The Jelly-Bean
Jim Powell, called "the Jelly-bean" by the loafing sons of a small Georgia town, has drifted into idleness since his father's death — living over Tilly's garage, doing odd jobs, and shooting craps — cut off from the tight social set his family once belonged to when the Powell property was sold. On an April evening his boyhood friend Clark Darrow, now one of the town's popular young men, impulsively invites him to a dance at the Country Club, and Jim, half-frightened and half-curious, accepts. At the club Jim sits apart, watching the girls arrive, until Nancy Lamar appears in yellow organdie with her escort, Ogden Merritt of Savannah, whose father's razor fortune makes him a desirable match. Clark tells Jim that Nancy is wild, gambles recklessly, and is rumored to be marrying Merritt. Alone on the porch, Jim helps Nancy clean gasolene-soaked gum from her shoe, and the two talk; she confides her admiration for English style and a Lady Diana Manners, and shares corn liquor from Clark's flask, growing increasingly reckless. Later, in the soft-drink room, Nancy loses heavily shooting dice against the disliked Mr. Taylor, writing bad checks to cover her losses. Jim steps in to roll for her, wins back her money, and destroys the checks. Drunk and grateful, Nancy publicly toasts him as "King of the Jelly-beans" and kisses him before driving off. Sleepless and shaken, Jim realizes he loves Nancy and feels ashamed of having covered up her reckless gambling with garage-taught tricks. He resolves to leave town, work his uncle's farm upstate, and return someday "like a gentleman." The next afternoon Clark tells him the town is already abuzz: Nancy and Merritt, still drunk from the night before, eloped and married that morning, then left for Savannah, to her father's dismay. Stunned, Jim abandons his resolve and instead drifts back into a poolhall on Jackson Street to rejoin the familiar loafing crowd and their old jokes.
By F. Scott Fitzgerald · First published 1916 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Coming-of-Age, Southern Gothic · 4 chapters · 8,143 words
First lines
Jim Powell was a Jelly-bean. Much as I desire to make him an appealing character, I feel that it would be unscrupulous to deceive you on that point. He was a bred-in-the-bone, dyed-in-the-wool, ninety-nine three-quarters per cent Jelly-bean and he grew lazily all during Jelly-bean season, which is every season, down in the land of the Jelly-beans well below the Mason-Dixon line.
What this Textopian page supports
The Jelly-Bean is listed on Textopian as a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, dated 1916 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Date: 1916 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Fiction, Coming-of-Age, Southern Gothic, Social Commentary, Romance
- Length: 8,143 words
- Structure: 4 chapters, 252 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Jelly-Bean by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Jelly-Bean?
- How does this novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Literary Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Cut Glass Bowl by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- O Russet Witch by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Bernice Bobs Her Hair by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Adjuster by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The City Urchin And The Chaste Villagers by Stephen Crane
- The Pace Of Youth by Stephen Crane
Genres
- Literary Fiction — The book explores complex characters and themes of social class, identity, and personal aspiration, typical of literary fiction.
- Coming-of-Age — The protagonist, Jim Powell, navigates adolescence and social dynamics, embodying the coming-of-age genre.
- Southern Gothic — The setting in the South and the exploration of decay, social issues, and eccentric characters align with Southern Gothic elements.
- Social Commentary — The narrative critiques social norms and class distinctions in early 20th-century Southern society.
Tags
short story · romance · tragedy · love triangle · wealth · social class · 1920s · American literature · Jazz Age · flapper culture · prohibition era · upper class