White Noise Characters

Jack’s seven-year-old daughter and the offspring of his marriage to CIA operative Dana Breedlove. In contrast to her half-brother Heinrich’s taste for disaster and his eagerness to intellectually dupe others, Steffie is emotionally sensitive, often feeling “embarrassed on other people’s behalf.”

Jack’s doctor. Initially surprised by Jack’s sudden desire to schedule frequent physicals, Chakravarty confides that he’s glad Jack is taking his role as a patient seriously. Despite this appreciation, though, he is evasive and withholding in his assessment of Jack’s health.

Heinrich’s nineteen-year-old friend who is training to set the record for the longest amount of time spent in a cage with deadly snakes. Heinrich clearly admires him, while Jack is puzzled by the boy’s disregard for death—a carelessness he comes to envy and admire.

Old Man Treadwell’s elderly sister, who dies of “lingering dread” after she and her brother are stuck at the shopping mall for four days straight.

Bee’s mother and one of Jack’s ex-wives. High-strung and independent, she is married to Malcolm Hunt, whom she feels she doesn’t truly know. Bee suggests that Tweedy would benefit from focusing on her own problems, rather than obsessing over the mystery of her husband.

Tweedy Browner’s current husband and Bee’s stepfather. Malcolm is a “high-level jungle operative” who often goes undercover.

Heinrich’s mother and yet another of Jack’s ex-wives. A former foreign-currency analyst who carried out research for secret theorists, Janet now goes by the name “Mother Devi” and lives on an ashram, or a place of religious retreat modeled on monastic Hindu communities.

Jack’s ex-wife, whom he married twice. Dana works as a CIA operative who carries money from place to place and reviews books the organization sends her. She is Steffie and Mary Alice’s mother.

Jack’s oldest child and the daughter of Dana Breedlove. She is nineteen, lives in Hawaii, and works with whales.

The head of the American Environments department at the College-on-the-Hill. Alfonse knows four languages, has a photographic memory, and collects prewar soda bottle caps. Like the rest of his department, he is a New York émigré.

A New York émigré in the American Environments department. The former bodyguard of the musician Little Richard, he dies between the Fall and Spring semesters while surfing, an event that unsettles Jack and Murray because of its suddenness.

One of the New York émigrés in the American Environments department who enjoys having odd, spirited discussions about popular culture, trivia, and circumstantial memories with Murray, Jack, and his other colleagues at lunch.

Yet another of the New York émigrés in the American Environments department who engages Murray and Jack in odd lunchtime conversations.

Babette’s doctor, whom Jack calls at home to ask about Dylar.

A man in prison for murder. Heinrich plays chess with Tommy in the mail.

A psychic whom the Blacksmith police consult when they need to find a missing person. Although Adele’s visions never lead the police to what they were looking for, she invariably helps them discover and solve some other unknown crime.

A man leading the simulated evacuation drill in which Steffie and Heinrich take part. Jack overhears this leader tell the volunteer victims, “The more we rehearse disaster, the safer we’ll be from the real thing.”

Babette's son from a previous marriage who is growing up in Australia, and who does not have a TV.