Infinite Jest: Dialect 1 key example

Speaking from the perspective of a Black woman named Clenette, Wallace goes on to narrate a disturbing, highly traumatic story about Wardine (another Black woman who eventually ends up in recovery at Ennet House). This chapter is one of the most frequently criticized in the novel. AAVE, also known as Ebonics, has its own grammar and linguistic rules. Wallace demonstrates that he has not taken the time to understand all of these rules, instead basing Clenette's dialect on stereotypes about Black speech. Even the content of Clenette's story is steeped in melodrama and stereotypes about the kind of violence and trauma that plagues Black communities.

In these early chapters, Wallace narrates a number of shocking, seemingly disconnected stories that turn out to be about future Ennet House residents. For instance, Chapter 2 centers on Ken Erdedy and his struggle with addiction. Wallace seems to be trying to represent a diverse group of people all affected in their own ways by addiction. He lets them speak for themselves and invites readers to sympathize with them even when they behave in unlikable ways. Chapter 6 is part of this mosaic and is the most obvious example where Wallace uses dialect as a literary device. However, Wardine is a very minor character when she appears later in the novel, and she never gets a real chance to speak for herself. Wallace's use of dialect to tell her story ultimately reinforces the idea that Wardine needs to be taken out of her community in order to get "free" from addiction and trauma.