Home | Email

Steve's Confederacy of Dunces Page

Amazon | Grove Press

As with all my book pages, this is simply here as a quick reference for those who've read the book and want to spot certain scenes or characters or events therein. If you haven't read the book you should.
Here's a terrific pictorial tour of many of the locales in the novel. (Check that: WAS. I'd planned to archive this sucker way back in '08 and kept putting it off. Grrrrrr. I'll leave this link up, but it's dead, and googling the crap out of various combinations of elements in the URL has proven fruitless.)
http://www2.tltc.ttu.edu/qualin/ignatius/

A more detailed summary of the novel (and much more info too) can be found here:
http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/confederacyofdunces/

Section / Page # / Notes

One       1         Ignatius Reilly observes humanity, judging wardrobe (among other things) Ð Penny arcade Ð Altercation with cop (Mancuso)  Ð Mom buys cake from Inez for Ignatius Ð Old man (Robicheaux) backs Ignatius but Ignatius & mom turn on him Ð Escape to French Quarter Ð Night Of Joy club Ð Bad service Ð Lumber-jacket theft story

       II   13       Robicheaux chats with Jones in jail Ð Sergeant sets Robicheaux free, upbraids Mancuso

      III   17       Ignatius & mom meet Darlene and Òvelvet jacket guyÓ (Dorian Green) who buys momÕs hat Ð Darlene castigates Ignatius for being ÒcroolÓ to momma Ð Miss Lana Lee returns and ejects Ignatius and mom Ð Mom crashes car into building causing balcony collapse Ð Mancuso wears ballet tights as punishment, happens upon the Reillys

 

Two      28       Big Chief tablet writing Ð Boethius Ð ÒHobbyÓ Ð Collie (Rex)

       II   31       JonesÕs job interview with Lana Lee Ð Darlene tells Jones about LanaÕs business practices

      III   35       Mancuso cruises St. Chas St in shorts and beard, on cycle Ð Mancuso gives Mrs Reilly appraiserÕs estimate, makes her coffee in her kitchen Ð Mrs Reilly cries from IgnatiusÕs cruelty Ð Mrs R puts her foot down: ÒIgnatius youÕre getting a job!Ó Ð IgnatiusÕs old jobs Ð Ig resolves to get a job

      IV   53       Jones, on bus, witnesses Mancuso getting pummeled, reads Life magazine for the ads

       V   55       In movie, Ig yells at screen during circus musical

 

Three    58       Mrs R asks Ig about his fruitless job search Ð Ig ridicules her ÒMancuso-inducedÓ optimism Ð They read want adsÉ

       II   61       Ig sets Mancuso after the Night of Joy Ð Sergeant says no

      III   63       Mr Gonzales and Miss Trixie work at Levy Pants office Ð Ignatius arrives and impresses Gonzales Ð Trixie dotters on Ð Ignatius and Gonzales haggle over salary Ð Ignatius is hired

      IV   70       Lana berates Jones while he sweeps Ð George gets LanaÕs package for the orphanage after giving Lana money

       V   74       Ig writes journal entry in taxi Ð Ig tells mom about job Ð Letter from Myrna with acting job offer

 

Four     82       Ig posts sign near his desk at Levy Pants Ð Gonzales: sit on a small stool to help your valve Ð Ignatius falls over Ð Mr Levy drops by the office Ð Gonzales leaves and Ig forges Ableman letter, dumps files straight into the trash

       II   89       Miss Lee asks Jones about the police

      III   90       Mrs Reilly (Irene) notices the house is different since Ig started working Ð Talks ersters with Santa Battaglia Ð Santa tells Irene that a strange man has his eye on her, invites her and Ig bowling

      IV   93       Levy's Lodge = Xanadu of the senses Ð Mr & Mrs Levy bitch at each other about the collapse of Levy Pants, Susan & Sandra, etc.

       V   98       Ig writes "Journal Of The Working Boy" Ð Irene, Mancuso & Santa return from bowling Ð Santa dances in kitchen Ð "F*ck Ignatius!"

