Infinite Jest Characters

Charles is Avril’s stepbrother; following James’s death, he took over as Headmaster of E.T.A. He is described as small, self-effacing, and a talented bureaucrat. He and Avril have a sexual relationship, and he is possibly Mario’s father.

The Dean of Admissions at the University of Arizona, who interviews Hal.

The Dean of Admissions at the University of Arizona, who also interviews Hal.

The Dean of Athletic Affairs at the University of Arizona, who also interviews Hal.

The Director of Composition at the University of Arizona, who also interviews Hal.

The Varsity Tennis Coach at the University of Arizona, who also interviews Hal.

Aubrey deLint is a prorector at E.T.A. (Prorector is a European term, also used at E.T.A., for a member of staff at an academic institution.)

A student at E.T.A.

Ken Erdedy is a marijuana addict struggling to quit, and the narrator of the novel’s second chapter. He ends up as a resident of Ennet House.

The medical attaché’s wife also falls victim to the Entertainment after coming home from a tennis match and finding her husband watching it.

Prince Q—— is the Saudi Minister for Home Entertainment, stationed in Boston. He only eats Toblerone chocolate bars, which leaves him with intense sinus problems that require the constant attention of his personal physician and medical attaché.

Clenette is a young woman—presumably a teenager—who narrates a chapter about her friend Wardine, who is being abused by her mother and mother’s boyfriend. At the end of the chapter Clenette reveals she is pregnant.

Wardine is a young girl or woman who is beaten by her mother and molested by her mother’s boyfriend, Roy Tony.

Roy Tony is a heroin dealer who molests his girlfriend’s daughter Wardine. At the end of the novel he attends the same NA meeting as Erdedy.

Reginald is a friend of Clenette and Wardine who wants to help protect Wardine.

Mildred Bonk is a beautiful girl with whom Bruce Green falls deeply in love. The two move in together, along with their drug dealer Tommy Doocey.

Tommy Doocey is a drug dealer who lives with Bruce and Mildred.

Guillaume DuPlessis is a Quebecois separatist and A.F.R. member living in Boston. (There is a strong hint that he is connected to Orin, presumably via Avril.) He is accidentally killed by Gately during a botched robbery of his home.

James, Sr. is James’s father. A former tennis prodigy, he then became an actor and briefly performed the role of “The Man from Glad.” Like his son, he was an alcoholic.

A humorless psychiatric doctor who treats Kate Gompert after her suicide attempt.

Kate Gompert is a severely depressed marijuana addict who ends up at Ennet House after multiple suicide attempts.

Gerhardt Schtitt is the German tennis coach at E.T.A. He is rumored to have used corporal punishment in the past, although he is not overly harsh with the students during the time the novel is set.

Tiny Ewell is a well-educated alcoholic who checks into Ennet House.

Gertraude is Rémy Marathe’s wife. Thanks to exposure to the toxicity of the Great Concavity, she was born without a skull and spends the entirety of the novel in a coma.

Fortier is the leader of the A.F.R.

Luria P—— is a Quebecoise woman who poses as a Swiss hand model in order to seduce, kidnap, and torture Orin. Rodney Tine is in love with her, despite the fact that she works for or alongside the A.F.R.

Disney Leith is a professor of Entertainment Studies at E.T.A.

Rodney Tine is the Chief of O.U.S. He is the “architect” of O.N.A.N. and appears to be the mastermind behind President Johnny Gentle’s regime, controlling the rather hapless Gentle.

Kent is a student at E.T.A.

LaMont is a student at E.T.A. He develops a suffocating obsession with tennis fame and goes to Lyle for advice. He ends up concluding that he is “trapped” and will be miserable regardless of whether he achieves fame or not.

Millicent is a student at E.T.A. She is #1 on the girls’ 16-A team, but dreams of devoting herself to contemporary dance instead of tennis, even though she is not a talented dancer. She has a crush on Mario and instigates a brief sexual encounter with him.

Tony is a heroin addict who wears women’s clothing. After almost taking Drano-laced heroin, he goes through a horrifying detox. Later in the novel he steals the purses of Kate and Ruth. (He is likely present at Facklemann’s downfall, although this is only hinted and not confirmed.)

Bobby C is one of Sorkin’s henchmen who helps take down Facklemann. He is a heroin addict and dies after taking Drano-laced heroin sold to him by Dr. Wo.

A drug dealer.

A bricklayer who has an accident at work while drunk and tries to claim insurance.

Mario is James Sr.’s father, and thus Orin, Mario, and Hal’s great-grandfather.

A grad student at M.I.T. who is the engineer for WYYY. He is kidnapped and tortured by the A.F.R.

Calvin is former porn star turned Ennet House staffer.

Trevor is a student at E.T.A.

