A Study of Stereotypes in a Confederacy of Dunces

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He creates characters that, according to Thomas Transitions, are “vivid, if flat, characters” (484). While it is true that Tool uses many stereotypes In his writing to convey relatable characters to the reader, Tool’s funniest characters are more than simply perfect stereotypes. Through character development and the use of a shifting omniscient limited point of view, Tool expands the personalities of his characters in A Confederacy of Dunces, moving them beyond one-dimensional stereotypes and into fully realized characters.

The grotesque Igniting, The dumb cop Mucous, the black vagrant Jones, and the greaser George all live up to their stereotypes, but also take on personality traits that are entirely unique for the stereotype they exemplify. As a result, the reader sympathizes with and feels for the characters as well as crying with laughter at them (Traversal 484-85; Simmons; McNeil). Stereotypes are essential to the success of A Confederacy of Dunces, but advancing the characters past the point of a simple type through the point of view of the novel’s main character Igniting is what truly sets the stereotypical characters apart as distinguishable characters.

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Stereotypes are, In their very nature, representations, albeit crude and sometimes Inaccurate, of the groups that they are typing. As Jane Arnold puts it “… Troopers are not necessarily inaccurate descriptions; they are simply unbalanced. Stereotypes might be described as the distilled essence of the public perception of particular groups of people” (275). While Tool’s stereotypes do abide by this standard of typifying characters, another factor influences the reader’s discernment of who the characters are: Igniting.

Igniting is essentially a paradox of humanity: while very well educated and even smart, this childish, sexually immature man still lives with his mother. Igniting has no self- awareness of any kind (Brown 895; Clark 275; Simmons). All of these and other aspects of Ignition’s personality are perfectly described by the word grotesque. Grotesque, according to the Columbia Dictionary of Modern Literary Devices, is defined as ” .. A fascination with the unnatural, ugly, distorted, or bizarre.. .” (127).

The psychology of Igniting is confusing and difficult to analyze itself, but the Important thing regarding these faults is that they create the character whose point of view is responsible for initially typing many of the novel’s characters. As Diane 1 OFF to see the perspective of the teller, which can render the story funnier when seen in a different light (101). This is especially true of Igniting, who can reduce the most dynamic of characters to what they are wearing, their occupation, their social standing, and their race.

As Elizabeth S. Bell articulates “Igniting is Joined fittingly enough by a ragtag band of characters … These characters are, to Igniting, representatives of the human condition. ” Igniting sees these characters as inferior to his own genius, and types them without regard to their individuality as people. However, Tool brilliantly brings these minor characters out of the realm of the stereotype by revealing the characters’ own points of view to bring more perspective o their personalities, thoughts, and emotions.

Tool uses all of these techniques at his disposal so readily and flawlessly because he understands how they can influence the direction of a novel in a very immense fashion (Bell). To understand the brilliance of the use of stereotypes in A Confederacy of Dunces, one must first understand how Tool himself perceived and used them so effectively. The dilemma stereotypes pose for every author, according to Caroline Cargill, is this: “To resist typifying leaves literary characters that bear little resemblance to human beings.

However, to anticipate behavior, values, and attitudes based solely on identification of a particular group misrepresents the human experience. ” Furthermore, Cargill adds that writers can make two types of characters, often intertwining these characters to create one who is both universal and original. Universal characters appeal too reader due to their reliability, and original characters are more themselves, which creates appeal in the individuality of their actions. This line between one- dimensional characters and unrealistic characters is one that Tool tightropes with incredible skill. He is able to do this for two important reasons.

First, he understands the dynamic that stereotypes play in literature, especially literature written about a place that has developed a stereotypical personality of its own: New Orleans. A close friend of Tool’s, Emilie Dietrich Griffin, recalls that Tool wanted to do something that no one in his mind had every before done: write a novel that truly captured the essence of New Orleans. To do that, he would need to expand the fabled typifying of New Orleans and add his own experiences of the city to make New Orleans something that was his own as well as something about which everyone already knew (McLaughlin 163).

The second reason that Tool embraces stereotypes in his writing is that “… His humor [is] tied to his ability to mimic other people.. .” (Angers 23). Due to his ability to imitate others so easily, his characters are based on people who are real and relatable as well as being so odd that they seem absurd (McLaughlin W). From the beginning of the novel, Officer Mucous embodies the stereotype of a dumb cop, but Tool’s insight into his thoughts reveal that Mucous is more than his stereotype would suggest. The novel begins with a scene involving Mucous that creates the stereotype that he operates under during the entire novel.

Mucous decides to check out Igniting as a shady character. In Unanimous defense, this decision is easy to understand based on the opening chapter’s description of Igniting. Igniting, offended severely by such an assessment from someone he probably deems unfit to be in his presence, responds by causing a scene: “Is it the part of the police department to harass me when this city is a flagrant becomes too threatening for the officer to handle, Igniting escapes the scene with his mother leaving Mucous empty-handed.

