Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in A Confederacy of Dunces, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Medievalism, Modernity, and Fate
The Legacy of Slavery
Sexuality, Attraction, and Repulsion
Freedom
Appearance, Identity, and Disguise
Hypocrisy and Self-Interest
Summary
Analysis
In a bar called Mattie’s Ramble Inn, Jones drinks beer with the bartender, Mr. Watson, and complains about his job at the Night of Joy and his boss, Lana Lee. Jones complains that Darlene’s bird, who now works at the club, probably gets paid more than him. Mr. Watson warns Jones to stay out of trouble. Jones complains that Mr. Watson is too well-behaved, and that Lana would love him. Jones wishes he could earn a bit more and get himself a television.
This passage demonstrates the difficulty faced by black people in the 1960s South, as most wanted to receive fair treatment but also faced incarceration if they demanded it. This lived experience directly contrasts Ignatius’s claim that, if he were a black worker, he would start a riot and demand his freedom. Jones’s situation, in which he must find a subtle way to free himself from exploitation or risk going to prison, is a much more realistic portrayal of the black experience. Jones does not want much from life—merely the comparative luxury of basic things which white people, who earn more than him, can enjoy.
Themes
Jones tells Mr. Watson that he knows Lana is operating something illegal from the Night of Joy. The “head orphan,” George, has not been in for a while, and Jones suspects it is because he started asking questions about the operation. Mr. Watson tells Jones that his son is a teacher now, and Jones says that he never went to school because his mother was so poor that he had to work. Jones says that his job at the bar is so bad that it is like he is working in “modern slavery.”
As a black person in the South, Jones has not had the same advantages as many of the white people in the area because the legacy of slavery means that black people often struggle to find adequate employment. This demonstrates that racism and the legacy of slavery in the South puts black people at a disadvantage in terms of improving their situations. Jones feels like a slave because he is literally not free to leave his job: he will be arrested if he tries.
Themes
Mr. Watson says that Jones ought to try and sabotage the Night of Joy. Another man in the bar says that, where he works, they are planning a demonstration. Jones asks where that is, and the man replies that he works at Levy Pants. He tells Jones that a fat, white man who wears a hunting cap has organized the demonstration and wants to drop a “nuclear bomb” on the office to get rid of the manager, Mr. Gonzalez. Jones says that this man will get all the workers thrown in prison.
Jones immediately sees Ignatius’s protest in terms of the consequences it will have for the black workers, something which Ignatius has clearly not considered. While it is unlikely that Ignatius will be arrested for inciting a riot, the black workers will certainly be punished for attacking an office worker. And given their unfair treatment in the legal system, they will, no doubt, face serious sentences for this behavior.
Themes
The man says that the protest organizer is very educated and that he talks about the medieval period and has a story about riding into the “har of darkness” on a bus. Jones remembers Ignatius and tells the man that he has met him. Jones warns the man that the police were after Ignatius, and that if they demonstrate with him, they will get into real trouble. The man says that he will ask Ignatius, as he doesn’t want to go to jail.
Ignatius has shared his philosophy with the black workers but has not listened to them or tried to understand their position. This shows that Ignatius’s behavior is fundamentally self-interested, although he pretends to organize the riot on behalf of the black workers. In fact, the riot will likely cause harm and legal problems for the workers, whereas Ignatius (a white man) will likely face only minor consequences. Jones, on the other hand, feels solidarity with the black workers and warns them about Ignatius for their own good.
Themes
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