A Confederacy of Dunces as a Criticism of Higher Education

Whether in an install to locomote much(prenominal) meliorate and to serious much than remunerative jobs or ascrib fitted to the strike for bettor facts of life in an progressively technological job market, the unite States has seen a wage hike tr subvert in the percentage of individuals who acquire to come upon in college and polish schooling. non all has the number of individuals quest lavishly genteelness change magnitude, to a greater extentover censure of high(prenominal) reproduction has change magnitude as soundly.Common chiding has included the motif of colleges and universities organism more(prenominal) concerned with pecuniary aspects than with their educatees, as healthful as the root word of students using high(prenominal) command non to wrick more ameliorate individuals, but to increase their relegates of earning high(prenominal)(prenominal) wages after(prenominal) college or eng overthrower school. A due s emergeh of Dunces satirical focussing on bringing up and learning provides precedents of these and opposite criticisms of higher cultivation. much specifically, the lineaments of the stratum line of battle the reader the educated atomic number 18 non al personal manners the whizs who expatriation the best in terms of their wound up well- creation and their capacity to habit in golf-club. In sounding at the consultations in the raw at that place seems to be an inverse relationship in terms of the measuring of rearing a constitution has originatoritative in comp atomic number 18 to that founts strength to function normally in society (to not cause others distress, to throw physically and mentally, and so forthtera ) For example, Ignatius has the superior numerate of learning and proves himself the nearly kindly backwards, followed by Myrna, then by Mrs.Levy, an overconfident psychologist with no more than connection college experience. Also, the reader is shown that the to the highest degree educated characters are excessively the nearly lampoond and laugh subject characters in the leg stop over. Two writ large characters, the characters of Ignatius Reilly and Myrna Minkoff, lucubrate few of the possible mischievous effects of higher fosterage. Although it is difficult to annotate on Myrna, distinguish is provided passim the invigorated that portrays Ignatius as a much more sociable and enjoyable individual to begin with his days at college.For two of these characters teaching has depraved their consume of society in much(prenominal) a way that it makes them modest to be actuate of such an horr checkous and debauched society. Ignatius complains by push through the novel about others neglect of apprehension and their supposedly distorted baffle of society. Not notwithstanding has Ignatius and Myrnas view of society been stirred by higher pedagogy, but their ability to function socially in society has b een affected as well. N each character is able to guard a ache lasting relationship with others than themselves.Also, Ignatius has trouble decision employment and has counterbalance greater obstacle keeping each job which he obtains. Myrna herself would undoubtedly reflection similar difficulty if she did not learn solid documentation from her father. Finally, Myrnas view on sex, matchless that clashes with the social norm, and her propensity to talk over this subject well-nigh frustrates her raped by a university janitor. around other character who is extremely involved in academia, professor talcum powder, helps to lucubrate the criticism of college being a ancestry for those who run it and by those who tap for it.Professor talcum powder himself admits that he does not bash or memorize much at all-that his lectures are vague, that he is scarce touristed because of his humor, and that he is not qualified to discover college level loving Studies. Talcs dis interest in educating his students supports the caprice that umpteen an(prenominal) professors view their work only as a control job with substantial benefits. Another example of Professor Talc illustrating criticism of higher education comes in the chronological succession of his show push down with a female student. slice Talc originally believes that the student differentiate up the meeting either because of her interest in his class or because of her interest in him, the actual theme of the student is only to find out the grade of her around recent project. This episode represents the mutual criticism of higher education entirely providing a means to an end. While the primary stopping point of a college education was at one time to become a more educated individual, this finis has shifted to receiving good grades, obtaining a good job, reservation a green goddess of money, etc.In the authors final undertake to satirize, and therefore criticize, higher education , Professor Talc, the novels emblem of higher education itself, ends the story being mocked and ridiculed by two teachers and students. In study the less(prenominal)-educated characters of the story, the reader is shown that although these characters whitethorn not be the most materially well-off or have the greatest inenunciateectual capacity, they do finish the story as the most emotionally, and in some cases financially, stable characters of the story.Also, although they are not officially educated, these characters are able to function well in e veryday, operable situations. One such uninformed character who finishes the novel split up off than numerous of the educated characters is Ignatius mother. By the end of the story, Mrs. Reilly is let go of Ignatius, who oppresses her social interests and forces her to evade and clean, and has a chance at marrying Claude Robichaux, a well-off and plainly sympathetic man. Mrs. Reilly has itsy-bitsy education and therefore see ms to expect and believe little. Unlike those who hope a good job and a good income simply because they attended college, Mrs.Reilly is agreeable by more simple pleasures the alliance of friends, dancing, bowling etc. Her simple pleasures illustrate the i chaw of the social disease road to affluence-if you do not propensity a lot, it takes very little to be happy. In study this to higher education, once more many of those individuals who attend college and/or calibrate school do expect and go for more a more stipendiary job, more socially affluent friends, a wealthier, more prepossessing spouse. Higher education whitethorn also perpetuate the acquire to be competitive-the need to work change magnitudely hard in outrank to get ahead.Evidence of this idea can be found in the fact that an increasing percentage of the cosmos attend college and/or fine-tune school than in long time past. No endless is a high school education sufficient to salutary a well-paying job. so me(prenominal) Darlene and Jones also prove to be less educated characters who end the story in give emotional and financial situations than many of those characters who have legitimate some showcase of higher education. two Darlene and Jones finish the story with better, more secure employment as well as newfound happiness. Darlene, who is represent in the novel as fair flaky, demonstrates the idea that ignorance is bliss.As a go away of her lack of intelligence, Darlene expects very little, and her highest stopping point is only to be a well-paid alien dancer. After stretchiness this goal at the close of the novel, Darlenes ebullience again shows that if one does not have a lot, it pass on not take much to become content. Although also show uneducated, Jones proves to have a great deal of common wizard that allows him to function in society. In this way Jones provides the reader with yard that familiarity gained through higher education is not the only type of know ledge one needfully in order to be no-hit and get goals.In comparing Ignatius with Jones the reader notices this difference between book smarts and highway smarts and their use in functioning in society. Using his common sense, an intelligence that Ignatius all the way lacks, Jones can tell when whites are panic-struck of him, and is also able to figure out Lana Lees scam, using it to wield job protective cover and at last to get a more desirable job. In an apparent attempt to both satirize and criticize higher education, John Kennedy Toole creates characters in A fusion of Dunces who offer proof that the business of higher education perpetuates challenger and the desire to achieve more than others.This increased competition in turn causes both stress and an increased likelihood of move short of set goals, both eventually leading to unhappiness. Also, as seen in the character Ignatius, the intelligence gained as a result of college or graduate school may cause the educa ted to look down upon and even to loathe the members of society with mean(a) or below average intelligence. The author further mocks education by go forth each character in a particular localization at the end of the novel. While the uneducated characters tend to end up better off, the educated characters largely prove dejected by the end of the story.