"Sincerity with a Motive": Literary Manipulation in David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest. Issue 4 (7th August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Thompson, Lucas
• Is Part Of: Critique. Volume 57:Issue 4(2016)
• Page Start: 359
• Page End: 373
• Publication Date: 2016-08-07
• Subjects: David Foster Wallace -- manipulation -- metafiction -- sincerity; Fiction -- 20th century -- History and criticism -- Periodicals; Letterkunde; Engels; Electronic journals; 809.304
• DOI: 10.1080/00111619.2015.1078768
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0011-1619

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article reveals the centrality of manipulation to David Foster Wallace's fiction. After surveying a range of recent philosophical work on manipulation, it shows how this particular field of inquiry can be used to illuminate Wallace's 1996 novel Infinite Jest . The article proceeds to outline four main expressions of what I label "literary manipulation" within Infinite Jest, addressing strategic forms of manipulation concerning argumentation, thematic repetition, the anticipation of criticism, and metafictional directives. By analyzing such diverse manipulative strategies, I explore both the aesthetic and the ethical implications of Wallace's fiction. Ultimately, the article shows how Wallace uses manipulation to dramatize the complex tension between sincerity and its antithesis.