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Philosophy and Performance in David Foster Wallace's "Infinite Jest": A Reading
Philosophy and Performance in David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest A Reading Author:Irene Triendl This study is an attempt at a reading of David Foster Wallace's 1996 novel "Infinite Jest" that examines this massive work of fiction from a formal point of view. After a discussion of Wallace's position in postmodern literature the study takes a close look at some salient stylistic features, especially the novel's narrative technique. Thu... more »s, it exposes an underlying formal structure in a novel whose strategies of opacity and ambiguity have confused and frustrated many readers. From this basis, the author develops a conception of "Infinite Jest" as a "novel of ideas" and examines themes the novel shares with Plato's "Republic". The final chapter deals with various notions of "performance" apparent in "Infinite Jest", such as role-playing, pretense, performance for an audience, and ritual.« less