Staring at the Face in the Floor

From an uproarious and complex game to Don Gately's recollections of A.A. meetings. Infinite Jest continues to be as disjointed as ever.

But, like two pieces of cloth sewn together, there's more than one thread joining the book's different parts together.

As was mentioned in an earlier super intense personal section of the book, we read again of "The Face in the Floor." Along with appearing in this section (on page 347) it was also mentioned in the section outlining the E.T.A. attendee's first nightmare away from home (on page 62). As far as I can tell, it's a reference to the poem "The Face Upon the Barroom Floor" by John Henry Titus.

Though, the poem tells the story of a vagrant who was ruined after the love of his life left him for a handsome friend, who he then draws on the floor and (spoilers!) dies over.

Alternatively, it could just be a reference to the pattern-finding habit of human beings, seeing a face in the carpet or hardwood or tile of the floor, and considering it some sort of terrifying all destroyer that cannot be avoided. Why not something more beneficial? So far, none of the references in Infinite Jest have had positive connotations.

At its worst, this face represents a paralyzing fear that leaving a small comfort zone will lead to your destruction - and that fits too well with the book's ridiculous, self-awarely parodying pessimism.