People · 1941
At the worst I accepted Hollywood with the resignation of a ghost assigned to a haunted house.
— F. Scott Fitzgerald ‧ The Last Tycoon
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The speaker describes accepting Hollywood with resignation, then compares that acceptance to a ghost being assigned a haunted house. The image makes the destination seem both fitting and dreary. It turns reluctant accommodation into a darkly comic role that appears almost prepared in advance.
Context reviewed