Infinite JestIntroductionWallace's fictional tale, Infinite Jest is an epic take on the careworn and addictive nature of humanity. The novel's diverse characters both individually and collectively demonstrate the fixations and obsessions that bind humanity to the trappings of reality and provide a fertile basis for the semiotic explanation of addictive behaviors. Although Wallace may have actualized the concept of "addicted gaze" as the literal or physical response to viewing Incandenza's coveted film, The Entertainment [Infinite Jest], it manifests itself symbolically throughout the novel in the distractions of its characters . Nihilism, it seems. that Wallace chose the individuals most frequently rejected and denounced by society as the vehicle for narrative pursuit and preservation of the ultimate solution, which is exemplified by Incandenza's film obsession. At the same time and despite their diversity and distinctions, these individuals will ultimately represent the inextricable and secret characteristics of nihilistic behavior. School-age malcontents, drug addicts, and the physically handicapped all attempt to obtain a copy of the film and experience it. its pleasures at all costs. Ironically, filmmaker James Incadenza used to regularly observe the depravity of Boston's crowded streets, where "everyone is going crazy, changing or looking" (620). It is not surprising that...