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Chapter 52
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Infinite Jest, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Talent, Precociousness, and Fame
Addiction, Mental Illness, and Suicide
Entertainment
Reality as Corporate Dystopia
Institutional Control vs. Rebellion
Summary
Analysis
Pre-Dawn and Dawn, 1 May Y.D.A.U. Outcropping Northwest of Tucson AZ U.S.A., Still. Marathe and Steeply discuss an “Oriental myth” about a woman with blonde hair all over her body. Although very little is usually “accomplished” during these meetings between the men, both the O.U.S. and A.F.R. get excited about them. The two men then discuss the myth of the Odalisque, alluding to the similarity between this figure and the Entertainment. Marathe said he has to leave soon, but that it has been good to be in the fresh air for the night.
The myth of the Odalisque is another example of the novel blending fact and fiction. The Odalisque is an actual mythic figure that emerged from Ottoman culture. The name refers to a female member of a harem, and the figure was appropriated into French culture (but has no specific relation to Quebec).
Themes
