A Confederacy of Dunces

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole is a picaresque comedic novel set in 1960s New Orleans, following the misadventures of Ignatius J. Reilly, an eccentric, obese, and arrogant medieval scholar who despises modern society. After a series of mishaps, including clashes with a policeman and financial troubles caused by his mother’s car accident, Ignatius reluctantly seeks employment. His chaotic jobs—first at a pants factory and later as a hot dog vendor—serve as platforms for his misguided attempts at social revolution, which inevitably fail. The novel is populated with colorful characters from New Orleans’ French Quarter, including Ignatius’s overbearing mother Irene, his rival Myrna Minkoff, and other eccentric figures. Through its satirical lens, the book critiques modernity and human folly while showcasing the cultural vibrancy of New Orleans. Written in 1963 but published posthumously in 1980 through the efforts of Toole’s mother and author Walker Percy, the novel earned the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1981 and remains a classic of Southern literature.