The Existentialist Contradiction in David Foster Wallace: How Wallace’s Sociology Illuminates the Contradiction in Wallace’s Ethics
This essay argues that Wallace’s non-fiction presents a sociology that constitutes the foundation of Wallace’s literary project. By tracing the influences of Wallace’s sociology and by contrasting Wallace’s non-fictional works with those of Zygmunt Bauman, Ulrich Beck, Anthony Giddens and Christophe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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European Association for American Studies
2022-07-01
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| Series: | European Journal of American Studies |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/18209 |
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| author | Paolo Pitari |
| author_facet | Paolo Pitari |
| author_sort | Paolo Pitari |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This essay argues that Wallace’s non-fiction presents a sociology that constitutes the foundation of Wallace’s literary project. By tracing the influences of Wallace’s sociology and by contrasting Wallace’s non-fictional works with those of Zygmunt Bauman, Ulrich Beck, Anthony Giddens and Christopher Lasch, this essay provides a necessary contribution to an adequate critique of the foundation of Wallace’s literary ethics. Finally, the analysis proposes that an existentialist contradiction pervades Wallace’s work. This contradiction revolves around the problem of free will, and it characterizes a particularly strong wave of contemporary western ethics. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-179b083122df4b2faa9be82588cb845a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1991-9336 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | European Association for American Studies |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of American Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-179b083122df4b2faa9be82588cb845a2025-01-06T09:08:26ZengEuropean Association for American StudiesEuropean Journal of American Studies1991-93362022-07-0117210.4000/ejas.18209The Existentialist Contradiction in David Foster Wallace: How Wallace’s Sociology Illuminates the Contradiction in Wallace’s EthicsPaolo PitariThis essay argues that Wallace’s non-fiction presents a sociology that constitutes the foundation of Wallace’s literary project. By tracing the influences of Wallace’s sociology and by contrasting Wallace’s non-fictional works with those of Zygmunt Bauman, Ulrich Beck, Anthony Giddens and Christopher Lasch, this essay provides a necessary contribution to an adequate critique of the foundation of Wallace’s literary ethics. Finally, the analysis proposes that an existentialist contradiction pervades Wallace’s work. This contradiction revolves around the problem of free will, and it characterizes a particularly strong wave of contemporary western ethics.https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/18209existentialismneoliberalismphilosophical fictionindividual freedom |
| spellingShingle | Paolo Pitari The Existentialist Contradiction in David Foster Wallace: How Wallace’s Sociology Illuminates the Contradiction in Wallace’s Ethics European Journal of American Studies existentialism neoliberalism philosophical fiction individual freedom |
| title | The Existentialist Contradiction in David Foster Wallace: How Wallace’s Sociology Illuminates the Contradiction in Wallace’s Ethics |
| title_full | The Existentialist Contradiction in David Foster Wallace: How Wallace’s Sociology Illuminates the Contradiction in Wallace’s Ethics |
| title_fullStr | The Existentialist Contradiction in David Foster Wallace: How Wallace’s Sociology Illuminates the Contradiction in Wallace’s Ethics |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Existentialist Contradiction in David Foster Wallace: How Wallace’s Sociology Illuminates the Contradiction in Wallace’s Ethics |
| title_short | The Existentialist Contradiction in David Foster Wallace: How Wallace’s Sociology Illuminates the Contradiction in Wallace’s Ethics |
| title_sort | existentialist contradiction in david foster wallace how wallace s sociology illuminates the contradiction in wallace s ethics |
| topic | existentialism neoliberalism philosophical fiction individual freedom |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/18209 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT paolopitari theexistentialistcontradictionindavidfosterwallacehowwallacessociologyilluminatesthecontradictioninwallacesethics AT paolopitari existentialistcontradictionindavidfosterwallacehowwallacessociologyilluminatesthecontradictioninwallacesethics |