** - **Idea**: Explore how *The Names* and *Zero K* portray alienation and disconnection in the context of modernity and globalization. Analyze how global forces, whether political, technological, or cultural, contribute to a sense of estrangement and fragmentation in individuals' lives. - **Angle**: Contrast the political and cultural alienation in *The Names* with the emotional and existential isolation in *Zero K*, highlighting how DeLillo critiques modernity's impact on human relationships and personal meaning. **Cultural and Psychological Impact of Globalization:** - **Idea**: Explore how globalization and technological advancements affect cultural and psychological experiences in *The Names* and *Zero K*. Analyze how the novels depict the challenges and transformations faced by individuals and societies in an increasingly globalized and technologically driven world. - **Angle**: Compare the cultural dislocation in *The Names* with the technological and existential challenges in *Zero K*, highlighting how globalization and technology reshape personal and collective identities. ### **The Names** (1982) *The Names* follows James Axton, a risk analyst who travels between various international locations, mainly in the Middle East and Greece, while working for a shadowy American organization. As he navigates his professional life and estranged relationships with his ex-wife and son, Axton becomes entangled in the mystery of a secret cult that commits ritualistic murders, selecting victims based on the letters in their names. The novel examines themes of language, meaning, violence, and the effects of globalization on human identity. The cult's belief in the power of language underscores DeLillo\'s exploration of how words shape reality. Meanwhile, Axton's sense of alienation reflects broader concerns about dislocation in a world dominated by political and economic forces beyond the control of individuals. ### **Zero K** (2016) *Zero K* centres on Jeffrey Lockhart, who visits a secret, high-tech facility called the Convergence, where his father Ross plans to be cryogenically preserved along with his terminally ill wife, Artis, in the hope of being revived in the future. The Convergence is a place where people can control the moment of their death and prepare for a potential new life when technology can revive them. The novel explores deep existential and philosophical themes, particularly related to mortality, the desire to transcend death, and the implications of technology on human life. Jeffrey grapples with the idea of death and the moral and philosophical questions that arise from trying to control or avoid it. As characters confront their fears of mortality and the limits of human existence, the novel reflects on the consequences of such technological advancements on personal identity, memory, and meaning in life. Both novels, in their respective ways, address key themes like the search for meaning, the impact of technology, the role of language, and the alienation individuals face in a complex, globalized world.