Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
Some novels could be set anywhere, but not this one. There's only one city fat enough and lumbering enough and mottled enough to hold Ignatius—and that's New Orleans.A Confederacy of Dunces is of...
What's Up With the Title?
The title is taken from the epigraph. So if you want to know what's up with the title, check out "What's Up With the Epigraph" elsewhere in this "Analysis" section.
What's Up With the Epigraph?
"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, Thoughts on Various Subjects, Moral and Diverti...
What's Up With the Ending?
The end of the novel is less a conclusion than a beginning. Really, it's almost as if the entire book is a preface; the explanation of the gigantic detonation which was required to get Ignatius out...
Tough-o-Meter
A Confederacy of Dunces is a very silly book. You do not need to be especially sophisticated or high-brow to get it, and it's filled with slapstick and burping and people insulting each other. So i...