There's not much to say about Gately's latest chapter. He struggles with the conception of god, and we see more and more of his existence in Boston AA. Some of his memories surface, and we get a glimpse of how he started on his way to alcoholism.
We also read of the story of the two young fish and the old fish. This comes up on page 445, and involves the old fish leaving the young fish dumbfounded with the question "How's the water?" The young fish can only look at each other and say "What the hell is water?"
A minor detail in a book of minor details, this little story seemed to have special significance to David Foster Wallace. This apparent importance is based on his reusing the story in a 2005 commencement speech. It's not much to go on, but the idea behind the story (that the most obvious truths are often the hardest to talk about) really permeates much of Infinite Jest.
As a reader you can see what the characters miss, you can see the book's water. Though, of course, the characters don't talk about it. Not just because they can't see it, but because it's part of the book's comedy. As a whole, Infinite Jest like a solid block of dramatic irony - though it informs the audience of what's going on only if they're aware that they can see the books interconnections, its water.
It's this optional level of the book that makes it great, even if it's not something that's immediately comprehensible.
We also read of the story of the two young fish and the old fish. This comes up on page 445, and involves the old fish leaving the young fish dumbfounded with the question "How's the water?" The young fish can only look at each other and say "What the hell is water?"
A minor detail in a book of minor details, this little story seemed to have special significance to David Foster Wallace. This apparent importance is based on his reusing the story in a 2005 commencement speech. It's not much to go on, but the idea behind the story (that the most obvious truths are often the hardest to talk about) really permeates much of Infinite Jest.
As a reader you can see what the characters miss, you can see the book's water. Though, of course, the characters don't talk about it. Not just because they can't see it, but because it's part of the book's comedy. As a whole, Infinite Jest like a solid block of dramatic irony - though it informs the audience of what's going on only if they're aware that they can see the books interconnections, its water.
It's this optional level of the book that makes it great, even if it's not something that's immediately comprehensible.
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