When people talk about going to Sin City, they picture Las Vegas, but there was a time when Sin City in North America was New Orleans. During the early French Colonial period, New Orleans was a penal colony, which immediately made the city a breeding ground for vice. Despite efforts to eliminate this behavior, the free and loose culture of sin still lingers to this day.
This culture is synonymous with Bourbon Street, a place where you can drink, dance, go to strip clubs, see live music, buy beads, and eat from hot dog carts all within a historic setting. This is exactly why Ignatius Reilly from A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole feels the need to take up arms against the vice of New Orleans. In fact, New Orleans is the only place where a story and a character like Ingatius works. On Bourbon Street, there are people everywhere, some drunk, some even more drunk, and some who should have gone home a couple of hours ago.
Section Bourbon Street
Bourbon Street is in the heart of the French Quarter
In all seriousness, there is something beautiful about the activities that go on on Bourbon on a backdrop of historical, colonial buildings in the French Quarter. The relics of a time of the Calviers, art, philosophy, manners, and the gentility of white Southern culture. Ignatius is a part of these relics; he believes in chivalry, kings, religion, morals, and crusades. It might seem like he was born at the wrong time, but he was born exactly where he belongs. He is like the buildings on Bourbon, with their elegant facades forced to be used as bars and clubs, similar to how he has these morals that get directly in the way of his work as an office worker or hot dog vendor.
The irony of the stories of Ignatius is where the book gets its humor, as Ignatius constantly tries and fails horrifically to fight against immorality in New Orleans. I personally could understand why a person would find this book funny, but I had a hard time enjoying it myself. However, once I was in the place and walking around the places mentioned in A Confederacy of Dunces, and I learned more about New Orleans history and culture, the humor and stories made more sense. Once I was able to experience firsthand the touristy Pirate’s Alley, the clubs in the French Quarter, and the different areas where I saw actual hot dog vendors with questionable ingredients and hygiene, the more I felt “in” on the jokes and humor of the book.
I also relate in a way to Ingastius as someone who doesn’t drink and doesn’t like to go on dates. Like him, I can be a little prudish, but unlike him, I have social awareness and don’t push my beliefs on others. This is why I thought I would have a similar reaction to Bourbon Street as Ignatius does with all the people, places, or things he deems as vulgar or obscene. I originally didn’t want to go down there at all, but I felt like I should at least try it once while I’m here. However, I was pleasantly surprised; there is something about Bourbon Street that feels authentic. Although I wasn’t a fan of the smoke, the people, and how loud the music was, it didn’t feel like it was a tourist attraction, oddly enough. I knew it was, but to an extent is a tradition from when New Orleans was a penal colony for only a couple of years. For literal centuries, it has been a place for people to party and a place of acceptance. I mean it when I say I do not see such a high concentration of pride flags on one street on a regular basis. It helped me realize just how futile Ignatius’ attempts to “save” the people of New Orleans were, because if someone like me (who doesn’t really go out) enjoyed the crazy environment of Bourbon Street, Ignatius stands no chance.
“I have sought to escape in the Prytania on more than one occasion, pulled by the attractions of some techincolored horrors, filmed abortions that were offenses against any criteria of taste and decency, reels and reels of perversion and blasphemy that stunned my disbelieving eyes, that shocked my virginal mind, and sealed my valve.”
However, there was one moment during my stay in New Orleans that made me feel like I was Ignatius. I went to the Prytania theater, the same theater that Binx from The Moviegoer and Ignatius go to, to see a midnight screening and live shadow cast of Rocky Horror Picture Show. I had not seen the movie in over 2 years and didn’t realise that there was going to be a shadow cast, which is when actors reenact the movie live in front of the screen, so I went in underprepared and didn’t set expectations well for Isabel and Trey, who went with me. To say what we experienced was obscene would be an understatement; every inappropriate thing you could think of happened in some capacity. I was Ignatius in that theater, was shocked and appalled at what I was seeing, but once it was over, I wished I could see it again. The only difference between the two of us was that I stayed silent most of the movie and threw rice, while he made his presence known and threw popcorn.
Whatever happens in New Orleans can only happen in New Orleans. It is the only place that has made my jaw drop while feeling real and authentic. It is the only place where such a large character like Ignatius Reilly could make sense. From its long history of vice in a beautiful backdrop. The contradictions of New Orleans just work, and I’m going to miss them.
Bonus Content!
In case you were wondering, here’s what the finished product of my Minecraft shotgun houses looks like.