A Confederacy of Dunces Themes

A Confederacy of Dunces draws largely upon medieval culture and philosophy. In particular, the novel focuses on Ignatius J. Reilly’s interest in the medieval philosopher Boethius, who wrote The Consolation of Philosophy. Ignatius feels deeply connected to Boethius: in his lifetime, Boethius was imprisoned by the Ostrogoths, who were widely believed to be a barbarous people compared to the civilized Romans, and Ignatius feels that he, too, is surrounded by barbarians. A scholar…

In A Confederacy of Dunces, Toole uses the experience of Burma Jones, a marginalized black man, to demonstrate the way in which the American South’s historical legacy of slavery and racial prejudice affected the lives of black people living in the South during the 1960s, when the novel is set. A Confederacy of Dunces takes place in New Orleans, which, like much of the American South, had segregation laws in place until the…

There is a preoccupation with freedom in the novel and a sense that freedom, both personal and political, may be taken away at any moment. Although American society is outwardly protective of personal freedom, many aspects of American life, such as the necessity to work under capitalism or the need to conform to social convention, mean that life is restrictive, especially for people who deviate from social norms. For example, Ignatius Reilly is singled out…

Throughout A Confederacy of Dunces, characters don disguises to hide their true identities and to temporarily transform themselves. Patrolman Mancuso and Ignatius are both made to wear costumes or uniforms for their respective jobs, and these false personas enable them to behave in out of character ways. Disguises also allow characters like Jones and Lana Lee to protect themselves from undesired consequences, legal or otherwise. Disguises clearly have transformative power over individuals’ behavior and…

Throughout the novel, many of the characters pretend to act on the behalf of others. For instance, Mrs. Levy has her mind set on transforming the life and appearance of Miss Trixie, her husband’s elderly employee, while Ignatius is determined to start political upheavals in order to impress his ex-girlfriend, Myrna. However, although characters like these want to think of themselves as philanthropic, most of them are merely hypocrites who pretend to act…