Introduction
Written in the middle of the twentieth century, the novel A Confederacy of Dunces remains relevant these days. The book unveils some of the features of the people who cannot find their place in their communities or human society at large. Ignatius J. Reilly, the protagonist of the story, is one of such individuals incapable of fitting in. Some may note that the man is just one of the thousand inhabitants of New Orleans trying to live his life and become happy (“Literary Journeys”). At that, he is not an eccentric man with slightly standing out peculiarities but a person suffering from a mental health issue with vivid symptoms. Ignatius can hardly become a part of his community, although he has to try hard due to economic struggles that started after his irresponsible behavior.
It has been widely discussed that Ignatius shares many traits in common with the author of the book as John Kennedy Toole also failed to become a successful member of his community and American society (MacLauchlin). At that, while the writer committed suicide, unable to fit in, he gives Ignatius a chance to succeed (Henninger 782). Ignatius J. Reilly can be seen as a good illustration of the behaviors and choices of people with antisocial personality disorder who are doing their best to find a place in their communities.
Ignatius and His Antisocial Personality at Home and in the Community
Indulging Oneself as a Sign of the Disorder
Indulging oneself is one of the most conspicuous traits of Ignatius, which is also one of the major symptoms of antisocial personality disorder. Individuals diagnosed with this health condition tend to indulge themselves and try to have a hedonist way of life as they pay little attention to other people’s feelings or needs (Maass 9). Such persons try to ensure that they have everything they need (money, food, and other people’s attention), and they attain this goal even if it happens at the expense of others. People with this diagnosis believe their needs have to be satisfied while other things do not matter.
This trait is displayed in Ignatius in many ways, including his eating disorder and unwillingness to earn his living. Ignatius compares the need to make money and get a job with being “thrown out again into the abyss” (Toole 86). He prefers reading his medieval texts, writing letters and reflections, as well as daydreaming and watching movies (Leighton 211). He cares little about his mother’s struggles and the fact that she supports him financially, although he is already a middle-aged man. His attitude towards food and drinks also shows that he has few or no limits. The man believes that “the lack of food… channels all of one’s better impulses” (Toole 132). He pays no attention to other people’s needs but concentrates on his personal comfort, be it good food or proper clothes. Clearly, being such a self-centered person suggests that the man has symptoms of antisocial personality disorder.
Arrogance and Deceit as Common Symptoms
Other common symptoms of antisocial personality disorder are arrogance and deceitfulness. Being arrogant is closely related to indulging oneself as arrogant people find themselves superior to others, which justifies, in their opinion, their focus on their needs. People with antisocial personality disorder are characterized by a high degree of arrogance, which is associated with antisocial behavior (Stanton and Zimmerman 439). Such people do not find it necessary to follow or even listen to other people’s recommendations or warnings. Individuals with this type of psychological issue do not follow any external norms and regulations, even if these are crimes that can lead to punishment (fine or even imprisonment).
Ignatius has these traits and breaks several rules, norms, and laws throughout the story. Instead of selling products, he consumes them, which is, of course, an unexpected behavioral pattern (Toole 165). He does not even try to do his job well as he is rude and insults potential customers. Instead of trying to make a good start and earn money, Ignatius has a daily plan to sell “five or six hot dogs quickly, park the wagon somewhere, and get to that theater” (Toole 164). He is not a diligent or responsible employee, so he can hardly have a decent or, eventually, any job. Moreover, he mocks other people’s desire to go up the professional ladders and become successful in this sphere (Slepov 14). This attitude is another illustration of Ignatius’s antisocial behavior. He believes he is too good to live the life of ordinary people who think about practical things. Ignatius dreams about the perfection of Medieval society and the corruption of the modern times, although he is completely dependent on the fruit of the twentieth century with its hot dogs, bathtubs, and cinema.
