Question

Question 13: Read the following passage carefully before you choose your answers. This passage is excerpted from John Kennedy Toole's novel A Confederacy of Dunces, first published in 1980. A green hunting cap squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head. The green earflaps, full of large ears and uncut hair and the fine bristles that grew in the ears themselves, stuck out on either side like turn signals indicating two directions at once. Full, pursed lips protruded beneath the bushy black mustache and, at their corners, sank into little folds filled with disapproval and potato chip crumbs. In the shadow under the green visor of the cap, Ignatius J. Reilly's supercilious blue and yellow eyes looked down upon the other people waiting under the clock at the D. H. Holmes department store, studying the crowd of people for signs of bad taste in dress. Several of the outfits, Ignatius noticed, were new enough and expensive enough to be properly considered offenses against taste and decency. Possession of anything new or expensive only reflected a person's lack of theology and geometry; it could even cast doubts upon one's soul. Ignatius himself was dressed comfortably and sensibly. The hunting cap prevented head colds. The voluminous tweed trousers were durable and permitted unusually free locomotion. Their pleats and nooks contained pockets of warm, stale air that soothed Ignatius. The plaid flannel shirt made a jacket unnecessary while the muffler guarded exposed Reilly skin between earflap and collar. The

Answer 1

The passage from 'A Confederacy of Dunces' by John Kennedy Toole describes the protagonist, Ignatius J. Reilly, who judges people's taste and decency based on their attire, equating fashion choices with moral and intellectual shortcomings.

Step-by-step explanation:

The passage provided is from John Kennedy Toole's novel A Confederacy of Dunces, which characterizes the protagonist Ignatius J. Reilly through his appearance and actions. Ignatius is depicted wearing a distinctive green hunting cap and voluminous tweed trousers, observing others with a critical eye for what he perceives as their lack of taste and decency.

The passage speaks volumes about Ignatius's worldview, indicating that he believes possessions of anything new or expensive suggest a person's lack of understanding of theology and geometry, thus reflecting on their soul. Toole uses vivid descriptions and the context of fashion to establish Ignatius's disdain for societal norms and his own narrative superiority.