Infinite Summer

Imagine if you would, an individual who is a drug addict, who squandered his potential career as an athlete, a serial burglar, a physically immense person who served as muscle for a bookmaker, and who was also responsible for at least three deaths that I can recall. In short, not exactly the type of person you'd enjoy seeing take up residence in your neighborhood. Yet, to me, he easily becomes the most beloved person in Infinite Jest. Not a bad accomplishment for David Foster Wallace to pull off in my humble opinion.

I agree. After the burglary scene I figured he would just be a minor character, but I'm glad that as the novel unfolded, his story became, for me, one of the most compelling parts of the book.

_________________
Forget your troubles, c'mon, get happy...
-Leland Palmer

Yes, it was unlikely, but Gately did turn out to be the most beloved character in the book. He was my favorite from almost the beginning.

I was talking to my wife about the book this summer as I was reading IJ for the third time and it was hard not to cry when I talked to her about Don Gately.

Yesterday afternoon I was walking home from work (beautiful warm fall day) and started thinking about Don Gately's Mom and started to tear up a little.

I think that what gets to me so much about him is his emotional determination to be the best person he could no matter what shit came his way.

He truly seems to care about other people and want to help them, while also working out his own issues.

To me this is the best side of recovery, what 12-step should really be about.

I read somewhere this summer Wallace discussing our age as being an age in between exhaustion and replenishment.

We've exhausted an old paradigm and need to build a new one...I think that Don Gately's approach is the right way to go...try to help people the best you can while you try to deal with your own issues too.