Student Question
In Falling Man by Don DeLillo, what are Martin's views on terrorism?
Quick answer:
Martin, a character in Don DeLillo's Falling Man, has a complex view on terrorism shaped by his past involvement with a German terrorist movement. He is somewhat sympathetic to the Islamic terrorists' cause, understanding their frustration and desire to make a statement, although he likely does not condone their actions. His views ultimately contribute to the end of his relationship with Nina, highlighting the personal impact of terrorism on individuals' lives.
Falling Man by Don DeLillo is a story of living through and then coping with the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the towers in New York on September 11, 2001. The two main characters are Keith, who was in one of the towers and survived, and his wife Lianne. Connected to Lianne are her mother Nina and her mother's long-time lover Martin.
Martin is a German art dealer with a somewhat secretive past, but here is what we know: his real name is Ernst Hechinger and he was once part of a terrorist movement in Germany. Though he was not one of the nineteen members of the group who were wanted for bombings, bank robberies, and murder, it is likely he was ancillary to them, perhaps part of a sleeper cell which supported their activities.
This history shapes Martin's view of the Islamic terrorists, and it is not surprising...
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that he is sympathetic to their cause. Though he probably does not condone their acts, he does understand their frustration, their desire to make a statement, and their view of Americans as careless, hedonistic people. He tells Nina in an argument that these men kill and then people actually try to understand them, may even get to know their names, but they had to kill to get their attention. Martin also talks about their commitment to their god as being equal to anyone else's commitment to theirs.
Not too long after the incident, Martin and Nina separate after twenty years and travels across many continents. It was Martin's sympathy toward the terrorists which was responsible for ending the relationship.
In Falling Man by Don DeLillo, what is the view on terrorism?
Terrorism is seen from the internal point of view in the novel. DeLillo internalizes terrorism in the minds and actions of his characters. The novel examines terrorism from the personalized point of view. The fact that Lianne cannot make sense out of the world after 9/11 would be one particular example of how terrorism impacts the survivors. Lianne seeks to maintain some level of order, but she cannot escape the fact that the world of terrorism is one where there is no order. At one moment, her life seemed to be ordered and structured, and at another moment, the image of the falling man (both the reality and the artist) occupies her consciousness. At the same time, the idea of being able to try to understand why 9/11 happened proves to be another view or impact of terrorism that is presented. In the end, the true aim of the terrorist is accomplished when individuals dwell over it, seeking to make sense of it, and try to appropriate it. In this light, terrorism is presented as a reality of consciousness that must be accepted and can never really be conquered once introduced.