Literary Characters of the French Quarter Quiz

Answer:

Ignatius J. Reilly is the eccentric, opinionated, and lazy protagonist of John Kennedy Toole's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, "A Confederacy of Dunces". Easily recognizable by his green hunting cap and oversized mustache, he spends his days criticizing modern society while reluctantly trying to hold down a job in 1960s New Orleans. He spends much of his time in the French Quarter, starting in the novel's opening scene outside the D.H. Holmes department store on Canal Street (where a bronze statue of him now stands) to his disastrous stint pushing a Paradise Vendors hot dog cart through Pirate's Alley, Royal Street, and Bourbon Street.

Lestat de Lioncourt is the charismatic, but rebellious, antihero of Anne Rice's gothic horror series "The Vampire Chronicles", starting with "Interview with the Vampire". Transformed into an immortal in 18th-century France, he moves to New Orleans where he gets involved in a very complex relationship with Louis de Pointe du Lac and builds a bloodthirsty existence. He is deeply tied to the French Quarter through the lavish townhouse he shares with Louis and Claudia on Royal Street, using the neighborhood's shadowed courtyards, alleys, and historic squares as his primary hunting grounds.

Blanche DuBois is the tragic, fading Southern belle at the center of Tennessee Williams's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, "A Streetcar Named Desire". After losing her family's Mississippi estate and her job, she arrives in 1940s New Orleans clinging to illusions of grandeur while clashing violently with her brutal brother-in-law, Stanley Kowalski. Her tie to the French Quarter is defined by the iconic streetcar route she takes ("Desire") to reach her sister Stella's cramped, sweltering two-room apartment which sits right on the edge of the Quarter.

Dave Robicheaux is the homicide detective and recovering alcoholic at the heart of James Lee Burke's crime series, beginning with "The Neon Rain". A Vietnam veteran with a strong moral compass and a fierce temper, he battles both violent criminals and his own inner demons across southern Louisiana. His career starts in the New Orleans Police Department, tying him closely to the French Quarter through early investigations that lead him repeatedly into the neighborhood's dive bars, strip clubs, and corrupt political circles on Bourbon and Royal Streets.

Valentin St. Cyr is a smart Creole detective featured in David Fulmer's historical mystery series, starting with "Chasing the Devil's Tail". Set in the early 1900s in New Orleans during the birth of jazz, he uses his street smarts and connections across racial and social lines to solve brutal murders. While he works primarily as a private investigator for the neighboring Storyville red-light district, his investigations constantly weave through the cafes, townhouses, and shadowy streets of the adjacent French Quarter.

Edna Pontellier is the unconventional main character of Kate Chopin's groundbreaking 1899 novel, "The Awakening". Unfulfilled by her traditional role as a wife and mother in late 19th-century Creole society, she embarks on a journey of personal independence. Her tie to the French Quarter centers on her marriage into a wealthy Creole family living in a grand mansion on Esplanade Avenue (the Quarter's northern border) and her bold decision to move out into a tiny, bohemian "pigeon house" just around the corner to attempt to live entirely on her own terms.

Josie Moraine is the determined and street-smart 17-year-old girl in Ruta Sepetys's historical fiction novel, "Out of the Easy". Growing up in 1950 New Orleans as the daughter of a local prostitute, she works tirelessly to rise above her mother's "job" in the brothel and earn a scholarship to attend Smith College up north. Her life is completely anchored in the French Quarter. She lives above and works at a used bookstore on Royal Street and visits with the neighborhood's eccentric shopkeepers, jazz musicians, and even criminals.

Skip Langdon is a rebellious New Orleans ex-debutante who rejects her wealthy, conservative upbringing to become a homicide detective in Julie Smith's mystery series, beginning with "New Orleans Mourning". Smart, tall, and more than a bit unconventional, she uses her insider knowledge of both the city's elite social circles and its street-level culture to solve crimes. She is deeply tied to the French Quarter, where she lives in a renovated carriage house and works out of the local police district, regularly investigating murders amidst the Quarter's Mardi Gras parades, historic mansions, and hidden courtyards.

Tubby Dubonnet is the fairly laid-back, divorced, pudgy criminal defense attorney and amateur sleuth at the center of Tony Dunbar's comedic mystery series, beginning with "Crooked Man". Known for his love of good food, cold drinks, and his three daughters, he routinely stumbles into dangerous criminal schemes while trying to maintain his easygoing New Orleans lifestyle. His ties to the French Quarter are front and center as his law office is located right on Bourbon Street, and he frequently conducts business, meets shady clients, and unwinds at iconic Quarter haunts like Napoleon House.

Benjamin January is a Paris-trained surgeon and skilled musician who returns to his hometown of 1830s New Orleans as a free man of color in Barbara Hambly's historical mystery series, starting with "A Free Man of Color". Navigating the racial hierarchies and complex social rules of the antebellum South, he frequently uses his medical expertise and keen intellect to solve murders that local authorities ignore or misjudge. His ties to the French Quarter run deep as he lives and works in the heart of the Vieux Carré.

Edward Cullen is a vampire in the "Twilight" books by Stephenie Meyer and lives in Washington.

Atticus Finch is from "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee and, although still a classic Southern character, he belongs entirely to the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama.

Travis McGee is from the series by John D. MacDonald who lives aboard his houseboat in a marina in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Holden Caulfield is the disillusioned teenager wandering the street of Manhattan in New York City from "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger.

Philip Marlowe is the private investigator from the series by Raymond Chandler and works the sunny streets of 1930s and '40s Los Angeles, California.