A Confederacy of Dunces Essay - 2209 Words

Oh, Fortuna, blind, heedless goddess, I am strapped to your wheel. Do not crush me beneath your spokes. Raise me on high, divinity (Toole: 42). Here, Ignatius Reilly makes one of his many pleas to Fortuna, the goddess which he believes controls his destiny and his life by spinning him in circles of good and bad luck. The cycles Ignatius Reilly goes through in John Kennedy Tooles A Confederacy of Dunces play an important role in the story, as they affect not only him, but several others in the book as well. The cycles that Ignatius is put through do, indeed, influence those around him. These cycles that Ignatius goes through are very much like gears, connected to the cycles of the other characters in the novel. Although it is not†¦show more content†¦Lana Lee only paid him twenty dollars a week and threatened to call the police if Jones gave her problems or tried to quit. Things looked bleak for Jones until Fortuna spun Ignatius downwards and he came upon the Night of Joy, on ce again, because of the route for Paradise Vendors that he had to take. Jones was able to spin Ignatius cycle downwards even further as he convinced Ignatius to come see Darlenes performance. The fiasco that followed had the Night of Joy shut down and the tyrannical Lana Lee arrested, thus, spinning Jones cycle upwards. As Jones led the police to Lana Lees pornographic material, he gained their favor over their previous contempt. Jones explained, that Patrolman Mancusa say he appreciate showin him that cabinet. He say, Us mothers on the force need peoples like you, help us out. He say, Peoples like you be helpin me get ahead. I say, Whoa! Be sure and tell that to your frien at the precinc, they don star snatchin my ass for vagran. He say, I sure will. Everybody at the precinc be appreciatin wha you done man. Now them po-lice mothers appreciate me (Toole: 362). Jones cycle took a further spin upwards from Ignatius downfall as Mr. Levy decided to give him an award for bravery from th e newly established Leon Levy Foundation. Mr. Levy proclaimed, Here. This is brave. HeShow MoreRelated Disparity Between Dunce and Genius in Tooles A Confederacy of Dunces2394 Words   |  10 PagesDisparity Between  Dunce and  Genius in Tooles A Confederacy of Dunces   When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him. -Jonathan Swift   Ã‚  In Swifts words, there is a potential for the existence of a genius, indicated by the group of dunces acting in opposition. In A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, Ignatius J. Reilly plays both parts of the genius and the dunce. As Ignatius plays both parts, the Wheel ofRead MoreEssay on The Rebirth of Ignatius in The Confederacy of Dunces3026 Words   |  13 PagesThe Rebirth of Ignatius in The Confederacy of Dunces      Ã‚  Ã‚   You learnt everything, Ignatius, except how to be a human being (375).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chained to a dominant character who is so vast and yet so embryonic that he is not only protagonist but also, in many ways, his own antagonist, The Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole, has been called a broad satirical view of the modern world (Holditch Introduction The Neon Bible xi). Since this short definition fails to explain that the viewRead MoreThe Roles of Women in Kennedy Toole’s A Confederacy of Dunces1089 Words   |  5 Pagesnone expected how things turned out. They take many roles in their lives. A woman, as an infant, is the one nurtured and cared for. But when she marries and has her own family she becomes the protector and nurturer. 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Choose one novel or play of literary merit in which the character is at odds with the people around him or herRead MoreHello2980 Words   |  12 Pagesman, often manifesting as boredom. Epigraph—A quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of a theme. One found at the beginning of John Kennedy Tooles Confederacy of Dunces: When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign; that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him. — Jonathan Swift. Epiphany—A major characters moment of realization or awareness. Epithet—a term used to characterize a person or thing, such as rosy-fingered in rosy-fingered