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    Discussion Questions - A Confederacy of Dunces

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    Lorena Burciu
    The document contains 21 discussion questions about the novel A Confederacy of Dunces by Walker Percy. The questions probe various aspects of the novel such as the main character Ignatius P. Reilly and how he compares to other personalities, the humor and style of writing in the novel, Ignatius' relationship with his mother, the role of the setting of New Orleans, possibilities for what may happen to Ignatius and Myrna in the future, themes in the novel, use of dialect, how Ignatius is both a fool and genius, the significance of minor characters, why Ignatius undermines the business Levy Pants and starts his "Crusade", who wins and loses at the end of the novel

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    Discussion Questions - A Confederacy of Dunces

    Uploaded by

    Lorena Burciu
    453 views2 pages
    The document contains 21 discussion questions about the novel A Confederacy of Dunces by Walker Percy. The questions probe various aspects of the novel such as the main character Ignatius P. Reilly and how he compares to other personalities, the humor and style of writing in the novel, Ignatius' relationship with his mother, the role of the setting of New Orleans, possibilities for what may happen to Ignatius and Myrna in the future, themes in the novel, use of dialect, how Ignatius is both a fool and genius, the significance of minor characters, why Ignatius undermines the business Levy Pants and starts his "Crusade", who wins and loses at the end of the novel

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    The document contains 21 discussion questions about the novel A Confederacy of Dunces by Walker Percy. The questions probe various aspects of the novel such as the main character Ignatius P. Reilly and how he compares to other personalities, the humor and style of writing in the novel, Ignatius' relationship with his mother, the role of the setting of New Orleans, possibilities for what may happen to Ignatius and Myrna in the future, themes in the novel, use of dialect, how Ignatius is both a fool and genius, the significance of minor characters, why Ignatius undermines the business Levy Pants and starts his "Crusade", who wins and loses at the end of the novel

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    453 views2 pages

    Discussion Questions - A Confederacy of Dunces

    Uploaded by

    Lorena Burciu
    The document contains 21 discussion questions about the novel A Confederacy of Dunces by Walker Percy. The questions probe various aspects of the novel such as the main character Ignatius P. Reilly and how he compares to other personalities, the humor and style of writing in the novel, Ignatius' relationship with his mother, the role of the setting of New Orleans, possibilities for what may happen to Ignatius and Myrna in the future, themes in the novel, use of dialect, how Ignatius is both a fool and genius, the significance of minor characters, why Ignatius undermines the business Levy Pants and starts his "Crusade", who wins and loses at the end of the novel

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 2

    LCA BOOK CLUB

    A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES – QUESTIONS


    20 APRIL 2018

    1. Walker Percy (in the Introduction) uses the words gargantuan and Falstaffian to describe
    Ignatius.  Is it only his size that makes Ignatius seem larger than life?  Percy likens him to the late
    screen comic Oliver Hardy.  To which more recent personalities could Ignatius be compared?

    2. The first chapter of A Confederacy of Dunces is generally thought to be among the funniest in
    American literature. Do you agree?  What other comic novels remind you of A Confederacy of
    Dunces and why?

    3. Ignatius constantly criticizes and deprecates his mother while relying on her to keep his life
    together. Does she feel the same way about her son?  What does she need from him and what
    does she get for her pains?

    4. The city of New Orleans plays a central role in the novel, seeming to be a character in and of
    itself. Would this novel have been set in another American city?  Elaborate. 

    5. Project Ignatius and Myrna into the future. They are supposed to be in love, but find themselves
    fighting before ever leaving the city.  Will they make it to New York? Can New York survive
    Ignatius?   What possibilities do you see for them?

    6. Ignatius is a virgin, but Myrna declares herself to be sexually uninhibited. Is each telling the
    truth?  Can you see them becoming intimate? 

    7. Is Ignatius purely lazy or does his attitude toward work reflect his disdain for the modern world of
    commerce? 

    8. Ignatius feels he is an anachronism.  Where would he fit in? 

    9.  In the twenty-plus years since its publication A Confederacy of Dunces has become a cult
    novel.  What does that mean to you?

    10. In a letter dated March 5, 1965, Toole critiques his own novel writing that he “was certain that
    the Levys were the book’s worst flaw” and “that couple kept slipping from my grasp as I tried to
    manipulate them throughout the book”  (Nevils and Hardy, page 139).  What did he mean?  And do
    you agree?  Are they the only characters who don’t come to life? 

    11. How would A Confederacy of Dunces be different if Ignatius P. Reilly were a woman? Would he
    be more sympathetic? Less sympathetic?

    12. A Confederacy of Dunces is a humor book. Do themes matter in a book like this? For that
    matter, are there themes, or is the whole thing just a bunch of silliness?

    13. Which characters in the novel speak in dialect? Is dialect just a way to make fun of these
    characters, or does it serve other purposes?

    London Communications Agency, Page 1 of 2


    14. In what ways is Ignatius—despite his education—a fool? In what ways is he truly a genius?

    15. What is the significance of the novel's many minor characters (the "confederacy of dunces") in
    relation to Ignatius?

    16. Why does Ignatius, in his usual misguided fashion, immediately begin undermining business as
    usual at Levy Pants? Why does he organize the "Crusade"? Is the "Save the World through
    Degeneracy" campaign similar?

    17. Who wins at the end of the novel? Who loses? Also - Which storylines are left dangling? Can
    we imagine a better future after the story for them?

    18. At the end of the novel Ignatius is "rescued" by Myrna. Do you prefer this ending to the ‘tragic’
    one where he is institutionalised?

    19. Is Jones a worthy recipient of the Leon Levy Foundation prize?

    20. How realistic are the characters in A Confederacy of Dunces? Are they realistic enough for us
    to feel compassion for them? Do any of them remind you of anyone in your real life?

    21. Who is the most/least balanced person in the story? Why do you think so?

    London Communications Agency, Page 2 of 2

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