"Are you crazy?" he whispers, "—People are staring. Sailors are staring."
**********
Lines 131-133 Vulgarized:
Mason's eyes bulging, furtively glancing about the pub, he hisses, "What the fuck is wrong with you? Can't you see we're surrounded by . . . Italians?!"
Subtext:
Mason believes sailors are mostly composed of Italians and that they're prone to violence when they think they're being mocked by some Northerner. Maybe Mason is just embarrassed by his new acquaintance's gregarious nature. And he probably respects sailors too much to want to bother them with loud, drunken talking in a public sphere. Or, pretty obviously, Mason is afraid of getting his ass kicked.
However one interprets this line, we can all probably agree that it provides a moment of clear demarcation between the two men's personalities. Dixon is loud, gregarious, and oblivious to the judgments of those around him. Mason is quiet, anxious, and quick to avoid conflict. Aren't they cute together?
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