A Confederacy of Dunces

A comic novel by John Kennedy Toole, published posthumously in 1980, follows the misadventures of Ignatius J. Reilly in New Orleans.

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John Kennedy Toole: An American novelist whose comic novel A Confederacy of Dunces was published posthumously. Toole wrote the novel and died before its publication.
Satire: A mode of criticism that uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to expose human or social folly. The novel turns Ignatius’s grand opinions into a critique of modern life.
Levee Pants: A pair of green trousers sold by Ignatius J. Reilly during his brief employment at Levy Pants. Their conspicuous color becomes a running joke and a mark of Ignatius’s salesmanship.
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction: An annual American literary award for distinguished fiction published in book form. The novel received the 1981 prize after its posthumous publication.
Thelma Toole: John Kennedy Toole’s mother, who campaigned to have his novel published after his death. Her persistence helped bring the manuscript to a publisher.
Picaresque novel: A prose narrative following a roguish or marginal protagonist through episodic misadventures. Ignatius’s shifting jobs and encounters give the book a picaresque shape.
Levy Pants: A fictional New Orleans clothing factory where Ignatius J. Reilly works in the novel. The factory’s workers and owner draw Ignatius into a failed labor revolt.
Posthumous publication: Publication of a work after its creator’s death. The novel’s release depended on advocates who pursued its publication after Toole died.
Walker Percy: An American novelist and critic who helped secure publication of A Confederacy of Dunces. Percy read the manuscript after Thelma Toole pressed him to consider it.
Burlesque: A comic style that exaggerates or imitates a subject for humorous effect. The novel inflates Ignatius’s intellectual pretensions into comic spectacle.