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
Santa prepares for her party and greets Irene and Patrolman Mancuso excitedly when they arrive. Santa and Irene commiserate with Patrolman Mancuso about how bad his cold sounds, and Santa tells Irene that Mancuso lost the book Ignatius lent him. Irene says that this doesn’t matter, but that they better not tell Ignatius. Santa quickly tries to change the subject—she does not want to talk about Ignatius all night.
Santa dislikes the subject of Ignatius because it ruins her fun. Discussing Ignatius brings Irene down and, therefore, brings down the overall mood. Although Santa claims that she wants to look out for Irene’s wellbeing, she is mainly concerned about the effect it will have on her party.
Themes
Irene continues to complain about Ignatius as Santa leads them into the kitchen. Santa sends Mancuso to make them some drinks while Irene tells Santa that Ignatius makes her iron his huge uniforms and that he is still a hot dog vendor. Santa tries to distract Irene by telling her that Claude is excited to meet her. Irene seems anxious but pleased about this. Santa sends Mancuso to lie down because his cough sounds so bad.
Irene is embarrassed that Ignatius is a hot dog vendor because she thinks it makes the family look bad, and Irene is concerned with her public appearance. Santa does not want to talk about Ignatius because it will ruin the mood of her party. This is also why she sends Mancuso to lie down–she is not particularly worried about him, but his cough depresses her. Although Santa seems concerned for her guests’ wellbeing, she mainly wants them to comply with her desire to have a fun party as planned.
Themes
Irene makes a second drink and Santa wonders where Claude is. Irene compliments her on the house—she can barely hear the neighbors through the wall—and Santa warns Irene not to drink so fast before Claude arrives. Irene seems to lose her nerve; she says she better get home early to check on Ignatius. Santa grabs her wrist firmly and tells her that she should meet Claude—he has money, and he’ll take care of her and can pay off her debt. Irene starts as Claude knocks on the window.
Irene’s comment about the neighbors suggests that people in New Orleans are concerned with appearances and conformity because everyone lives in close quarters. Therefore, people do not have the space to enjoy their individual preferences or lifestyles without infringing on other people’s. Santa does not seem deterred by Irene’s reluctance to be matched up with Claude, suggesting that Santa is more concerned about having her own way than with what Irene really wants.
Themes
Santa lets Claude in and introduces him to Irene. Irene stares into her drink and will not make eye contact with Claude. Claude tells Santa that he has seen Irene before, the day that he was arrested. Santa and Irene suddenly realize that it was Patrolman Mancuso who arrested Claude, and Irene desperately tries to excuse herself. Santa tells her to sit tight, however, and asks Claude what he would do if he ever saw the policeman who arrested him again.
Santa does not care that Irene is uncomfortable with the situation and, instead, is determined to have her own way and set Irene up with Claude. Although Santa’s plan seems to have others’ best interests in mind, her controlling attitude suggests that she is primarily concerned with getting her own way.
Themes
Get the entire A Confederacy of Dunces LitChart as a printable PDF.
Claude says that he hates the police; they are all communists. Santa suggests that the police have a hard job and are doing their best. Claude disagrees and Santa hurries out of the room to hang up Claude’s coat. There is a long, awkward silence between Claude and Irene. Irene tries to leave the room to check on Santa, who she thinks may have slipped on the nice tiled floor.
Claude hates the police because he feels they unfairly take away people’s freedoms. Claude associates this behavior with communism, since this totalitarian ideology was practice by Russia, America’s enemy during the Cold War in the mid-20th century.
Themes
Claude says that it is good to be careful, and he and Irene get into a conversation about this. Irene says that she always tells Ignatius to keep himself safe, and Claude says that he has seen Ignatius around and that he really stands out. Irene says that she has a hard time with Ignatius and suddenly bursts into tears. Claude is surprised and asks her what is wrong. Irene sobs that Ignatius never helps her around the house and that all the neighbors know he is a hot dog vendor.
Claude, like Irene and Santa, is very concerned with conformity and public appearance. He notices Ignatius because Ignatius stands out and does not seem to conform to contemporary standards of dress. However, given that Claude defended Ignatius from Mancuso at the beginning of the novel, it’s reasonable to assume that Claude likely cares more about having his rights infringed upon by the state than infringing on the rights of others merely because they look different.
Themes
Irene insists Ignatius has a good education, but Claude says that he might have been corrupted at college. Colleges are full of communists, Claude says. Irene seems to think this is possible and Claude tells her to ask Ignatius what he thinks of democracy. Claude tells Irene that he admired the way she acted when Ignatius was nearly arrested outside D. H. Holmes. Irene says that she wishes she’d let Patrolman Mancuso take Ignatius away, and then panics because she has revealed that she knows the policeman who arrested Claude.
Claude echoes American paranoia about communism, an attitude that reached new heights in the 1950s when America was at war with communist Russia. During this time, many people were investigated on suspicions of harboring communist beliefs and lost their jobs as a result. It is, of course, ironic that a country which claimed to support individual freedom imprisoned and blacklisted people for their political beliefs. It is further ironic that these measures were ostensibly put in place to protect freedom. Ignatius does dislike democracy, but, not because he is a communist—rather, he believes in the absolute monarchy of the medieval era. This suggests that there is not much fundamental difference between various authoritarian systems.
Themes
A moment later, Patrolman Mancuso walks in and Claude leaps up in a fury. Santa and Irene defend Patrolman Mancuso; the incident was not his fault, they say, but Ignatius’s. Santa tells Claude that Mancuso has had a very hard time recently and Claude relents somewhat. The group makes up and everyone agrees that it would best if someone beat up Ignatius.
Claude, Irene, and Santa blame Ignatius for refusing to conform and feel that he brought his strange appearance brought arrest upon himself, even though he did nothing wrong. This suggests that Santa, Claude, and Irene are hypocrites. They claim to love freedom and are indignant when they think their own rights are threatened, yet they don’t want to allow Ignatius the freedom of nonconformity.
Themes
