Chung Kim

AML 2020
Professor McGrif
4/23/2015
Annotated Bibliography
Toole, John Kennedy. A Confederacy of Dunces. New York: Grove Weidenfeld,
Reissue Edition,
1987. Print
Tooles novel is a comedy that explores the cultural diversity
stereotypes from the early 60s through the absurd and comedic
misadventures of Ignatius J. Reilly and his interactions with various
characters in New Orleans. The various characters portrayed in the
novel are reflective of the emerging cultural diversity from the period
with regards to race, religion, and sexuality among others. Moreover,
the cultural diversity portrayed is done so from a stereotypical
perspective that reflects the attitudes and beliefs from the period;
however, those same attitudes and beliefs with regards to the
stereotypical portrayals in the novel have not changed in todays
society in the 21st Century.

Throughout the chapters in the novel, the story progress as the reader
follow Ignatius on his comedic journey and his interactions with the
characters representing race, religion, and sexuality. Each theme is

portrayed by specific characters in stereotypical fashion and the story

specifics with specific quotes from each of the characters reflecting a
particular theme provides comparison and contrast to the themes in
todays society.

The novel was originally published m 1980, 11 years after the death of
the author. Though the novel has been in print for approximately 35
years, I could not find a significant amount of robust online critical
literary reviews and analysis suitable to utilize for the annotated
bibliography asides from the source material, the novel itself in writing
my analytical paper review of the book conveying my thesis in utilizing
specific events and quotes from the novel.

Heitman, Danny. The Big Easy Slackers Manual. The Wall Street Journal
(2014). 16 May
2014.
<http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB100014240527023036784045795357
70598999620>
Heitmans commentary, reflection, and review of Tooles A
Confederacy of Dunces provides overall general introduction of the
story as well as its literary significance and how the novel should be
utilized as a reference on how not to obtain a job by the newest college
graduates given its comedic and satirical elements.

Friedman, Alan. A Sad and Funny Story. New York Times (1980). 22 June
1980.
<http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/books/toole-dunces.pdf>
Friedmans review of Tooles A Confederacy of Dunces is one of the
earliest and first reviews when it was published back in 1980. The
review provides a concise overview of the of how the novel was
discovered and published and the themes within the novel that
correlates with my assessment of the novel having read it for the very
first time in 2015 in comparison to 1980.

Shafak, Elif. Book Of A Lifetime: A Confederacy of Dunces, By John Kennedy

Toole.
The Independent. 30 March 2012.
<http://www.independent.co.uk/artsentertainment/books/reviews/book-of-a-lifetime-a-confederacy-ofdunces-by-john-kennedy-toole-7600573.html>
Elif Shafak provides a commentary about his recent visit to Tucson,
Arizona how he found a copy of the novel in a book store and provides
a concise summary of the novel in the last two paragraphs, but the
review reads more as personal commentary about Sharfakss trip to
Tucson, Arizona. Nevertheless, the brief review supports the overall
observations and themes within the novel by other reviewers.