I just finished re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird for about the fortieth time, wherein mention is made several times of an establishment called the Jitney Jungle. I’ve always wondered just what kind of business that’s supposed to be; it sounds like a cocktail lounge, but I don’t think Miss Stephanie Crawford would be the type of person to patronize such a place. So what is it?
And, since we’re on the subject, in the scene where Scout is attending the “refreshments” portion of her aunt’s Missionary Society meeting, Mrs. Grace Merriweather says something that upsets Miss Maudie; Miss Maudie responds with, “His food doesn’t stick going down, does it?” Mrs. Merriweather says, “Maudie, I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” “I’m sure you do,” retorts Miss Maudie. I’ve never understood exactly what that exchange was supposed to mean.
Not really integral to the plot, but they’re details I’ve always wondered about. Feel free to add your own.
In Going Postal (Discworld) It refers to the older clacks towers as needing line-of-sight to other towers. So what do the new towers have that eliminates the need for line-of-sight
I’m not 100% sure, but didn’t Mrs. Grace just say something to the effect that her maid was getting uppity and she had half a mind to fire her, but she was going to keep her on out of charity and the goodness of her heart? The way I interpret it, Miss Maudie is saying “No, you wouldn’t really fire her, because she can cook and you can’t.”
Of course, it’s been years since I read TKAM and I may be totally wrong about the context.
Why did the Rover in Armeggedon with Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck have a gattiling gun. Their must’ve been some explanation (right?) but I have no memory of what it was.
It’s a lot clearer with the previous line from Merriweather. I don’t have the book to hand, but Mrs. Merriweather had just made some (not very) veiled comment attacking Atticus Finch for his decision to defend the black man accused of raping a white girl. Miss Maudie is pointing out that it’s at the very least hypocritical to attack a man while merrily eating food that he’s paid for.
I think they had the guns so they could blow away chunks of meteor that were in the way of their deep core drillin’. It’s possible that I just made up that explanation in my head though.
I wondered the same thing myself. There was no explanation, so I figured it was there for the same reason hollywood does anything…it looks cool.
Personally, I’ve found that the film is much more enjoyable when I watch it as a comedy, because if I try to take it seriously at all I find it annoying.
That’s what I like about that movie. It’s so incredibly over the top, you just have to go along and have fun with it or you’ll lose your mind. I HATED *Deep Impact * because it was just as melodramatic, but took itself way too seriously.
I believe that Rampart was the name of the hospital in the 70s show “Emergency!” and that a “faceman” is a good-looking brother who can be expected to attract women to the fraternity’s parties.
Rampart (meaning fortification) is the name of a major street and neighborhood in downtown Los Angeles. When Jack Webb (aka Joe Friday) produced the series Emergency!, he named the fictional hospital Rampart General, as he’d been born in that neighborhood. It’s widely known in the real world for poverty, gang violence and police corruption.
I always figured the Gatlin gun was there so that guy Rockhound could use it to mess up the remote detonator thingy on the nuke, thus ensuring that Bruce Willis would have to stay behind and selflessly sacrifice himself for the Good of All.
DeVena, thanks! I’ve been wondering about that since I was ten.
In Escape from New York does it not switch from day to night back to day and then back to night for the finish? Why am I the only person to seem to be distracted by a major continuity error?