Sexual Misconduct
The most central theme in the collection concerns misogyny and sexual misconduct. The stories are indirectly told, and they're told through the untrustworthy narrative of the men in question, but even so, most of them feature different kinds of fetishes, different arguments for different kinds of misogyny, and manipulative strategies to make sure women don't catch on to their manipulative tactics. There is even a robust, seemingly convincing argument defending rape because it adds depth to the women who survive it.
The Meaninglessness of Life
Wallace's short stories never tackle this question directly, except in "The Depressed Person," except that it ends up engendering annoyance instead of sympathy. Otherwise, the stories only deal with this issue indirectly by arguing around it with circuitous arguments in a maximalistic style. It's a little like pointing at everything until finally, it becomes clear that there's actually nothing to point at. For a beautiful instance of this, check "Forever Overhead"'s use of detail, ultimately focusing on how no matter how big the diver, the waves from their dive into the pool always stop.
Empathy as Savior
Wallace was very vocal about how empathy was the only force that could truly lead to a meaningful existence, because if practiced well, it would lead to a decrease in loneliness that could weaken the despair we feel asindividuals. This is very evident in the book, especially indirectly through the failure of the hideous men to engender sympathy from the reader, and their blatant inability to practice empathy for others (especially women). This also explains why Wallace wrote about 'the depressed person' with such a sardonic tone. He, as a sufferer of depression, understands that part of the reason depression leads to suffering is that the pride it produces often detaches the person from community. All the stories touch on this in their own way.
Art as an Expression of Self and Meaning
Perhaps the most endearing image in the entire collection is when 'you' are standing on the diving board, trying desperately to stop time, because you know that to do the thing of life is to jump into the oblivion of the waters that 'forget' about each person. But before you jump, everyone is looking at you, and that's kind of nice. This appears as a theme especially in stories like, "Death is Not the End," and "A Radically Condensed History of Postindustrial Life," but it is evident throughout the work, even through Wallace's use of metanarrative and other postmodern tactics which he employs often, just to remind the reader that he's the author and that his brain made these words for the reader. It's like he's just saying hello to us. In fact, "Forever Overhead" ends with one word: "Hello."
