Postmodernism has been connected to consumer habits and cultural production since
the 1970s. Un... more Postmodernism has been connected to consumer habits and cultural production since
the 1970s. Under neoliberalism certain elements of this connection have intensified,
prompting artists who came of age under these conditions to respond to them critically in
their art. The Pale King (2011) by David Foster Wallace is one such novel that comments
on contemporary bureaucracy and the effect of capitalist systems on the individual and
collective psyches. This thesis aims to connect the view on capitalism expressed in the novel
to Mark Fisher’s (2009) articulation of capitalist realism and postirony as discussed by Lee
Konstantinou (2012; 2016; 2017).
The introduction will provide context for discussing The Pale King together with
postmodernist literature and postmodernist philosophy. The literature review will outline the
movement from Marxist cultural criticism to postmodern philosophy, critiques of capitalism
and the related prevalence of postmodern irony. Then relevant concepts of postirony for
analyzing The Pale King will be highlighted. The literature review will also provide an
overview of academic and critical discourse on The Pale King. The second chapter will
introduce the main themes of the book, after which an analysis of the novel in three
subchapters will be provided through a close reading of the representations of credulous
metafiction, intensified postmodernism, and bureaucracy in the novel.
Entertainment and mass media are proven to be an addictive aspect of our everyday lives. David Fo... more Entertainment and mass media are proven to be an addictive aspect of our everyday lives. David Foster Wallace was very concerned with media's dangerous potential, and his 1996 novel Infinite Jest explores this along with other aspects of addiction in detail. The aim of this thesis is to investigate how entertainment addiction is represented in David Foster Wallace's novel Infinite Jest for the purpose of understanding how addiction is woven into its narrative and form, and whether or not it stands above the postmodern aura of irony it engages with and critiques. The thesis consists of four parts: an introduction, two main chapters, and a conclusion. The introduction establishes different aspects of addiction in Infinite Jest to be expanded on later. The first main chapter examines Wallace's goals for his own fiction through his essay "E Unibus Pluram", the accompanying interview, as well as previous research on the topics of addiction, irony, and the role of the reader in Infinite Jest. The second main chapter analyzes how entertainment and media addiction are represented in the novel and how the narrative is connected to the process of reading. The conclusion provides a summary and a brief assessment on the effectiveness of the methods used in writing the novel.
Postmodernism has been connected to consumer habits and cultural production since
the 1970s. Un... more Postmodernism has been connected to consumer habits and cultural production since
the 1970s. Under neoliberalism certain elements of this connection have intensified,
prompting artists who came of age under these conditions to respond to them critically in
their art. The Pale King (2011) by David Foster Wallace is one such novel that comments
on contemporary bureaucracy and the effect of capitalist systems on the individual and
collective psyches. This thesis aims to connect the view on capitalism expressed in the novel
to Mark Fisher’s (2009) articulation of capitalist realism and postirony as discussed by Lee
Konstantinou (2012; 2016; 2017).
The introduction will provide context for discussing The Pale King together with
postmodernist literature and postmodernist philosophy. The literature review will outline the
movement from Marxist cultural criticism to postmodern philosophy, critiques of capitalism
and the related prevalence of postmodern irony. Then relevant concepts of postirony for
analyzing The Pale King will be highlighted. The literature review will also provide an
overview of academic and critical discourse on The Pale King. The second chapter will
introduce the main themes of the book, after which an analysis of the novel in three
subchapters will be provided through a close reading of the representations of credulous
metafiction, intensified postmodernism, and bureaucracy in the novel.
Entertainment and mass media are proven to be an addictive aspect of our everyday lives. David Fo... more Entertainment and mass media are proven to be an addictive aspect of our everyday lives. David Foster Wallace was very concerned with media's dangerous potential, and his 1996 novel Infinite Jest explores this along with other aspects of addiction in detail. The aim of this thesis is to investigate how entertainment addiction is represented in David Foster Wallace's novel Infinite Jest for the purpose of understanding how addiction is woven into its narrative and form, and whether or not it stands above the postmodern aura of irony it engages with and critiques. The thesis consists of four parts: an introduction, two main chapters, and a conclusion. The introduction establishes different aspects of addiction in Infinite Jest to be expanded on later. The first main chapter examines Wallace's goals for his own fiction through his essay "E Unibus Pluram", the accompanying interview, as well as previous research on the topics of addiction, irony, and the role of the reader in Infinite Jest. The second main chapter analyzes how entertainment and media addiction are represented in the novel and how the narrative is connected to the process of reading. The conclusion provides a summary and a brief assessment on the effectiveness of the methods used in writing the novel.
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the 1970s. Under neoliberalism certain elements of this connection have intensified,
prompting artists who came of age under these conditions to respond to them critically in
their art. The Pale King (2011) by David Foster Wallace is one such novel that comments
on contemporary bureaucracy and the effect of capitalist systems on the individual and
collective psyches. This thesis aims to connect the view on capitalism expressed in the novel
to Mark Fisher’s (2009) articulation of capitalist realism and postirony as discussed by Lee
Konstantinou (2012; 2016; 2017).
The introduction will provide context for discussing The Pale King together with
postmodernist literature and postmodernist philosophy. The literature review will outline the
movement from Marxist cultural criticism to postmodern philosophy, critiques of capitalism
and the related prevalence of postmodern irony. Then relevant concepts of postirony for
analyzing The Pale King will be highlighted. The literature review will also provide an
overview of academic and critical discourse on The Pale King. The second chapter will
introduce the main themes of the book, after which an analysis of the novel in three
subchapters will be provided through a close reading of the representations of credulous
metafiction, intensified postmodernism, and bureaucracy in the novel.
the 1970s. Under neoliberalism certain elements of this connection have intensified,
prompting artists who came of age under these conditions to respond to them critically in
their art. The Pale King (2011) by David Foster Wallace is one such novel that comments
on contemporary bureaucracy and the effect of capitalist systems on the individual and
collective psyches. This thesis aims to connect the view on capitalism expressed in the novel
to Mark Fisher’s (2009) articulation of capitalist realism and postirony as discussed by Lee
Konstantinou (2012; 2016; 2017).
The introduction will provide context for discussing The Pale King together with
postmodernist literature and postmodernist philosophy. The literature review will outline the
movement from Marxist cultural criticism to postmodern philosophy, critiques of capitalism
and the related prevalence of postmodern irony. Then relevant concepts of postirony for
analyzing The Pale King will be highlighted. The literature review will also provide an
overview of academic and critical discourse on The Pale King. The second chapter will
introduce the main themes of the book, after which an analysis of the novel in three
subchapters will be provided through a close reading of the representations of credulous
metafiction, intensified postmodernism, and bureaucracy in the novel.