Jack Gladney is the department head of Hitler Studies at the College-on-the-Hill. He lives a somewhat dysfunctional life with his wife Babette and four of their children from previous marriages. A defining characteristic of Jack is his overwhelming fear of death. He has become obsessed to the point that he reads obituaries and counts off how many years he has left. He cannot come to terms with his own mortality. A second defining characteristic of Jack is the importance of appearances to him. He wants to appear scholarly and knowledgeable to his colleagues so he hides behind his academic robes and persona to avoid a real test of his skill.
Babette is described as an utterly plain woman. She is a physical representation of the average. Her work consists of volunteering by teaching adult education classes and reading tabloids to a blind man. Her physical condition is less than exemplary; she exercises often but lacks the self discipline to lose weight. She is incredibly forgetful. However, Jack considers her superior to his other wives because she is so unexceptional. He considers her small successes miracles and supports her unconditionally.
Denise is Babette’s daughter and the second oldest child in the house. She is precocious and intelligent but disrespectful to her parents and has no problem bossing them around.
Steffie is Jack’s daughter and the second youngest child in the house. She is incredibly sensitive and wears various items of clothing as shields from fear.
Wilder is the youngest child in the family. He is Babette’s son and doesn’t say a word throughout the novel. He is most significant for his crying episodes and for his influence on Jack. He represents an innocence and ignorance of death that Jack is jealous of and Babette wishes to maintain for as long as possible.
Heinrich is Jack’s son and the oldest child in the house. He is logical and disattached to the family. He represents his father’s hope that Hitler studies will provide him a strong posterity and freedom from death.
Murray is a colleague of Jack’s and his only mentioned friend. He wants to start a department surrounding Elvis because his focus is on popular culture. He is constantly making observations and stating opinions about American culture. He becomes a source of wisdom for Jack and a source of insight into Delillo’s thinking for readers.
