A Confederacy of Dunces - Last Encounter
In his last encounter in the novel, Ignatius returns to the ill-reputed Night of Joy. He is still employed by Paradise Vendors and wears the ridiculous costume of a pirate that is mistaken for a Mardi Gras costume. Ignatius attends Dorian Greene's strange party and the distance between the "bodily" dunce and "intellectual" genius is extended. He tries to speak at the party but no one will listen and he cannot handle being rejected for his ideas so he leaves. Throughout the rest of the novel, Ignatius exhibits characteristics of a dunce according to the rest of the characters. At the point when Ignatius disrupts Darlene's Harlett O' Hara act, he follows a series of unfortunate events. The bird attacks him for his novelty earring and Ignatius runs around like a "big crazyman"(285). He bounces out of the bar and runs out into the street, only to come face to face with the headlights of the Desire bus. As Ignatius faints from shock, he shows the reader how awkward and clumsy he is. He has the chance to avoid everything that happens but his dunce tendencies take control. He is ridiculed by everyone at the scene for his possession of Lana Lee's naked pictures and ends up being the comedian and clown for the hour. Ignatius looks like a "dead cow lying in the street" according to the newspaper photograph and the reader sees the reactions to the incident from every character(289). Mr. Clyde sees Ignatius as "a big ape" and only wishes that he can retrieve his costume from him(293). Dr. Talc needs to find Ignatius to clear his name but decides against it when he sees the paper. He realizes that Ignatius is the dunce but that he also has a way of turning things around which may be detrimental to Dr. Talc. Miss Annie reads the paper and vows to run Ignatius and Irene out of the neighborhood. She is only worried about the reputation of the neighborhood. Patrolman Mancuso is grateful for his luck in stopping the chain of pornography sales along with the incarceration of the three brute women who had attacked him once before. Santa Battaglia talks to the picture of her mother and comments on how awful Irene must be feeling and has no remorse for Ignatius. Claude is only worried that he will not be able to handle such a disgrace as a stepson. George's concern is that he stay out of sight for a while so he will not get in trouble as the link in the pornography scandal. Dorian Greene is taking precautions with his building since his three watchdogs are gone and feels sympathetic to the "Gypsy Queen's sweet mother"(299). Darlene's feelings are similar to Mancuso's in that she is happy for the fiasco because she receives publicity and finally moves on with her career in a positive direction. Jones is happy that, at last, that Lana Lee is apprehended, but he is concerned that he will have to find yet another job. He realizes that there just is no hope for a black man in New Orleans. Mr. Levy, the last of the people who see the paper, is glad that he finds Ignatius to get to the bottom of the Abelman letter. But, after seeing Ignatius' home and Irene, he helps Miss Trixie in retirement in a roundabout way. Every character that reads the paper and gives a reaction shows that Ignatius was never liked and that each one has his/her personal interests in mind. Ignatius encounters each person and dazzles some with his extensive intellect but, in the scene on Bourbon Street, he reveals his apparent qualities of a dunce.
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