Assignment: Plan, write, and revise an essay of about 1000 words, more or less, that argues your interpretation of the ending of A Confederacy of Dunces and offers your own conjecture of how Ignatius and Myrna will fare after it. Your interpretation and conjecture will need to address these essential elements. This is a point-by-point organization here, though other patterns of development are possible.
Introduction and Thesis: Introduce the novel, Ignatius J. Reilly, Myrna Minkoff, and the general plot development, including the ending–briefly. Set up your concept characterizing Ignatius’ and Myrna’s relationship and the factors of the plot that lead to the ending. Make your thesis insight that offers your conjecture of what is most likely to happen next, beyond the conclusion of the novel.
Ignatius. What about his personality, tendencies, thoughts, feelings, and actions, as well as how he affects others and is influenced by them, contributes to your interpretation of the ending and your conjecture of what happens beyond it?
Ignatius and Myrna. What is the nature of their relationship, past and present?
The ending. How does this climactic sequence happen, and what does it mean, given the indications about Ignatius, Myrna, and other characters as the plot has developed?
Your conjecture. What happens next, and what indicates that? This element is the point of emphasis of the essay, so develop it very carefully and thoroughly.
You have the choice to combine elements or treat each one individually. Support each aspect of each part as specifically as possible with extensive and specific supporting ideas and examples from the novel, taking care of our familiar features of coverage and depth. Select main, representative passages from the novel and illustrate them thoroughly in order to demonstrate how each aspect exists, and how it changes or not as the novel proceeds.
Conclusion. Sum up the thesis and the train of thought of the essay as a whole, focusing on the ending and what you say is likely to happen next, and why. As you conclude, address this question: What does the insight you have derived about the ending and its aftermath mean or imply? What does it tell you about human nature, relationships, fate vs. free will, or another point to make as a finishing thought?
