Infinite Jest, Week 6 by D.F.Wallace

[John]

Nicola wrote: "Rosemary wrote: Also in note 110, p 1007 and 1014, Jethro Bodine, Orin says "A private chuckle. She'd never get it." - I don't get it either. Anyone? (If it's not too obscene for Goodreads).."

Gla..."

I didn't get it either -- I just looked it up now, apparently Jethro Bodine was a character on The Beverly Hillbillies.

[Ami]

Nicola wrote: "John wrote: "Nicola wrote: "Rosemary wrote: Also in note 110, p 1007 and 1014, Jethro Bodine, Orin says "A private chuckle. She'd never get it." - I don't get it either. Anyone? (If it's not too ob..."

Rosemary wrote: "Thanks for the questions Zulfiya!

1. The arcs are beginning to intertwine. I think the Incandenza family is easiest to follow, personally. I loved the Mario section in this week's reading.

Re Mar..."

Also in note 110, p 1007 and 1014, Jethro Bodine, Orin says "A private chuckle. She'd never get it." - I don't get it either. Anyone? (If it's not too obscene for Goodreads)

FN 110

I thought the joke was it's really Orin who is responding to the Moms using Bodine's letterhead.

Avril is a master grammarian/wordsmith/linguist, what have you...Any little written, or oral mistake sends her in a tailspin, am I wrong? If you notice, there's a major spelling mistake and quite a few grammatical errors in the response to the Moms...It's "cordially," not cordjally-Orin was clearly needling the Moms, I thought (FN 110).

Would you not think it odd to receive a response using a generic template with spelling and grammar mistakes? The whole conversation between Orin and Hal about the separatist movement, is really all about Avril and nothing else-he carries some sort of torch for her still? I think it's interesting the great lengths Orin takes in order to hide his interest in Avril. Hal sees right through all of Orin's "separatist" questions and knows he's just wanting to know about the Moms...He even calls Orin out on it, in the footnote, but also in the narrative...when he called to ask for help with Separatism, which Orin's asking for help from him with anything was strange in itself(310).

When I picture Orin, in terms of this scenario, I see him thinking his disguise is fool proof, but when you see him, he's just wearing a clear plastic bag over himself-he's not the most stealth, but instead too obvious. LOL!

What I thought was really interesting here was that Hal had a feeling somebody was going through his mail he thought he threw away (311).

[Ami]

Nicola wrote: "Rosemary wrote: I agree, and I find the relationships between Hal and Orin and Hal and Mario the most comforting relationships in the book. Without these, I think I would be feeling there was no ho..."

Well I don't think Orin's relationship to his brothers is very comforting. I have gained the impression that he is horrible to Mario. Physically mistreated him as a child which shows a pretty scummy personality even if it was when he was younger.

And this is why I dislike him so much, not because he's "self-absorbed" but because of his treatment of Mariio and his disingenuous nature, in general ...I think Orin's a borderline sociopath, honestly. :)

[Linda]

Nicola wrote: "I saw it as an indication that his drug taking is starting to take a serious toll."

I think given the fact that Hal had already decided to not partake in weed while watching the game, but then did anyways without even realizing it, shows me that he is more addicted to it than he may think he is.

But the manner in which he "watched" the game, by focusing more on the mundane things happening around him instead of actually watching the game, was to me just an effect that the weed had on him, which can be a normal effect anyway - the zeroing in on something so minute and thinking about it so thoroughly (the snow, for example).

So I didn't think this episode really showed me that his drug taking was taking a serious toll on him, but just that he was probably more addicted than he might think. Especially since he did not go down in the tunnel and secretly get high, but instead did it right there alongside his friends.

[John]

Ami wrote: "I think Orin's a borderline sociopath, honestly. :) "

Oh, I don't think I'd say "borderline" :D

[Ami]

Mario's Birth

Did anybody else think after reading the in depth description about Mario's birth and his severe deformities, that a "supposed" incestuous relationship between Avril and C.T. would not be possible? Mario's malformations are much to serious to be the product of a sister and her half-brother...There's too much genetic diversity available between the two to produce a child like Mario? Granted, Avril did not know she was pregnant with Mario at the time; so her negligence could also be a major contributor to Mario's genesis. SUPER interesting stuff, Mr. Wallace!

[Nicola]

John wrote: "Ami wrote: "I think Orin's a borderline sociopath, honestly. :) "

Oh, I don't think I'd say "borderline" :D"

Hmm, you guys think he's that bad? I'll have to pay more attention. He does have serious issues that' for sure.

[Nicola]

Ami wrote: "Mario's Birth

Did anybody else think after reading the in depth description about Mario's birth and his severe deformities, that a "supposed" incestuous relationship between Avril and C.T. would n..."

I haven't come to any conclusions yet regarding Mario's parentage. I've got the possibility in the back of my mind but I'm not devoting much time to thinking about alternative parentage just yet.

[Nicola]

John wrote: "Nicola wrote: "Rosemary wrote: Also in note 110, p 1007 and 1014, Jethro Bodine, Orin says "A private chuckle. She'd never get it." - I don't get it either. Anyone? (If it's not too obscene for Goo..."

Oh thanks again John. I used to watch that show actually :-)