Molly is a friend of Joelle; they met in the Film Studies PhD program at M.I.T.

Teddy is a student at E.T.A.

Day is a resident of Ennet House addicted to red wine and Quaaludes.

Burt is a resident of Ennet House.

Charlotte is a resident of Ennet House. A former sex worker, she is now exceptionally prudish and spends all her time doing embroidery. Gately wonders if this is just an excuse for her to spend time around needles.

Emil is a resident of Ennet House.

Keith is a student at E.T.A.

Bernadette is a student at E.T.A.

Poutrincourt is a Quebecoise woman and teacher at E.T.A.

Struck is a student at E.T.A.

Otis is a student at E.T.A.

JJ is a student at E.T.A.

Evan is a student at E.T.A.

Ann is a student at E.T.A.; she ends up at the heart of the Eschaton fiasco.

John is an AA member who gives a speech at a meeting.

Eugenio is a volunteer counselor at Ennet House.

President of Mexico during the Gentle administration.

Prime Minister of Canada during the Gentle administration.

Marlon was E.T.A. student who was friends with Orin (they attended at the same time). He is always excessively sweaty.

US Secretary of State during the Gentle administration.

Mr. Ogilvie is an Entertainment Studies teacher at E.T.A. (His last name appears to be a reference to David Ogilvy, founder of the global advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather.)

Bob is a biker and AA member.

Johnette is an Ennet House staffer.

Danielle is a beautiful Ennet House staffer who is rumored to be a member of Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous.

Amy is a resident of Ennet House.

Lucien is a Quebecois man and low-level separatist dissident. Despite being from Québec, he can’t speak French. He is murdered by the A.F.R.

Bertraund is Lucien’s brother; the two run a cartridge rental store in Boston and engage in low-level dissident activity.

Alice is Charles’s secretary at E.T.A.; she gained her nickname because she can only move sideways.

Yolanda is an Ennet House resident who was formerly a member of a cult.

Idris is a student at E.T.A.

Anton is a student at E.T.A.

Ruth is an Ennet House member who (along with Kate) is robbed by Poor Tony Krause.

Neil is a resident of Ennet House.

Rodney is the son of Rodney Tine, Sr., and is an O.U.S. operative.

Matty is Michael’s older brother. He was raped by his father as a child and is now a sex worker.

Tony is a prorector at E.T.A.

Watson is a prorector at E.T.A.

Harv leads an NA meeting Hal attends.

Mrs. Waite was an elderly woman Don Gately knew as a child. She gave Don a birthday cake and shortly after committed suicide.

Kenkle is a janitor at E.T.A. A former prodigy, he received his PhD in low-temperature physics at 21 before being hired by the Office of Naval Research. However, he was dishonorably discharged.

A janitor at E.T.A.

Francis is Gately’s AA sponsor. He comes to visit Gately in the hospital and misunderstands Gately’s attempt to communicate that he doesn’t want Demerol.

The second doctor is a Pakistani Muslim who misunderstands Gately’s refusal to be given Demerol or other narcotics.

Wade is a resident of Ennet House.

Gavin is a resident of Ennet House.

Kieran is a student at E.T.A.

Facklemann is a Dilaudid addict and criminal who works with Gately and who attempts to scam Sorkin and Eighties Bill. He is taken down by Sorkin’s henchmen, who sew his eyes open.

Cathy is a nurse who tends to Gately; Gately finds her attractive.

Pamela Hoffman-Jeep is an alcoholic Gately dates while he is still using drugs. She is the “single passivest person” Gately has ever met.

Eighties Bill is a wealthy man who bets $125,000 on a Brown v. Yale football game and wins.

Kyle is a student at E.T.A.

Cosgrove is one of the only professional actors James ever used in his films. He stars in James’s pornographic, snuff-film style production Accomplice!

Mikey is an alcoholic who speaks at an AA meeting.

The A.D.A. comes to talk to Pat Montesian about apologizing to Gately as part of his recovery program.

Loach is a trainer at E.T.A.

Sorkin is a bookmaker whom Facklemann attempts to scam. Sorkin orders his henchmen to take down Facklemann; they do so by sewing his eyes open.

A student at E.T.A. He wants to become a tennis sports reporter.

The manager of Ennet House. Pat is herself also a recovering addict, as well as a victim of a stroke that has left her face partially paralyzed. She has a soft spot for Don Gately.

A student at E.T.A.

The psychologist at Enfield Tennis Academy.

A 16-year-old tennis phenom who became a legend when he threatened to shoot himself if he ever lost a game.

The campaign manager for Johnny Gentle, and a co-owner of the advertising agency Viney and Veals.

Marlon's older brother. Hal encounters Kevin at an Inner Infant group meeting, during which Kevin weeps more than Hal has ever seen another person weep.