View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. When did Orin stop playing tennis?

2. What drug do Hal and his friends plan to take before their next upcoming tennis match?

3. How old is Hal in Chapter 3 when he goes to visit the professional conversationalist?

4. What is Hugh Steeply's occupation?

5. Which character in the Incandenza family appears the most stable in personality?

Short Essay Questions

1. What kind of relationship do Hal, Orin and Mario have with Avril?

2. What happens in Chapter 3, when Hal is 10-years-old?

3. Who is Don Gately?

4. Is James similar to his father?

5. In Chapters 21 - 25, what kind of relationship do Orin and Hal have?

6. How does Wallace create back stories for the characters?

7. What role does Lyle play?

8. Describe Hal Incandenza.

9. Why does Joelle try to overdose at Molly's party?

10. What role does drug use play at Enfield?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Wallace create a dramatic opening sequence in the beginning of Infinite Jest? What is the purpose of opening so dramatically?

Essay Topic 2

How does Mario show that he is worried about Hal? Is he right to be worried? Why does Mario ask Avril about sadness?

Essay Topic 3

Why does Hal have a breakdown at the end of the novel? What brought the breakdown on? How does the breakdown lead to the scene that is actually first in the novel?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 918 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample