The Jelley Bean is what they called Jim Powell. How did he get that name you wonder? F. Scott Fitzerald tells us early in the story:
“Jelly-bean is the name throughout the undissolved Confederacy for one who spends his life conjugating the verb to idle in the first person singular – I am idling, I have idled, I will idle.
Despite the prohibition, Clark smuggled in a bottle of Corn moonshine. They sneaked outside to have some and then Jim got left hiding the bottle on him. That’s when Nancy Lamar showed up with gum on her shoe. Jim siphoned gas out of a car to get the gum off. He was entranced by her beauty and also knew that she got herself in trouble when she drank the corn. However, he shared it with her, non the less.
After the dance, a group stayed and played craps including Jim and Nancy. Read the story, here to see what happend next.
It took me a couple of pages to get into The Jelly Bean. Mostly that is because it took until then for Fitzerald to explain why Jim was a Jelly Bean. Then the story really took off. This story reminded me why I adored The Great Gatsby so much back in high school. I really hope to read it again someday.
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…got herself in trouble when she drank the corn. However, he shared it with her, nonetheless.
Tongue in cheek?
Your post reminds me how much I enjoyed this story! It’s definitely time to pull down the collection and read another.
So many authors I haven’t read and really should, F. Scott Fitzgerald being one of them. For some reason, the classics are intimidating to me, especially when it comes to short stories.
I have yet to read Fitzgerald. I didn’t even know he had written short stories…
Hm John, I can see why you would think I meant it tongue in cheek but I didn’t really.
JoAnn, I want to read more too. I just saw the new Woody Allen movie, Midnight in Paris, today. It made me long even more for more Fitzgerald among other writers.
Carol, I think F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of the more accessible classic authors for those who are a bit intimidated. Did you read many classics in high school and were there any you liked? Perhaps start with those authors. Also, remember, since you are not in high school any longer, you don’t have to diagram plot and analyze deep meaning. You can just read for the pure joy of it.
Em, now you know. LOL! Not everyone likes Fitzgerald but I certainly do.