Summary
A Confederacy of Dunces is a comic masterpiece that took an unconventional path to becoming an American literary classic. Written by John Kennedy Toole in the early 1960s, the novel was published posthumously in 1980, more than a decade after the author's death by suicide at age 31. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1981 and has since sold more than 1.5 million copies, delighting readers with its vivid portrayal of 1960s New Orleans and its unforgettable protagonist. At the novel’s center is Ignatius J. Reilly, a corpulent, eccentric 30-year-old who lives with his mother and rails against modern society from the comfort of his bedroom. Forced to seek employment for the first time, Ignatius stumbles through a series of misadventures with a colorful cast of French Quarter characters. Toole's rich, comedic prose brings 1960s New Orleans to life in all its gritty, multifaceted glory.
Plot
A Confederacy of Dunces follows the misadventures of Ignatius J. Reilly, an eccentric and unemployed 30-year-old man who lives with his mother in New Orleans. The story begins when Ignatius, waiting for his mother outside a department store, attracts the attention of a patrolman due to his odd appearance. This encounter leads to a comical scene that sets the tone for the rest of the novel.
Forced to find work to help his mother pay for damages from a car accident, Ignatius reluctantly takes a job at Levy Pants. There, he causes chaos by arbitrarily discarding important files and sending an insulting letter to a customer. After being fired, he becomes a hot dog vendor, spending more time eating the merchandise than selling it. Throughout these escapades, Ignatius keeps up a regular correspondence with his former classmate Myrna Minkoff, trying to impress her with exaggerated accounts of his activities.
Ignatius's journey takes him through various colorful New Orleans locales, including the seedy Night of Joy bar. Here, he encounters a cast of quirky characters, including Burma Jones, a janitor forced to work for below minimum wage, and Darlene, an aspiring stripper with a trained cockatoo. Ignatius's misguided attempts at social activism, including an effort to organize the factory workers and a plan to bring about world peace through the gay community, invariably end in disaster.
The novel reaches its climax when Ignatius attends Darlene's debut performance at the Night of Joy. Chaos ensues when her cockatoo attacks Ignatius's pirate costume earring, causing a commotion that spills out onto the street. As Ignatius's antics finally become too much for his mother to bear, she decides to have him committed to a mental hospital. However, at the last moment, Myrna arrives from New York to “rescue” Ignatius, whisking him away just as the ambulance arrives at their home.
Themes
Absurdity and satire of modern society
Isolation and alienation
The contrast between idealism and reality
Social criticism and commentary
The search for purpose and meaning
Eccentricity and non-conformity
The complexities of human relationships
Setting
A Confederacy of Dunces takes place in New Orleans in the early 1960s, capturing the city’s bustling streets, local color, and eccentric characters during that era. The story unfolds against the backdrop of a changing South, as the civil rights movement begins to take hold.
Many real locations in New Orleans feature prominently, including the D.H. Holmes department store on Canal Street, where the story opens. Local landmarks such as Werlein's Music Store and the Prytania Theater help bring the setting to life. The French Quarter serves as a key location, with its bars, strip clubs, and cast of bohemian characters reflecting the neighborhood's reputation for vice and decadence.
Characters
Ignatius J. Reilly: The protagonist, a highly educated but unemployed 30-year-old slob who lives with his mother in New Orleans. Eccentric and overweight, Ignatius despises modern society and pop culture, preferring medieval philosophy. He reluctantly takes on various jobs throughout the novel, wreaking havoc wherever he goes with his outlandish behavior and grandiose delusions.
Irene Reilly: Ignatius's long-suffering mother, a widow who indulges in drinking and initially enables her son's laziness. Over the course of the novel, she gains more independence and eventually decides to have Ignatius committed to a mental hospital.
Myrna Minkoff: Ignatius's rival and sometime love interest from his college days. A Jewish beatnik from New York City who engages in passionate political and philosophical arguments with Ignatius through letters. She arrives at the end to “rescue” Ignatius from his situation in New Orleans.
Officer Mancuso: An inept policeman who is punished by being forced to wear ridiculous disguises while on duty. He becomes entangled in various subplots throughout the novel.
Burma Jones: A clever African American janitor at the Night of Joy bar who schemes to improve his situation while avoiding arrest for vagrancy. He provides sardonic commentary on the events unfolding around him.
Lana Lee: The unscrupulous owner of the Night of Joy bar who runs various illegal operations. She clashes with several other characters throughout the story.
Darlene: An aspiring stripper at the Night of Joy who develops an act involving her pet cockatoo. Her naivete leads to comedic situations.
Mr. and Mrs. Levy: The dysfunctional owners of Levy Pants, where Ignatius briefly works. Their marital issues and attempts at amateur psychology provide a humorous subplot.
Santa Battaglia: Mrs. Reilly's friend who encourages her to stand up to Ignatius. She harbors a strong dislike for Ignatius and pushes for his commitment to a mental hospital.
Claude Robichaux: An elderly, paranoid man who becomes romantically involved with Mrs. Reilly.
Quick facts
A Confederacy of Dunces was published posthumously in 1980, 11 years after author John Kennedy Toole took his own life.
Toole's mother Thelma spent years after her son’s death trying to get the novel published, eventually convincing author Walker Percy to read the manuscript.
A Confederacy of Dunces won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1981, distinguishing Toole as one of only a handful of authors to win this noted award posthumously.
The novel's title comes from a Jonathan Swift quote: “When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
Toole based the character of Ignatius J. Reilly partly on his friend Bob Byrne, a college professor, and partly on himself.
A Confederacy of Dunces is set in New Orleans in the early 1960s and known for its vivid depiction of the city and its distinctive dialects.
Dr. Nut, Ignatius's favorite soft drink in the novel, was a real local soda brand in New Orleans at the time.
The structure of the novel mimics that of Boethius's The Consolation of Philosophy, Ignatius's favorite book.
A bronze statue of Ignatius J. Reilly stands in New Orleans at the former site of the D.H. Holmes department store, which is mentioned in the novel's opening scene.
A Confederacy of Dunces has been called “cursed” due to multiple failed attempts to adapt it into a film, with potential stars John Belushi, John Candy, and Chris Farley all attached to the project and dying before production could begin.
About the Author
John Kennedy Toole (1937-1969) was an American novelist. He is best known for his posthumously published novel, A Confederacy of Dunces. Born and raised in New Orleans, Toole showed literary talent from a young age, writing his first novel The Neon Bible at age 16. He went on to earn degrees from Tulane and Columbia University before teaching English at Hunter College in New York City.
In 1961, Toole was drafted into the US Army and served in Puerto Rico, teaching English to Spanish-speaking recruits. It was during this time that he began writing A Confederacy of Dunces. After his military service, Toole returned to New Orleans to teach at Dominican College and worked on completing his novel. He submitted the manuscript to publisher Simon & Schuster, where it reached editor Robert Gottlieb. Despite Gottlieb's interest, the novel was ultimately rejected for publication. This rejection deeply affected Toole, who became increasingly depressed and paranoid. On March 26, 1969, at age 31, Toole died by suicide in Biloxi, Mississippi.
For years after Toole’s tragic death, his mother Thelma worked tirelessly to get A Confederacy of Dunces published. Through her efforts, the novel finally found a publisher in 1980, Louisiana State University Press, with an introduction by novelist Walker Percy. In 1981, A Confederacy of Dunces was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Set in New Orleans, this darkly comic novel follows the misadventures of its 30-year-old protagonist Ignatius J. Reilly. A Confederacy of Dunces went on to become a cult classic, with translations into 18 languages and more than 1.5 million copies sold.
