He became so gloomy that she asked him, at last, if he was worried about anything. He assured her, instantly, that he was the happiest man in the world. And he was. At times he was almost bewildered by his own bliss in being there, with Tony, so terribly dear, beside him; really his own for the rest of his life. It was not her fault if the insatiable sorrows of an unequal love tormented him, the hungry demand for more, for a fuller return, for a feeling which it was not in her nature to give. As she leaned forward, absorbed in the passions staged beneath her, he felt suddenly that their box contained just himself and a wraith, a ghost; as if the real Antonia, whom he loved, was an imagined woman living only in his sad fancy. Margaret Kennedy
About This Quote

In this quote from the novel “Infinite Jest” by David Foster Wallace, it is made clear that the character of Hal Incandenza is in love with his wife, the real Antonia. Hal has a terrible depression and is afraid that he can never be loved by his wife. He says to himself: "I became so gloomy that she asked him, at last, if he was worried about anything. He assured her, instantly, that he was the happiest man in the world.

And he was. At times he was almost bewildered by his own bliss in being there, with Tony, so terribly dear, beside him; really his own for the rest of his life. It was not her fault if the insatiable sorrows of an unequal love tormented him." This quote shows us that Hal is terrified of being left alone and isolated from his loved ones.

This idea is then emphasized by saying: "As she leaned forward, absorbed in the passions staged beneath her, he felt suddenly that their box contained just himself and a wraith, a ghost; as if the real Antonia, whom he loved, was an imagined woman living only in his sad fancy." This quote can also be interpreted in a literal sense; when Hal thinks about his wife with Tony beside her. Hal wants to be loved by Antonia and wants to fill up all of her emotional holes. The idea of filling voids with happiness is also seen in another quote from "Infinite Jest" (p.

23): “If we keep on missing we keep on missing — we keep on turning — we keep on searching — we keep on losing — we keep on finding — we keep on stepping — we keep on trying — we keep on wanting — we keep on wanting and wanting and wanting and wanting and wanting and never getting what we want anyway — but what do I know?” Hal thinks that if he just keeps doing things every day that eventually one day things will turn out right for him. This quote can also be applied to spiritual practices such as Buddhist meditation. Another way this quote can be interpreted is about waiting for things to happen to you rather than taking action yourself.

Source: The Constant Nymph

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More Quotes By Margaret Kennedy
  1. When they got to their hotel she went straight up to bed, but he paused to get a drink. There was, in the vestibule, a flower stall and he bought a handful of roses, stiffly wired into a bouquet, before proceeding to the oppressive gorgeousness...
  2. He became so gloomy that she asked him, at last, if he was worried about anything. He assured her, instantly, that he was the happiest man in the world. And he was. At times he was almost bewildered by his own bliss in being there,...
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