Vacuosity

Where is Ignatius Reilly?

The main character (in a large cast of misfits) in the novel I am reading, A Confederacy of Dunces, is Ignatius J. Reilly. He is a supremely overweight, moustached gargantuan who, out of disgust and a sense of decency, refuses to participate in modern society. Instead, he spends most of his time writing a lengthy and pointed "indictment" of what he refers to as "assaults on his sensibilities and good taste".

Since this book celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2000 (though it was written well before that), I thought it a shame that poor Ignatius never had the opoportunity to witness the magnificent depths to which humanity has sunk. His delicate constitution (particularly the flatulence-producing valve) would surely have revolted at such effrontery.



I saw the movie Bowling for Columbine this evening, which turned out to be another strong work by Michael Moore, director, essayist, and social commentator. I have been a fan of his for several years, in particular for his quick response, in the days following the September 11th tragedy, as one of the few in the media not to pander a pantsload of self-pity. He actually pointed the finger where it belongs: a blissfully ignorant society ruled by decadence and greed, and a government that is in cohorts with big business and bent on world domination. His essay helped me to parse the events we had witnessed and resolve my mixed feelings about it.

What I like about Michael Moore is that his work derives from a genuine concern for people and a desire to educate and incite a lethargic society to action. He not not a rapid-fire verbal assult type like Rush Limbaugh, who hits the mark, but does so without regard and at a tidy profit. No, Moore is unchanged by his success; untainted. His demeanor is unassuming and his comportment, unpretentious.

He appears in the film, often scruffy or unshaven, a gargantuan in his own right. For those who will listen, his work represents Moore's own brand of indictment.

Ignatius, I have found you.



The auther of A Confederacy of Dunces, John K. Toole, never saw its publication. He committed suicide some time after its completion.

Witnessing truth has its consequences.

posted by David @ 1:06 a.m.