A Confederacy of Dunces

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What do you know about capitalism? Discuss the pros and cons of this economic and governmental system.

Teaching Suggestion: Encourage students to engage in a congenial debate on the subject of capitalism, talking through the benefits and problems associated with a capitalist economy. If students tend to lean one way, be prepared to offer up the counterargument to keep the discourse going. Have students read the articles at the links below beforehand so the class has a shared understanding of how we define “capitalism,” as well as some of the major critiques. You may also steer the discussion toward how capitalism specifically has affected the social/cultural life of modern-day New Orleans

• “What ‘Capitalism’ Is and How It Affects People”  is a foundational piece from Teen Vogue to help define capitalism.
• “How Power Profits from Disaster” is an opinion piece in The Guardian discussing capitalism in the wake of Hurricane Katrina with an emphasis on New Orleans.
• “The Legacy of Post-Katrina New Orleans’ Political Theater on Today’s Climate Crisis” is a New Orleans-focused piece on LitHub that shows the relationship between disasters and capitalism.