 

Five      104     Lana reads newspaper article to Darlene Ð Darlene: "We need an animal!" Ð My Bird Ð George arrives and Darlene is wise to him Ð Lana agrees to audition Darlene's bird

       II   108     Gonzales is happy Ð Ignatius's signs Ð Trixie arrives in sleep clothes Ð Painted cross Ð Mother Commerce returns Ð Ig dumps more files and goes to visit the factory

      III   114     Mancuso still hurts from the three ladies

      IV   115     Ig tries to journal Ð Mom awaits ride to bowling Ð Ig's Journal: 10 B's, Negro's Progress, Mississippi River, Jazz (my ancestors jigging on the heath) Ð Falls down Ð The plight of the American Negro Ð Upward mobility? Ð Getting to know factory workers Ð Ig meets Myrna, engaged in her society Ð Sex as a cure-all Ð I'm coming out into society

       V   127     Dr Talc rediscovers Ig's essay

 

Six        129     In Mattie's Ramble Inn (Carrolton) Jones chats with Mr Watson, and a stranger who works at Levy Pants overhears Ð Jones recognizes Ig in stranger's story

       II   134     Igarrives early to work with camera Ð Goes directly to factory floor, riles the workers Ð The workers move on the office leaving Ig behind Ð Lame attack, and the angry workers return to the factory

      III   144     Mancuso locked in the bus terminal bathroom

      IV   144     Ig argues with mom about being fired frm Levy Pants

       V   145     Mrs. Levy on massage board, tells Mr Levy (Gus) his daughters won't come home if he doesn't increase the wages of the factory workers Ð Mrs Levy makes deal with Gus: Bring Miss Trixie and she won't write letter to daughters

 

Seven    152     Ig eats hot dogs at Paradise Vendors, debates relevance of "Turkey In The Straw" Vendor threatens Ig with a fork, then hires him for an hour Ð Ig eats many dogs ÐIg refuses to sell George a hot dog, tells Paradise boss he was robbed Ð Ig agrees to work tomorrow

       II   165     Jones reads Life magazine, rails at Lana about his low pay Ð Lana tells Darlene to forget about the bird act

      III   171     Irenebtells Santa that Ig sells weenies Ð Santa reassures Irene that she'll hook her up with the old man Ð Ig bathes while reading Myrna's poster and big letter about her lecture Ð Ig writes her back

 

Eight    184     Mrs Levy tries to nurture Miss Trixie at home

       II   188     Mancuso, in bus station bathroom, plows through Boethius philosophy Ð Tires to arrest George who brains Mancuso with the big book, then steals it

      III   191     Santa B readies for her party Ð Irene & Mancuso arrive Ð Irene frets over meeting the old man, and tells him (Claude Robicheaux) how disappointing Ig has turned out to be Ð Claude freaks when he sees Mancuso Ð They make up

 

Nine      207     Clyde (Paradise Vendor boss) chides Ig for touching the cat Ð Reassigns Ig to French Quarter Ð Irene asks Ig if "he a communiss" Ð Letter from Myrna Ð Yogi Bear as salve...

       II   217     Lana's dextrous buttocks, happy about Darlene's bird act, squares off with Jones about record player Ð Darlene's dress rehearsal: Lana hates the striptease, suggests southern belle Ð Lana makes Jones the doorman Ð Jones discovers, then marks, Lana's packages under the bar

      III   225     Sergeant puts Mancuso back on street beat, with an ultimatum

      IV   226     Ig writes big letter: French Quarter * Pirate uniform/costume * Swordfight with Clyde * Pirate posing for tourists * Sees Mancuso * Gaining weight

       V   223     Girl asks Dr Talc for report grade Ð Note drops from Talc's papers Ð She keeps it

 

Ten       235     Mr & Mrs Levy argue while Mrs Levy puts face cream on Miss Trixie Ð Mr Levy mentions selling Levy pants

       II   239     Watson and Jones discuss Jones's job and sabotage at night of Joy

      III   241     Ig getting sick on hot dogs Ð Nightmares Ð Art guild display Ð 12" of Paradise Ð Ig chides the artists, and they drive him away Ð Ig gets into it with the dandy from p. 20 (Dorian Green) Ð Scuffle, litigation is threatened Ð Friend of Green passes by with Mancuso in pursuit Ð Ig and Greene plan a political rally at Green's house