The stereotype of Mucous becomes forged with utmost certainty thanks to Ignition’s continued bad opinion of him, which eremites the novel, as well as his actions in letting Igniting escape. However, the dumb cop has chances to expand throughout the novel and become a more dynamic character through Tool’s limited, shifting, third person point of view. Atone point in the novel, Mucous delights in his daily ride on the police motorcycle due to its size and power. He feels like he’s in charge when riding it, a respected cop. He loves the .. Flashing, winking, blinking red and white lights” as well as how the siren “. Was enough to make any suspicious characters within a half-mile radius . . Rush for cover” (Tool 31). While these seem like unimportant details in comparison to the major plot of the book, which is not even about Mucous at all, Tool did not put them in accidentally. He wants the reader to know that Mucous enjoys the feeling of respect and authority from others. This craving for respect and success is what motivates the dumb cop as he dons disguise after disguise and goes from one humiliating locale to the next in his quest for French Quarter criminals.

His final post is the worst yet, and the reader learns that “He had always hoped to win honor on the force, but what honor was there in dying of pneumonia in a bus station rest mom? ” (163). Through the insights into Unanimous inner life Tool shows his reader this character is a person and not Just a type of person. In a similar fashion Joneses character is instantly recognizable as the black vagrant stereotype, but Tool adds a New Orleans flavor to the luckless African American to individualize his character. As Tool’s style dictates, the initial introduction of Jones reinforces the stereotype of him.

He is described in the police station awaiting questioning: “A young black man, eyeless behind seascape sunglasses” (Tool 12). Joneses stereotype is further enforced by his nonchalant attitude in the face of theft accusations. He even Jokes with the policeman who is questioning him (Tool 13). Tool characterized him as relaxed, funny, slightly ignorant, and a little shady. These stereotypes, according Patricia G. Divine and Andrew J. Elliot, exactly match what most people thought about blacks during the ass and ass (1139-40). Tool uses this stereotype extensively throughout the novel to amplify the hilarity of Joneses character.

However, Jones, like Mucous, does not continue to be a type for the entire novel; he also blossoms into a memorable character. He thinks hard about who “the cat in the green cap” is and why he keeps appearing in his life. He is not satisfied with his life as a “vagrant” (Tool 145); he embarks on a quest to sabotage his employer and her bar, Night of Joy. As he stands on the street recruiting an audience for Darkener’s strip show he seems aware of the irony, proclaiming that Night of Joy has “genuine color peoples working below the minimal wage” and “a civil right worker getting his ass beat up between show’ (281).

This ironic self-awareness is what propels Jones beyond the type as his efforts at sabotage work far beyond his dreams with hilarious results. Giving Jones the ability to view himself with humor and irony is one way Tool moves his characterization of the black man beyond the stereotype. While Joneses stereotype glares obviously out to any reader, George’s stereotype is one that might not be as easily recognizable to a twenty-first century audience. George’s Tool wrote the novel, but his inner monologue also reveals a dark and prejudiced character.

George’s introduction comes at the hands of Igniting himself, so it instills the stereotype without George even doing as much as speaking to Igniting. Ignition’s mind rattles off that George is immediately offensive because of “… He pimples, the surly face that seemed to hang from the long well-lubricated hair, the cigarette behind the ear, the aquamarine Jacket, the delicate boots, and the tight trousers that bulged offensively in the crotch.. .” (Tool 139-40). George is obviously a greaser, the sort of disreputable teen made famous in S. E. Hint’s 1967 young adult novel, The Outsiders.

After Igniting becomes a hot dog vendor his encounter with George highlights the latter’s type casting. George asks Igniting for a hot dog, but Igniting refuses to grant his request on the grounds that he has only a few left that he must save (presumably for himself). The argument erupts when George makes the grave mistake of asking Igniting “What’s matter with you, friend? ” (140). Similar to the introduction of both Jones and Mucous, Tool draws attention to the stereotype that George will be operating under as well as adding more detail to the stereotype of Igniting.

Igniting, whose tirades have become a common feature of his character, does not disappoint and launches into yet another rant against the inferior humans living in his society. George’s actions in response to the rant reveal that his character does not submit to authority of people he deems inferior; furthermore, the reader sees that George’s relaxed attitude can be provoked to rage by things that are very obviously unfair. All of these traits coincide with the greaser stereotype that Tool associate with George.

However, a deeper examination of George’s character reveals something that does not correspond very well with his stereotype. George reveals, after witnessing a “Gig” or black person throw a cigarette over Lana Lee (his boss’s) head, that he wants to “… Ride into one of their neighborhoods one of these nights and toss a few eggs. ” (222). This shows a previously unknown aspect of George’s character: he is a racist. Letting the reader into George’s mental life develops his character in the same way Mucous and Jones are developed through their thoughts.

However, unlike the other characters, this revelation of George’s personality does not endear him to the reader; in fact, it alienates him. Either way, the way Tool moves beyond stereotype in the characterization of many of the minor figures of the novel gives them stronger identities as characters, as opposed to types of characters. Many authors provide the perfect foundation for a truly revolutionary character, but that is what separates the masses from John Kennedy Tool. Tool builds the foundation into a beautiful house, and allows his characters to flourish as people inside these houses.

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