<P> The book 's title refers to an epigram from Jonathan Swift 's essay , Thoughts on Various Subjects , Moral and Diverting : `` When a true genius appears in the world , you may know him by this sign , that the dunces are all in confederacy against him . '' Its central character , Ignatius J. Reilly , is an educated but slothful 30 - year - old man living with his mother in the Uptown neighborhood of early - 1960s New Orleans who , in his quest for employment , has various adventures with colorful French Quarter characters . Toole wrote the novel in 1963 during his last few months in Puerto Rico . </P>
<P> The book 's title refers to an epigram from Jonathan Swift 's essay , Thoughts on Various Subjects , Moral and Diverting : `` When a true genius appears in the world , you may know him by this sign , that the dunces are all in confederacy against him . '' Its central character , Ignatius J. Reilly , is an educated but slothful 30 - year - old man living with his mother in the Uptown neighborhood of early - 1960s New Orleans who , in his quest for employment , has various adventures with colorful French Quarter characters . Toole wrote the novel in 1963 during his last few months in Puerto Rico . </P>
when does a confederacy of dunces take place
when does a confederacy of dunces take place
early - 1960s
early - 1960s