Purpose?

It is difficult to easily summarize A Confederacy of Dunces without going into every minute detail. The novel is full of sub-plots and side stories which makes it difficult to find a real plot. It's easier to look at all the separate events as a bunch of tangents all leading up to the same climax. I feel the true purpose of the story was to convey the truth that the people society typically views as different or even insane can end up being the one with the most insightful. No one in the book ever truly understands Ignatius or his actions, save for perhaps Myrna. I myself could not decide whether or not I liked Ignatius until the very end of the book.

In retrospect, the selfish and pompous things he did were justified. Ignatius J. Reilly is the perfect example of a tragic American hero, although feel him and Willy Loman might not see eye to eye on very much. While Lenny was a hero for his stubbornness and refusal to never quit working is directly inverse to Ignatius' philosophy, which he displays just as stubbornly. Inadvertently, many of Ignatius' crazy plans (such as his plans to start a riot at Levy Pants or organizing a all-gay policital party to help bring world peace) end up helping people, and although they were ironic consequences, some hints of his altruism and good intentions shine through.