He is also ready to break laws and accuse others of the crime he commits. His fraudulent activity is a result of his arrogance and lack of attention to rules. He believes that “the world understood only strength and force” and copies his boss’s signature with no remorse (Toole 55). He is remorseless when accusing an innocent woman of his crime, which is also, from his standpoint, is a sign of strength and power. Clearly, he is disrespectful to older people and the representatives of the law. This trait is displayed on the very first pages of the book when Ignatius has a heated argument with a patrolman. All these attitudes and behaviors show that the protagonist of the book in question is willing to act in an antisocial manner.
Relationships with His Mother
One of the most illustrative aspects of Ignatius’s life in terms of his psychological issue is his relationship with his mother. Antisocial behavior is often violent, but it is always destructive (DeLamater et al. 345). It destroys people’s relationships, it deteriorates persons’ social status, and it also ruins one’s personality. Ignatius is far from being a loving or caring son who can be a mother’s pride. He is an abusive and manipulative middle-aged child who expects full financial and practical support from his mother. He is so selfish and arrogant that he sees his role as the one to “to keep her in her place” (Toole 5). He is verbally abusive with his mother and does not truly appreciate anything she does for him. He is also manipulative as he tends to emphasize that it is her responsibility to address all the challenges the family has to face as she is his parent. Clearly, such a position is not appropriate for a responsible middle-aged man.
Moreover, he often thinks his mother causes harm and distress while he is a loving and caring son. For instance, he stresses in his writings that “that people learn to hate those who help them,” which is “a truism of human nature” (Toole 135). The man truly believes that he keeps his mother safe while he is actually causing trouble and distress to the old woman who needs care, understanding, and support.
Again, instead of trying to build proper relationships with his mother, Ignatius prefers to pay no attention to the old woman. The inability and unwillingness to develop relationships with others, including family members, is another sign of antisocial personality disorder (Maass 9). Such people alienated themselves even from their closest relatives. Their brutality and arrogance make their close ones distance themselves from them as well.
Romantic Relationships
Ignatius’s relationships with women are quite illustrative as well because the man in his late thirties has had no proper romantic engagement with anyone. The most prominent sexual link to a female is his attachment to a woman in a picture. Importantly, the fact that she is holding a book with medieval texts seems the most attractive trait in the entire image for Ignatius (Toole 166). The “brilliant” nude woman must have some “new and valuable insights,” which form the basis of Ignatius’s interest. In simple terms, instead of trying to develop relationships with a real person with all complexities and associated efforts, the protagonist chooses to chase after an image in a pornographic picture. No other woman deserves his attention, in his opinion, which is a sign of his arrogance and super ego.
The only real woman Ignatius has at least some kind of relationship with romantic grounds is Myrna Minkoff. They tend to write letters to each other discussing political and social issues, and the man manages to seem a potent intellectual who is decisive and committed. However, the reason for being physically close with Myrna is Ignatius’s desire to escape from his mother’s house or the mental health institution. Myrna, according to Ignatius’s plan, will be the source of his material wellbeing, which is put straightforwardly with a short phrase, “Do you have any money on you?” (Toole 221). Again, the protagonist chooses the easiest way and remains a manipulative man pursuing his hedonistic goals to indulge himself.
Behavior in the Community
In addition to the professional life that illustrates Ignatius’s conduct in the community, it is necessary to consider the man’s involvement in the political life of New Orleans. This aspect is depicted in a satiric way, which sheds more light on the protagonist’s attitudes towards other people and society at large (Pugh 39). Ignatius makes an impression that he wants to lead a civil rights movement to make the life of a vulnerable group better and restore justice in the corrupt United States. One of his writings is one of the brightest illustrations of his true intentions. For others, he wants to display that he has made the “decision which reveals a militancy, depth, and strength quite unexpected in so gentle a nature” (Toole 76). However, in reality, he is only concerned about one idea and writes to himself that “powerful civil rights organizations will no doubt cover me with laurels” (Toole 76). He wants to be glorified, and he finds quite an easy (as it seems to him) way to achieve his objectives.
