The purpose of this research paper is to gain a deeper understanding of “The Triumph of Death” from Underworld by Don DeLillo. You will do this by referring to outside sources, incorporating your voice and analysis with those of experts, and employing MLA guidelines for citation and documentation. This is an argumentative—not informative—research paper.
Sources
“The Triumph of Death” is the primary source for this essay, which means that all analysis must be connected to the story. You must also use two to three secondary sources, which may include:
- A book, magazine, or newspaper
- An academic article, from the Rutgers Library database
- A reputable Internet site
You must use at least two different types of sources. (If you use three sources, you may double up on one type of source.)
Topics
Your first step is to decide on a topic. “The Triumph of Death” is full of possible research topics. The key is to choose a topic that is relevant to the story and of interest to you. You may, with professor approval, choose your own topic, or you may choose from the following:
- The American Dream: How does DeLillo critique or reflect on the American Dream? Consider who in the ballpark has power or fame or good fortune or wealth, and how they achieved it, and whether it is portrayed as desirable—versus who does not. Consider how different characters might define their own American identity and American dreams.
Try: What is the American dream?
- Baseball: Baseball, also known as “America’s pastime,” arguably plays a symbolic role in American culture. Why does DeLillo decide to set the story at the iconic 1951 baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants? How does he connect baseball to larger themes (such as American identity, history, nostalgia, masculinity, conflict, social division)? How does the game act as a metaphor for broader social and political shifts in the postwar era?
Try baseball nostalgia site:.edu
- Waste, Trash, Filth: DeLillo’s story is full of descriptions of bodily waste, trash, dirt, and grime. Why does DeLillo decide to include these descriptions? What role does waste, trash, or filth play in the narrative? Consider the possible connection between material decay and moral decay or the decay of cultural institutions in postwar America.
- Tradition & History: How does DeLillo engage with the themes of tradition and history? How does he weave together personal histories with the larger historical narrative, and what does this suggest about the nature of historical memory in America? Consider how the official record of a historical event is created, at the intersection of personal and collective memory. Consider what happens when memory is fragmented or contested. Consider the prologue’s final line: “It is all falling indelibly into the past.”
- Allies & Enemies, Unity & Division: How do the images of conflict—global (Cold War), interpersonal (tension between characters like Bill and Cotter), and athletic (the baseball game)—reflect the fractures in American society during the time period? How is the crowd or the mass portrayed, and how does this compare to portrayals of isolated individuals or to opponents/enemies? Consider different characters’ relationships to the ideas of “us” and “them.”
- The Cold War: The Cold War looms over the story, shaping the atmosphere of fear, paranoia, and ideological division. How does the prologue reflect the Cold War’s influence on American life and consciousness? What does the portrayal of the era’s anxieties reveal about the psychological impact of the Cold War on everyday citizens?
Try: cold war American culture
- Race: What role does race play in the relationships between characters in the story? What role does racial identity play in shaping the characters’ perception of their world? What does DeLillo’s portrayal of racial identity and racial tensions reveal about race in postwar America?
- Gender: How does DeLillo present gender, especially masculinity? How does this connect to other themes, such as conflict, fear, and division, present in the prologue?
- Consumerism & Excess: What is DeLillo’s critique of consumerism in postwar America? How does DeLillo use images of excess, materialism, and consumer culture to highlight the darker side of the American experience? How does the prologue critique the pursuit of wealth and constant accumulation of goods in relation to personal fulfillment and societal health?
Try: American consumerism
- Mortality & Death: The title of the prologue, “The Triumph of Death,” directly invokes the theme of mortality. How does DeLillo address the concept of death in the prologue? How do death, decay, and the inevitability of mortality shape the tone and direction of the narrative? In what ways does the prologue suggest that the awareness of death influences the characters’ actions and the overall cultural mood?
Before settling on a topic, be sure to conduct some preliminary research to make sure that your topic is researchable.
To generate ideas, try: DeLillo underworld