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Infinite Jest and Sincerity in one chapter

I have just hit around page 730 in Infinite Jest. I've been told before that around now is when the novel really starts to pick up, at least in terms of enjoyment. If it does get better I’ll be very pleasantly surprised as thus far it has been consistently fantastic. 

The chapter I just finished, in which the character Joelle Van Dyne narrates on her relationship with the Incandenza family really stands out as one of my favourites regarding character development as well as expressing (what I feel to be) the moral thesis of the book in an engaging and very human way.

Much of the chapter deals with Joelles perceptions James O. Incandenza, also known as “Himself” and “The Mad Stork.” This chapter really provides one of the only non-biased looks at Himself we get throughout the book. Interestingly this can be seen in how characters refer to James O. Hal refers to him as “Himself”, Orin calls him “The Mad Stork”, Avril refuses to even speak his name (or indeed acknowledge his existence). Joelle refers to him simple as “Jim” throughout this chapter. Possibly an indicator of their relatively close relationship but that interpretation may be reaching a little too far. Interestingly Mario Incandenza also chooses not to use the nicknames used by Hal and Orin, simply referring to his parents and Mom and Dad, which following this line of interpretation probably represents his relatively normal and stable interactions with them.

The crux of this chapter is James O. Incandenzas inability to interact with other people, or to express himself in a really heartfelt sincere way, despite wanting to. This comes across in everything from his relationships with his sons to his films. Himselfs films are described as being essentially technically excellent but lacking in any sort of real expression or creative push. Himself is a fan of satire and parody. One footnote (within and endnote) strikingly says “Has James Incandenza Ever Even Once Produced One Genuinely Original Or Unappropriated Or Underivative Thing?” In this chapter Joelle acknowledges that, but she also acknowledges the occasional flash of “something” in his films. Some gooey moral thesis, some expression of humanity. It’s always short and fleeting, hidden intentionally but there nonetheless, as if the man could not help but show this side of himself but hated it and felt driven to hide it in parody and satire. This (along with many of the many other references to Himselfs ouvre throughout the book) I feel expresses the central sentiment of Infinite Jest, that really all we want is to communicate with and be close to other people, but well, that makes us feel uncomfortable and exposed, better to hide it in irony and satire.

However this is expressed several times throughout Infinite Jest, to the point where the book is almost like a broken record repeating the message over and over again. Where this chapter really shines (and why it’s my favourite so far) is in how this inability to sincerely express is realised in the characters, road tested essentially. The second part of this chapter (well, really the two are mixed together) deals with James’ interactions with his sons and family, in the context of Joelles first meetings with James and Avril. It’s stated at numerous points that both of his sons have real trouble talking with or identifying with their father, and their view of him is skewed as a result. Orin seeks Himselfs approval, while Himself seeks Hals approval. None of them are capable of communicating except through the medium of Avril, who really allows the communication by excluding Himself entirely, thus making her sons comfortable in his presence. I cannot say I understand Avril and her interactions with her sons very well yet, but perhaps that will become clearer later in the book.

All of this comes together in my opinion to express the unhappiness felt by James and the reasons for it. He cannot communicate with others in any meaningful way and this damages his relationships and brings him horrible unhappiness. He replaces this need for human contact by drinking, drowning himself in substances. In a previous chapter another of Himselfs films “Blood Sister: One tough nun” is described in detail as Himselfs parody and rejection of the Alcoholics Anonymous ideology. James rejects the idea of “replacing one addiction with another.” I think it could be argued that this is because he is missing the point of AA, that why it really works (at least based on my reading of previous chapters) is because of the total sincerity, and the encouragement given to AA members to really listen, identify and communicate with each other, to express themselves without irony or comedy and really trumping what makes us desire substances in the first place.

What I really loved about this though, is just how sad it made me. The scenes at the dinner, when Joelle first meets Avril and the rest of the Incandezas are heart wrenching. Himself is sitting silently in the corner, drinking himself into a stupor and finally simply getting up and leaving the table, not even noticed by his sons. This is one of those chapters, or pieces of literature in general that makes me remember why I read, and why I love reading. Reading this book has been almost like how David Foster Wallace describes AA to work, through really identifying with people, by listening to their struggles and not thinking of yourself for once.