Sexuality, Attraction, and Repulsion Theme Analysis

Sex is portrayed as both attractive and repulsive throughout A Confederacy of Dunces. Ignatius, who seems to have unusual and repressed sexual urges, views sexual behavior as symbolic of corruption, which he takes as evidence of degeneracy in the modern world. However, although the modern world appears hypersexual to Ignatius, it becomes clear throughout the novel that disgust with sex is not something which is limited to Ignatius himself, and that although the modern world appears to be extremely liberal when it comes to sex, in reality, there are still many areas of sexuality which are considered socially unacceptable.

Ignatius is repulsed by the idea of sex and open expressions of sexuality. When Ignatius and his mother, Irene, flee Patrolman Mancuso, Irene leads Ignatius into a nearby strip club: the Night of Joy. Ignatius views the bar as representative of modern “vice.” His reaction reveals that he is disgusted by public consumption of sex in places like the Night of Joy, and views these practices as a sign of modern society’s flaws. This sentiment is echoed in Ignatius’s reactions to letters from his ex-girlfriend, Myrna Minkoff, whom Ignatius views as a hypersexual “minx.” Rather than being disgusted by sex, Myrna views it as a psychological cure-all and feels that lack of sex is at the root of Ignatius’s anti-social behavior. While Myrna views herself as exceptionally progressive, Ignatius sees her as a symbol of modern society’s vulgar obsession with sex. Ignatius views himself as pure and believes that, during their relationship, Myrna tried to corrupt him with her sexuality. This is depicted comically when Ignatius’s neighbor, Annie, describes the exchange she overheard between Myrna and Ignatius, when Ignatius furiously told Myrna to “put down her skirt!” This suggests that Ignatius views himself as morally pure and virginal, lambasted on all sides by attempts to tarnish and corrupt him. Ignatius conflates sex with moral degeneracy and feels the need to hold out against it so that he will not become a part of modern life, which he views as excessively hypersexualized. 

However, Ignatius is also frequently drawn to things which repulse him, and this implies that his aversion to sex may also hide his unconscious desire to explore his own sexuality. Ignatius is disgusted by modern cinema and television, yet he is utterly compelled to watch them. This suggests that people are not always in control of what they find attractive, and often the things which unconsciously draw them in may also be repellent to them. In addition to pop culture, Ignatius also claims to be disgusted by sexual deviancy. However, early in the novel, he seems to masturbate to a fantasy about his pet dog, Rex, who died several years before. This suggests that Ignatius has unusual sexual preferences and may cover up his own strangeness by feigning extreme disgust at anything sexual. This is also supported by Ignatius’s presence at Dorian Greene’s party, which is exclusively attended by homosexuals, and at which Ignatius finds himself ignored and reviled for being sexually unattractive. Although Ignatius claims to be disgusted by homosexuals, whom he views as another symbol of modernity degeneracy, he cuts a sad and pathetic figure at the party. Dorian’s party symbolizes physical expressions of connection and sexuality (it is filled with people who touch each other in a variety of ways—fighting, dancing, being tied up). Ignatius’s separation from this makes him seem sad and lonely and suggests that he subconsciously wants to be able to express physical affection like Dorian and the other guests. Ignatius also seems to feel genuinely repulsed by the idea of Myrna and her constant prodding at him to garner sexual experience. However, at the novel’s end, when Myrna rescues Ignatius from his impending imprisonment in a mental institution, he seems to show genuine attraction and affection towards her and repeatedly kisses her hair as she drives him out of the city. This gap between Ignatius’s expressed beliefs and his actions suggests that he is not fully conscious of his desires and perhaps does not fully understand his own sexuality.  

Despite his complicated relationship to sex, Ignatius is not necessarily repelled by the idea of a romantic relationship. He becomes quite excited when he comes across one of Lana Lee’s pornographic photos. However, Ignatius’s excitement does not stem from the sexual content of the picture but from the fact that Lana has hidden her face with a copy of Boethius’s The Consolation of Philosophy, Ignatius’s favorite book. He assumes that the woman, whom he takes to be a fellow intellectual, is forced to pose for pornographic pictures, and believes that a woman who is intellectually pure, like himself, would not behave sexually on her own volition. This implies that Ignatius has an idealized perception of love and holds himself to high standards of celibacy because he believes sexuality is corrupt. Although Ignatius’s attitude may seem strange, these attitudes are also reflected in the society around him. For example, when Lana Lee promotes Darlene as an exotic dancer, she is horrified by the overtly sexual content of Darlene’s act. Although Darlene reasonably assumes that people will pay to see her behave sexually during a strip show, Lana informs her that people will only want to see this if Darlene seems virginal and midway through the act is somehow forced to become naked. This suggests that people are disgusted by the idea of overt sexuality, particularly in women, but that they subconsciously desire this very thing. Although Lana seems to be a purveyor of vice, she is really selling a puritanical fantasy: the idea that women should be virginal and do not really enjoy sex. Although this is clearly not true and explicitly goes against Darlene’s wishes, the popularity of Darlene’s show suggests that Lana knows her audience. In modern society, it is not only Ignatius who is horrified by the open portrayal of sex. There are still many areas of sexuality—such as homosexuality or the open expression of sexual desire by women—which are considered deviant and immoral by modern audiences, suggesting that modern society is not as progressive as it may seem to be.