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Chapter 11, Part 2
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in A Confederacy of Dunces, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Medievalism, Modernity, and Fate
The Legacy of Slavery
Sexuality, Attraction, and Repulsion
Freedom
Appearance, Identity, and Disguise
Hypocrisy and Self-Interest
Summary
Analysis
Mr. Levy watches as Mrs. Levy helps Miss Trixie up the steps into the Levy Pants office. Miss Trixie has had her makeup done is wearing a new outfit and a wig. Mrs. Levy is delighted with the change in her. As soon as they enter the office, Miss Trixie angrily asks why they are there—she thought she was retired. Mrs. Levy tells Miss Trixie that she has been greatly missed at the factory, but Mr. Gonzalez seems dismayed to have her back.
Mrs. Levy believes that she has brought about a permanent change in Miss Trixie’s temperament because she has changed the old woman’s appearance. However, this illusion is immediately pulled aside when Miss Trixie realizes what is going on and reveals that she has not changed at all and still wants to retire. This suggests that costume, though potentially transformative and empowering, cannot fundamentally change reality.
Themes
Miss Trixie asks if she has been sent her Easter ham and Mr. Levy begins to drag Mrs. Levy out of the office. Mr. Gonzalez calls Mr. Levy back to give him his mail. As Mr. Levy returns, he notices a new employee: a tall, sallow man named Mr. Zalatimo. Mr. Gonzalez tells Mr. Levy in a hushed voice that he does not think Mr. Zalatimo will work out. Mr. Gonzalez gives Mr. Levy his mail and says there is a letter from Mr. Abelman among the pile.
Despite her physical transformation, Miss Trixie is not changed on a deeper level by her change of appearance and still wants exactly what she wanted before—the freedom of retirement and her Easter ham.
Themes
Mr. Levy opens the letter from Mr. Abelman and reads it. Mr. Abelman has sent back a copy of the letter Ignatius wrote to him, which Ignatius signed as Mr. Levy. Mr. Abelman plans to sue Mr. Levy because of this letter, and Mr. Levy is horrified. He demands to know who wrote the letter, but Mr. Gonzalez doesn’t know. Mrs. Levy snatches the letter and begins to sob that her husband has ruined her. Mr. Levy asks to see Mr. Abelman’s file but quickly learns that all the files have vanished, which is why Mr. Zalatimo seems so confused about what he is meant to be filing.
Although Ignatius does not take responsibility for his actions, such as the letter he wrote to Mr. Abelman, because he feels that everything in life is the result of chance, these consequences still exist in the form of the letter. Mrs. Levy wants to paint herself as the victim in this scenario and blame her husband because her life is unhappy. This comes across as self-obsessed, however, because she only thinks about how the loss of the factory will affect her rather than the employees.
Themes
Mr. Levy demands to know who was placed in charge of Mr. Abelman’s file, and Mr. Gonzalez tells him it was Ignatius. Mr. Levy wonders if Ignatius wrote the letter, and Mrs. Levy screams that Mr. Levy would blame it on the “young idealist.” Mr. Levy asks for Ignatius’s phone number and Miss Trixie snaps that she is charge of the phones. Mr. Levy asks her for the number and Miss Trixie finds it for him.
Mr. Levy discovers, once again, that just because he avoids Levy Pants does not mean that he is free from the havoc that the business wreaks on his life. Although Mr. Levy tries to shirk his responsibility to the factory, underneath his avoidance he is a kind person and wants to make people happy.
Themes
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Mr. Levy calls Ignatius’s house number. Irene answers and sobs down the line that Ignatius is not home. Mr. Gonzalez says sadly that Ignatius seemed like a refined young man until he started a riot with the workers. Mr. Levy begins to drag Mrs. Levy away as she calls out instructions to Mr. Gonzalez on how he must treat Miss Trixie. After they have gone, Mr. Zalatimo approaches Miss Trixie and asks her for help with his filing. She bites him on the hand with her new false teeth.
Mr. Gonzalez believes that hard work pays off. In this sense, he is the opposite of Ignatius, who believes that humanity cannot change its fate because it is a force outside of their control that no amount of work can change. Although Miss Trixie has undergone a physical transformation, she is the same bitter old lady underneath, and this suggests that appearances can deceive but that they cannot disguise reality.
Themes
In their car, Mr. and Mrs. Levy continue to argue. Mrs. Levy tells Mr. Levy she will set up a foundation in his father’s name, and Mr. Levy snaps that if Mr. Abelman wins his lawsuit, they will have no money left for a charity or for anything else.
Mrs. Levy wants to set up a charity just so that she will have an excuse to bully her husband and remind him of his own failure in comparison to his father. Mrs. Levy’s charitable enterprise, therefore, masks a deeply selfish and uncharitable desire.
Themes
