Assassination Quote by Don DeLillo
“The figure of the gunman in the window was inextricable from the victim and his history. This sustained Oswald in his cell. It gave him what he needed to live. The more time he spent in a cell, the stronger he would get. Everybody knew who he was now.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: White Noise, 1985
The gunman’s image becomes inseparable from his victim’s past, feeding his identity and power while imprisoned.
In simple terms: The gunman’s image defines him and fuels his strength in confinement.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how narratives shape self‑perception.
Themes
identity
power
memory
violence
Mood
introspective
critical
Type
analytical
literary
When to use this quote
- prison life
- political activism
- media analysis
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
psychology
symbolism
narrative
control
Questions to Reflect On
- How do stories we tell about ourselves influence our actions?
- Can a symbol become a self‑fulfilling prophecy?
A Different Perspective
The interpretation may over‑emphasize symbolism at the cost of factual context.
![“[Lee Oswald] saw himself as part of something vast and sweeping. He was the product of a sweeping history, he and his mother, locked into a process, a system of money and property that diminished their human worth every day, as if by scientific law. The books made him part of something. Something…” quote by Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/530/don-delillo-294_every-day_lee-oswald-saw-himself-as-part-of-someth_1262688.jpg)
![“It is very difficult for [people] to accept the idea that someone as inconsequential as Oswald could have killed someone as consequential as Kennedy.” quote by Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/73e/robert-dallek-3456_accepting_it-is-very-difficult-for-people-to-accep_870237.jpg)
![“We have the ability to take him [President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez] out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability. We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator. It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job…” quote by Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/194/pat-robertson-1972_ability_we-have-the-ability-to-take-him-presiden_23256.jpg)
![“We know from Talmadge Hayer, one of the men who carried out the assassination, who was shot by Ruben X as he tried to flee the Audubon after shooting Malcolm X, we know that Hayer confessed years later to his Imam in prison that there had been a walk-through a week prior to February 21st [1965] at…” quote by Manning Marable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/645/manning-marable-9023_assassination_we-know-from-talmadge-hayer-one-of-the-m_101701.jpg)