The central outcome of antisocial personality disorder tends to be the inability of the affected person to fit in, which is the case with Ignatius. Toole depicted the protagonist of his story as a person somewhat torn between the world of the modern American and Medieval societies (Freese 358). Freese states that Ignatius is unable to adapt to the concepts of cause and effect as he often resorts to such factors as Fortuna (358). Ignatius exclaims such phrases as “vicious trick is Fortuna playing on me” many times throughout the book (and even within a day) (Toole 164). However, his being unfit is not caused by his inability but his unwillingness to adapt. Ignatius is too arrogant and selfish to even make an attempt to be a part of something bigger (for example, family, community, or society). He is the biggest and most important phenomenon in the world, in his opinion. Ignatius does not want to fit in as he prefers to fit society into his picture of the world.
Possible Causes of the Disorder Explaining Ignatius’s Behaviors
Multiple factors affect people’s mental health, including but not confined to genetics, family history, and environment. An antisocial personality disorder is also usually caused by a combination of factors with genetics and environment being critical aspects (Maass 6). As far as Ignatius’s case is concerned, it is difficult to estimate the extent to which his childhood experiences influenced his personality. However, hereditary characteristics of the protagonist’s mental health are rather apparent.
His mother is also an indulgent and manipulative person, which suggests that she is affected by the same health issue. She drinks quite a lot, although her son’s arguments about her being an alcoholic are too poorly grounded. At that, her alcohol consumption causes considerable difficulties as the huge fine they are to pay is a result of her careless behavior. The way she and her son went to their car and the ways she left the parking spot and wrecked the nearby building suggest that she was under the influence but still decided to drive (Toole 18). The old lady does not want to restrict herself in her consumption of something she finds delicious (such as alcohol), which is a symptom of antisocial personality disorder.
Mrs. Reilly is also trying to manipulate other people, such as her potential partner, neighbors, police officers, and her son. In her relationships with her son, she is victimized, but she is also willing to make easy choices. She wants Ignatius to be institutionalized, which would save her from his abusive behavior, but most importantly for her, from the disgrace he is causing. The woman is afraid of receiving negative publicity due to her son’s bizarre beliefs and “be all over the newspaper” (Toole 119). She is constantly complaining about her son and his rudeness and emphasizes that she has done a lot to make her son happy. She manages to create the corresponding image, and everyone tends to accuse Ignatius of all mishaps although some of them are a result of Mrs. Reilly’s irresponsible conduct.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is necessary to stress that Ignatius J. Reilly can be seen as a literary description of a person with an antisocial personality disorder. The protagonist is an arrogant, abusive, manipulative, and indulgent person who cannot fit in with his community. Moreover, he invests quite a little effort in this endeavor as he is willing to alienate himself from the rest of the people as, in his opinion, they are dunces. Ignatius sees himself as a superior man who is misunderstood and being opposed consistently. He believes that people are not worth his effort, although he attempts to become a leader of a movement. Clearly, this movement is not about making some groups’ life better, but it is all about his desire to be famous and glorified. All these traits are signs of antisocial personality disorder that can be caused by different factors.
Since the author does not describe or give any details regarding Ignatius’s childhood, his family story can hardly be used as an explanation of the man’s mental health status. At that, the behaviors of his mother shed light on the roots of Ignatius’s personality. Mrs. Reilly is an indulgent and manipulative person, which are also symptoms of antisocial personality disorder. The woman is more successfully integrated into the community, although her irresponsible behavior causes a lot of trouble for her and her son. Thus, it is possible to note that Ignatius’s antisocial personality disorder could be inherited.
Irrespective of the nature of the disorder, Ignatius is an illustration of a person with a certain psychological issue. His mental health condition makes him develop inappropriate behavioral patterns that are ill-accepted in American society of the middle of the twentieth century. He sees himself as a genius that is misunderstood and opposed by the rest of the world that is completely damaged. Ignatius cannot find his place in his community, so he chooses to escape. Clearly, even the trip with Myrna can hardly help the man escape from himself and fit in.
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