A Confederacy of Dunces is a fictional and satirical novel by American novelist John Kennedy Toole which reached publication in 1980. Dunces details the adventures of a scabrous, slothful, and hippopotamically fat medievalist named Ignatius J. Reilly, who lives in New Orleans with his overweening mother, Irene. Over the years, many who've read the book have assumed that Reilly is Toole's comically exaggerated alter ego. Ignatius Reilly, an extremely large, slothful, and cranky fellow wearing a hat with flas over his ears, is waiting outside the D.H. Holmes department store for his mother. A policeman, Officer Angelo Mancuso, threatens to arrest him as a suspicious character. A scene ensures in which Mrs. Reilly arrives, the crowd turns on Mancuso, and Claude Robichaux, an old man, is arrested. Mancuso's sergeant tells him he is an idiot and orders him to dress up in ridiculous costumes and wander around the city until he catches an actual perpetrator.
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A Confederacy of Dunces
Overview
Revolution or Confusion in New Orleans
Ignatius Reilly has tried to hide from the 1960s world of his hometown,New Orleans. Forced to get a job, he encounters pornographers,industrialists, secretaries, revolutionaries, and partygoers as he triesto figure out his place in the world.
Gettihng a Job
Forced to get a job, Ignatiusis a lazy, irresponsibleemployee of Levy Pants.
Trying to Start Revolutions
Ignatius tries—and fails—toencourage civil rights andLGBT rights protests.
Running Away
When his mother wantsto have him committed,Ignatius flees New Orleans.
Main Characters
Ignatius J.Reilly
Large, gluttonous 30-year-oldman; lives at home; selfishson and terrible employee
Mrs.Irene Reilly
Older woman who drinks, overwhelmed by her difficult son, Ignatius
Patrolman Angelo Mancuso
Inept but kindhearted policeofficer; helps the Reillys butis teased at work
Burma Jones
African American man realistic about segregation and oppression, saves ignatius life.
Themes
Unlovable Women
Cold and manipulative or weak and victimized women are unlovable.
Fate
Ignatius thinks fate guides him and frees him from responsibility.
Disguise
Disguises conceal you or let others project their judgements onto you.
Arthur
JOHN KENNEDY TOOLE1937-69
Toole was born in NewOrleans to a salesman fatherand overbearing mother.He hoped to be a writer, butA Confederacy of Dunces wasrepeatedly rejected bypublishers. The novel waspublished after Toole's suicide,earning him a posthumou
A Confederacy of Dunces
18
Overview
Ignatius Reilly has tried to hide from the 1960s world of his hometown,
New Orleans. Forced to get a job, he encounters pornographers,
industrialists, secretaries, revolutionaries, and partygoers as he tries
to figure out his place in the world.
Mrs.Irene Reilly
Ignatius J.Reilly
A Confederacy of Dunces
Running Away
Trying to Start Revolutions
Gettihng a Job
When his mother wants
to have him committed,
Ignatius flees New Orleans.
Ignatius tries—and fails—to
encourage civil rights and
LGBT rights protests.
Forced to get a job, Ignatius
is a lazy, irresponsible
employee of Levy Pants.
Main Characters
Patrolman Angelo Mancuso
Inept but kindhearted police
officer; helps the Reillys but
is teased at work
Large, gluttonous 30-year-old
man; lives at home; selfish
son and terrible employee
Older woman who drinks, overwhelmed by her difficult son, Ignatius
African American man realistic about segregation and oppression, saves ignatius life.
Burma Jones
Cold and manipulative or weak and victimized women are unlovable.
Unlovable Women
Ignatius thinks fate guides him and frees him from responsibility.
Fate
Themes
Disguises conceal you or let others project their judgements onto you.
Disguise
Toole was born in New
Orleans to a salesman father
and overbearing mother.
He hoped to be a writer, but
A Confederacy of Dunces was
repeatedly rejected by
publishers. The novel was
published after Toole's suicide,
earning him a posthumou
JOHN KENNEDY TOOLE
1937-69
Arthur
Revolution or Confusion in New Orleans
A Confederacy of Dunces
Overview
Revolution or Confusion in New Orleans
Ignatius Reilly has tried to hide from the 1960s world of his hometown,New Orleans. Forced to get a job, he encounters pornographers,industrialists, secretaries, revolutionaries, and partygoers as he triesto figure out his place in the world.
Gettihng a Job
Forced to get a job, Ignatiusis a lazy, irresponsibleemployee of Levy Pants.
Trying to Start Revolutions
Ignatius tries—and fails—toencourage civil rights andLGBT rights protests.
Running Away
When his mother wantsto have him committed,Ignatius flees New Orleans.
Main Characters
Ignatius J.Reilly
Large, gluttonous 30-year-oldman; lives at home; selfishson and terrible employee
Mrs.Irene Reilly
Older woman who drinks, overwhelmed by her difficult son, Ignatius
Patrolman Angelo Mancuso
Inept but kindhearted policeofficer; helps the Reillys butis teased at work
Burma Jones
African American man realistic about segregation and oppression, saves ignatius life.
Themes
Unlovable Women
Cold and manipulative or weak and victimized women are unlovable.
Fate
Ignatius thinks fate guides him and frees him from responsibility.
Disguise
Disguises conceal you or let others project their judgements onto you.
Arthur
JOHN KENNEDY TOOLE1937-69
Toole was born in NewOrleans to a salesman fatherand overbearing mother.He hoped to be a writer, butA Confederacy of Dunces wasrepeatedly rejected bypublishers. The novel waspublished after Toole's suicide,earning him a posthumou
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