      IV   257     George, with packages, dodges cops, then stashes packages in Ig's hot dog cart

 

Eleven   261     Santa has Irene and Claude over for dinner Ð Claude made good! Ð The three of them walk to the theater Ð On the way they pass Old Lady Lopez's wake, in progress

       II   268     Ig writes letter in journal: Gays should take over the world's militaries Ð Confounding Myrna

      III   271     Mrs Levy returns Trixie to Levy Pants Ð Mr Zalatimo Ð Abelman's response arrives Ð Who wrote to Abelman?? Ð Trixie bites Zalatimo Ð Gus and Mrs Levy return to the coast to find Ignatius

      IV   283     George waits for Ig Ð Ig flips hot dog cart on its side Ð Trolley car approaches Ð George helps Ig with cart Ð Ig looks in Georges bag, see photos Ð Ig enters the movie theater, George watches the cart Ð Photo leads Ig to Night of Joy Ð Lana, Jones and Darlene see Ig Ð Ig and Jones discuss Darla's act and vagrancy as an aspiration Ð Irene and Santa discuss Claude and Irene as an item Ð Levy calls Ig, delivers Mandeville ruse

 

Twelve   303     Myrna letter: You're turning queer! Ð Mom suggests a "rest" at Charity hospital Ð Mom smacks Ig around Ð Ig cabs it to Dorian Green's place Ð Party in progress Ð Timmy in shackles Ð Ig meets Betty Frieda & Liz in the kitchen Ð Ig tries bravely to start the rally at the party Ð None of the revelers care [Ignatius's high school chemistry story] Ð Timmy asks Ig to dance Ð Betty, Frieda & Liz fling Ig into the cowboy, then out onto the sidewalk Ð Ig heads to Night of Joy Ð Unwanted champagne Ð Darlene's bird goes after Ig's earring Ð Ig is almost flattened by bus as he flees Night of Joy Ð Homburg man (Mancuso) appears, arrests Lana for solicitation and porn Ð Ig is surrounded by Betty, Frieda & Liz...

 

Thirteen  336    Ig in hospital, see photos, reads account Ð Mom tries to talk sense, give Ig his Boethius book Ð Claude will pay Ig's hospital bill

       II   341     Clyde fires Ig from Paradise Vendors, weighs getting Ig's uniform back

      III   342     Dr Talc wonders about Ig, remembers incidents Ð Reads news of last night

      IV   344     Miss Annie is fed up, will get neighbors to sign a petition

       V   344     Mancuso stages brownie photos, accepts Sergeant's kudos

      VI   345     Santa talks to photo of her mother

     VII   346     Claude reconsiders marrying Irene

    VIII   346     Police come for George

      IX   347     Lana Lee languishes in jail with Liz, Betty & Frieda

       X   348     Dorian wonders about the three girls

      XI   349     Darlene ponders last night, her future

     XII   349     Jones unloads to Mr Watson at Mattie's

    XIII   352     Mr Levy frets: Mandeville trip went bad Ð Change the name of Levy Pants? Ð They see the newspaper Ð Mr & Mrs Levy drive to town Ð Mr Levy questions Miss Annie Ð She tells about Ig's dog and dog funeral and Myrna Ð Ig and Mom return, having a huge argument Ð They go inside and Levy confronts Ig about the Abelman letter Ð Ig denies writing it, takes Mr Levy into his room, shows him journal entries Ð Levy bolts and heads for Miss Trixie's apartment Ð Trixie confesses to writing the Abelman letter - Mrs Levy rages Ð Levy Shorts Ð Mr Levy sends Mrs Levy to the store, then realizes Ignatius wrote the Ableman letter

 

Fourteen 378    Ignatius does, what for all the world sounds like, shall we say, interesting things to his glove, while fretting about everybody Ð Santa talks Irene into calling Charity Hospital to come get Ig Ð Myrna arrives and rescues Ig


27JAN08
russillosm@gmail.com