As we discussed, probably the main theme (or one of the main issues) of 'Infinite Jest' is addiction in its various forms. Many of the characters are addicted to various kinds of drugs, mainly alcohol (James Incandenza, Don Gatelly) or marijuana (Hal Incandenza, Ken Erdedy, Kate Gompert). But many other types of addiction more atypical. Let's start with Mario, Mario is addicted to the radio program of Madame Psychosis (the name that matches the name of the powerful hallucinogenic drug of the 60 that will evaporate the brain and Hal and Pemulis have achieved and see if they will try). His older brother Orin is addicted to seduce and use women who are mothers (and I agree with Hal, who believes that this should be occasional Oedipal significance). Lenz, having left (more or less) of cocaine, has become addicted to killing animals sadistic way street: It starts with rats, cats and still continuing with dogs, and time has stopped here. He is addicted to violence, but a ritualized violence.
However, I think they are addicted to most of these characters is not so much to the pleasure they can provide the substance to which they are engaged, but rather the ritual to be followed to consume the substance. For example, says Hal enjoys most of her smoking marijuana secret of marijuana itself. Addictions are obsessive-compulsive behaviors and I think what we really are addicted to these characters is obsessive-compulsive routines involving any addiction. I do not know if I explain. It's as if every little obsession that we were an addiction. Avril, the mother of the family Incandenza, is addicted to order, cleanliness and grammatical correctness. CT, the brother of Avril and possible biological father of Mario, I would say he is addicted to work, basically to make times square, an addiction not unlike that of his sister.
Then Little Ewell's obsession to know the meaning of the tattoos of his fellow House Ennet no longer another addiction: you need to know what tattoos mean and never seem to get enough. You could say that Schacht's obsession for hygiene and dental health is an obsession / addiction. And I would say that Marlon Bain superstitious rituals are another obsession / addiction. And surely there are more such cases. I am convinced that all the characters are addicted to something. Maybe on another day continue doing this list.
(By the way, what looks Marlon Bain lived for a time with the family Incandenza like one more? "I smell something fishy here.)
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