fiction microblog #3

“The home was as sensually comfortable as the human womb supposedly is” (94)

A Confederacy of Dunces is a humorous, “comedic” novel, which is evident through its choice of comparison in this passage. While no one (I think) can directly recall their experiences of being in the womb, it is a fairly universally recognized fact that the womb is pretty comfortable. Rather than just saying “it was a cozy home,” using the womb as the grounds for making this comparison gives a new sense of comfort, and gives a more abstract, yet more effective feeling than just using “cozy” or “nice.” It influences the feeling of the home being comfortable, and helps the reader to understand the setting in a new way that immerses them into it. It's a fun experience!

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