Recursion

A structure that refers to itself — most precisely defined in mathematics and computer science as a function whose definition invokes itself, but more loosely used for any pattern that loops back through its own output. In fiction, recursion shows up as nested frames (a story about telling a story), self-referential narration, or characters trapped in feedback loops where the reaction to a problem becomes part of the problem. A favourite engine of David Foster Wallace's prose, where the recursive style mirrors the recursive traps his characters cannot think their way out of.

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