A Very Special Episode

Pages Read: 314

Pages To Go: 664

Footnotes: 119 of 388

If The Incadenza Family were an early 80’s sitcom, this would have been one of those special episodes that deal with a heavier, more emotional subject matter. In this case, we learn about Mario and all of the physical and development challenges he’s had to deal with in his life.

Spoiler alert: He has a lot of them.

I like Mario a lot. He seems to be a sweet soul. But I wonder if this might be a case of a Mary Sue, except a version that involves a severely disabled child who somehow has an extremely high emotional IQ. I hope that’s not the case, and I’m not being ungenerous. It’s just I was really enjoying the vibe I was getting from Mario early on, because it was obvious he had a special place in the family in terms of the reverence and consideration the others gave him.

In any case, if Infinite Jest were a simulation, instead of a novel, DFW would be a real dick for sticking Mario with so many shitty medical disorders.

Vocab Word: Chiaroscuro an effect of contrasted light and shadow created by light falling unevenly or from a particular direction on something.

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