52 pages • 1 hour read
Noah HawleyBefore the Fall
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2016A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Cultural Context: The 24-hour News Cycle
The media’s relentless pursuit of Scott Burroughs—camping outside his house, following him to Layla Mueller’s and later, to Eleanor’s homes—reflects the real-world demands of what has come to be known as the 24-hour (or 24/7) news cycle. The rise of cable news networks in the 1980s and ’90s, followed by the expansion of online news sources placed a premium on fast reporting and content generation, often at the apparent expense of truth and objectivity. Critics of The 24-hour news cycle point out that the constant barrage of “news” encourages the dissemination of salacious details that may or may not be accurate, frequently without context or analysis. Moreover, when no new information is available, the 24-hour news cycle dictates that the same content is covered repetitively in ways that risk trivializing real issues and the lives of real people who, like the fictional Scott Burroughs, become caught up in a story.
Although the first 24-hour cable news channel was CNN, founded in 1980 by Ted Turner, Fox News—launched by billionaire Rupert Murdoch in 1996—arguably emblematizes the polarizing power of cable news. In Before the Fall, Hawley satirizes the channel in the fictional ALC network, established by David Bateman and represented on the air by the bombastic and manipulative Bill Cunningham. Bateman’s great innovation at ALC—to “make” the news rather than simply report it—subverts the journalistic ethic of objectivity and replaces it with opinion guided by a political agenda and, of course, by the desire to maximize ratings and profit through outrageous engagement. When the rest of the news media lauds Scott as a hero, it is Cunningham who takes charge of the narrative by speculating that Scott might have caused the crash. Moreover, Cunningham shows himself to be willing to engage in illegal and unethical practices, such as tapping private phone lines, to get his story and orchestrate “gotcha” moments live on the air.
Authorial Context: Noah Hawley
Noah Hawley’s television experience, especially as the writer and producer of the critically-acclaimed FX series Fargo, directly informs the structure and tone of Before the Fall. Like Fargo, the novel is a character-driven exploration of crime and its motives, as it investigates the mystery of the plane crash and the backstory of the victims (some of whom are suspects). Much of Hawley’s writing reflects his strong visual sensibility. One of the most vivid chapters of the novel is his description of Scott’s eight-hour swim through the ocean in the dead of night with a dislocated shoulder. His prose paints an almost cinematic picture: the chill of the water, the primal fear of sharks, and the desperation followed by a resolve to survive.
Structurally, too, the novel resembles a Fargo-esque television series. Just as that series devotes an entire season to a single murder mystery, Before the Fall devotes a chapter to each victim’s backstory, allowing Hawley to explore the lives of his characters more deeply. The plot structure of Before the Fall resembles television shows as well. The mystery of the plane crash is a taut throughline; as one possibility is disproven, another emerges in its place. Hawley lets the questions drive the narrative, teasing his readers, and keeping them wondering what new details might arise which could incriminate one of his suspects. Yet, he takes his time with Scott Burroughs, delving into his psyche as he tries to process his trauma, understand his connection with JJ, and attempt to resurrect his career.
Cultural Context: Jack LaLanne
Jack LaLanne (1914-2011) was an American fitness guru and a pioneering television personality. The so-called “Godfather of Fitness” was the host of The Jack LaLanne Show from 1951 to 1985 and presided over a fitness empire that included health clubs, nutritional books, and workout equipment. His workouts focused on “training to failure,” repeating moves until he was no longer physically able to continue.
In 20th-century popular culture, LaLanne represented a healthy, virile, and disciplined version of the American ideal. He not only projected this image on television but also in person. Scott’s memory of watching LaLanne pull a boat across San Francisco Bay in the 1970s, narrated in Chapter 2, is based on an actual stunt. Just as witnessing the feat inspired the young Scott to learn to swim, millions of Americans were motivated to exercise by LaLanne’s example. Scott draws upon LaLanne’s example during his eight-hour swim in the Atlantic. Even as he fights exhaustion and hypothermia, he thinks of LaLanne, urging himself to take one more stroke: “Don’t give up / Never give up” (33).
