A Confederacy of Dunces

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the play over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. A Confederacy of Dunces is inextricably tied to its location, the city of New Orleans.

• If New Orleans is another character in John Kennedy Toole’s novel, how would you describe it? (topic sentence)
• New Orleans in the novel becomes a self-contained world, a cauldron in which the lives of such bizarre characters can bubble over and affect one another. Describe 2-3 minor characters’ plot lines and how they contribute to the color and richness of the New Orleans in the book.
• In your conclusion, describe how Toole’s New Orleans becomes almost unreal/surreal, therefore becoming more of an eccentric, chaotic character in and of itself.

2. Ignatius is frequently described as crazy, mad, and out of his mind, as are several other characters.

• Considering the novel was written in the 1960s, how does the novel portray mental health issues? (topic sentence)
• What are some of the ways the portrayal of mental health problems is outdated? For example, consider how Ignatius’s mother attempts to have him sent to the state mental hospital once she decides he is a “communis” and a degenerate beyond help.
• In the novel, if the mental hospital is not a place of healing, how might it be viewed?  

3. Rather than equipping a person for a successful future, through the character of Ignatius author John Kennedy Toole seems to be saying that academia only burdens people with enough baggage that they become unfit to function in the real world.

• How does Ignatius Reilly represent and embody academia? (topic sentence)
• Compare and contrast Ignatius’s academic understanding of class politics and the lived experiences of class struggles.
• In your conclusion, explain what kind of statement Toole seems to be making in the novel about academia in general in that its main character (Ignatius) is perpetually unemployed despite a great deal of schooling and who has been equipped with the vocabulary and the understanding of class-based economics but has rarely had to operate in such a system.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Ignatius and his mother have a particularly volatile relationship. How does the dynamic between them change and evolve throughout the novel? In your answer, be sure to consider the fact that Ignatius and his mother are not dissimilar characters. Both are fine living in a dirty, rundown home, and they do little to alter the cleanliness of their environment. Both are working-class Catholics, and neither could be considered a good cook or a competent housekeeper. Examine the pivotal moments in the novel where the interests and tastes of mother and son diverge, particularly with the introduction of the character of Santa.

2. As one of the novel’s only examples of a functioning family, the Levy household is nevertheless beset by many issues. How do Mr. Levy’s relationships with his daughters, his wife, and his father affect his character and his actions? In your response, consider the Levy family home itself and that it is not only geographically distant from the inner city and its lack of wealth, but it is also well-equipped, well-built, and an example of moneyed success. Does their relative wealth bring about any meaningful happiness for Mr. Levy and his family? Why or why not?

3. Given that the novel’s dramatic climax includes the return of Ignatius’s estranged girlfriend, does it seem possible that Myrna could change or help Ignatius in the future? Discuss the full, complicated history of the relationship between Ignatius and Myrna. Though Ignatius routinely insults her and demands that she receive corporal punishment, she is one of the few constant figures in his life. Other than his mother, there is no other person whom he thinks about or communicates with more often. Returning to the climax of the novel, determine if their reunification seems short-lived.