Short Fiction · Character

Jim Powell

A small-town Georgia loafer who rolls dice in Tilly's Garage and knows every shooting story for fifty miles, Jim Powell gets one improbable invitation to the country club.

major

Also known as Jim, Powell, Mr. Powell, Mr. Jim Powell of Tarleton, Georgia, Mr. James Powell, James Powell

First appearance: I

As a major figure in Short Fiction, Jim Powell is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The protagonist, a 'jelly-bean' who returns to Tarleton and becomes infatuated with Nancy Lamar.

In the storyThe Jelly-BeanOpen this moment free

See Jim Powell in The Jelly-Bean Book page

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

Jim Powell belongs to the white house on the green corner only in memory; the house is sold, and the crowd that should have been his has grown into a tight little set that treats him as a running mate of poor whites. He is long, thin, stooped from pool tables, shy at parties since Marjorie Haight whispered about the groceries he delivered, and content instead with dice and a straw and the moon over Jackson Street. When Clark Darrow's ancient Ford stops beside him with an invitation, Jim accepts out of half-frightened ennui, and that small yes sets the whole story in motion.

Continue beside the text

The fuller portrait of Jim Powell sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Jim Powell in I

Character Web

20 connections

A slice of how Jim Powell sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Love and ambition
Southern wild youth
Social climbers and romantics

+15 more in the full Character Web

Open in reader

Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

Val reaches his emotional and psychological peak in this passage as he confronts the painful gap between his r…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

Follow the arc while reading

In the story

Jim Powell appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Jelly-Bean
The protagonist, a 'jelly-bean' who returns to Tarleton and becomes infatuated with Nancy Lamar.
I
The protagonist, a Jelly-bean who lives idly in a small Georgia town. He is invited to a party at the country club and reflects on his outsider status.
II
Attends the country club dance with Clark, feels self-conscious and out of place, becomes infatuated with Nancy Lamar.
III
A Jelly-bean who rolls dice for Nancy, wins back her checks, and receives a kiss from her.
IV
The Jelly-bean experiences a profound sense of futility and resolves to leave town to reclaim his family's honor.
Dice, Brassknuckles & Guitar
Founder of the Jazz School, a Southern gentleman struggling with social exclusion despite his entrepreneurial success.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Jim Powell unlock in the free preview.

See Jim Powell in I

See Jim Powell in The Jelly-Bean