/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.10856578]

I'm a brainlet. This novel confused me.

I read some online theories and I get the big stuff, but it's the details. Can someone explain to me why the Attorney literally HATES Don Gately? Who is Tooty and what did Don do to her?

Also I don't understand Infinite Jest itself. Has Hal seen it? Has Orin seen it? How does the AFR know about it? How does anyone know about it? I feel like the only people who know it exists would be dead. Did James ever watch it? Why didn't he die?

[Anonymous No.10856675]

>>10856578
The tooty thing was a 900 page brick joke

back when don was burglaring people he shoved a toothbrush up his ass and took a picture of it, and left it for the attorney,

The wife was a germophobe and freaked out about this in such a way that her condition rapidly got worse, to the point where she was damaging her teeth. She thought her mouth would never become clean again

[Anonymous No.10856700]

>>10856578
They explain pretty well how people know about it. There's one scene where a person dies, then they send in cops, then more people, until finally someone gets the clever idea to cut the power.

How does it work? It's part of the mystery of the novel. The fun comes from hearing Marat and Steepley's guesses but never getting to know for sure.

[Anonymous No.10856723]

>>10856675
Ah, okay thanks for explaining. I get why he was angry about having to apologize to him, then. Was that Wallace making fun of how retarded AA-type groups can be?

[Anonymous No.10856799]

>>10856723
absolutely not. He understood how dogmatic and cliched those groups can be and poked fun at it often, but at the same time he extols the guidance and help of AA. Wallace went to AA like five times a week or something, having dealt with alcoholism in his life iirc.

[Anonymous No.10856838]

>>10856799
>>10856723
part of infinite jest deals with powerlessness and making peace with said powerlessness, having to just accept that fact and hang on tight the best you can One Day At A Time.

[Anonymous No.10856859]

>>10856799
I'm not saying he was against AA. Don Gately's entire character is basically an embodiment of his respect for AA and how transformative it truly is

Like you said there's a lot of sections where he mocks AA and AA-type institutions. And often times he questions what relevance certain steps like the need for a god figure or (I think) in this instance needing to apologize to people who you feel you have wronged when it goes against all your better judgement.

Plus the attorney wasn't in AA, he was in some splinter group for compulsive disorders, which I remember pretty early on in the book he was talking about how overdiluted the AA-type groups are, and how everyone of them will tell you you have a problem no matter what you say. Either you're in denial if you say you don't have a problem, or you admit yourself you have a problem.

It seemed like he had mixed, although positive feelings, about AA.

[Anonymous No.10856874]

>>10856578
people actually bother reading this piece of trash?

[Anonymous No.10857222]

>>10856874
people actually bother posting trash like this?

[Anonymous No.10857244]

>>10856874
imagine having a strong opinion about a work you haven't read

[Anonymous No.10857292]

>>10856578
>How does the AFR know about it?
Huh I'm not sure, now that you've asked. Is it because of Lauria P (who is probably Avril Inc?)

[Anonymous No.10857738]

>>10857292
Another thing, is Lauria P the hand model? I thought that's what that Orin chapter at the end suggested.

I would think Orin would notice that's his mom when he slept with her.

[Anonymous No.10857759]

What were DFW's thoughts on Infinite Jest before he died? Did he even like the book? Did he like what it brought him?

[Anonymous No.10857835]

>>10857759
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3416744/

[Anonymous No.10857855]

>>10856578
You're not a brainlet. That book is worthless.

[Anonymous No.10857890]

>>10857835
This any good?

[Anonymous No.10857900]

>>10857890
Better than anything Wallace wrote, unironically.