Disparity between dunce and genius in Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces"When a true genius appears in the world, you can recognize him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederation against of him." -Jonathan Swift In Swift's words, there is the potential for the existence of a genius, indicated by the group of idiots acting in opposition. In John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces, Ignatius J. Reilly plays both the parts of the genius and the dunce. Since Ignatius plays both parts, the Wheel of Fortune determines the path of events in his life; although he is not aware of it, Fortuna's rotation is also determined by his actions. Just as the wheel is circular, so are the events of his life. Ignatius moves through his novel of creation, displaying qualities of genius in his words and qualities of dunce in his actions in the Night of Joy, Levy Pants, Paradise Vendors, and (to complete the circle) again in the Night of Joy. At the beginning of the novel, Ignatius and his mother escape the clutches of the police by entering a nearby bar, the Night of Joy. Ignatius and his mother meet Darlene and the bartender during the impromptu visit. As he talks to Darlene, Ignatius' stories are unimportant but he tells them in an elevated way. Although the content may be banal, Ignazio uses words that make the stories meaningful. For example, in his account of vomiting while traveling in a Greyhound Scenicruiser, he says, "that was the only time I had been outside of New Orleans in my life. I think maybe it was the lack of an orientation center." that might have upset me" (10). Ignatius continues to speak politely to the bartender, even though his message is condescending. Ignatius tells him that "it is your duty to remain silent... middle of paper... he is labeled a "donkey". He finally breaks free from Fortuna's circles when he runs away to New York with Myrna Minkoff, but his "freedom" is circumscribed only by a new position. The reader is left to believe that Ignatius will create more circles and rounds in New York, Toole highlights the disparity between the “corporeal.” "dunce and the "intellectual" genius to underline the impossibility of separating the mental and physical capacities of his characters. Works cited and consulted Clark, William Bedford. "All Toole's Children: A Reading of A Confederacy of Dunces." Essays in Literature 14.2 (1987): 269-280. McNeil, David. "A Confederacy of Dunces as Reverse Satire: The American Subgenre.", 1980.