Family Quotes in A Confederacy of Dunces

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #7

"In other words, you were having me trailed," Ignatius screamed. "My own mother!" (13.23)

Mrs. Reilly was having Ignatius trailed because (spurred on by Claude) she was worried that he was attending a Communist meeting. In Confederacy, even Cold War spying exists in the context of family bickering.

Quote #8

Now Mr. Levy knew that his wife's strange logic made it necessary for him to be ruined. She wanted to see Abelman victorious; she would see in the victory some peculiar justification. (13.138)

Mrs. Levy is hoping here that her family is ruined and that she, personally, will be cast into a life of poverty, just because it would give her so much satisfaction to see all her worst predictions about Mr. Levy come true. In a book filled with mean-spirited people, Mrs. Levy is perhaps the single purest avatar of spite. It's a thing of beauty.

Quote #9

"I'm sorry I run into that building, Ignatius. I love you." (14.46)

Aw… a sincere statement of mother love. It's in the context of Mrs. Reilly having finally decided to ship her son off to the psychiatric ward, of course. But still, it's sweet.