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In The Great Gatsby, who says they are "out of practice"?

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Ewing Klipspringer says he is "out of practice" in chapter 5 of The Great Gatsby. As Gatsby shows Daisy and Nick around his mansion, Gatsby asks Klipspringer to play the piano. Despite Klipspringer's protests that he hasn't practiced in a long time, Gatsby insists. Klipspringer begrudgingly plays, emphasizing the novel's underlying themes of class and power dynamics.

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Ewing Klipspringer is the one who says he is out of practice in chapter 5. We are introduced to him in chapter four as a person who hangs around Gatsby's mansion so often that he is called "the boarder."

We first stumble across him again in chapter 5. As Gatsby is showing Daisy and Nick around his grand house, they find Klipsinger doing "liver" exercises on the floor of one of the bedrooms. He is dressed in pajamas, indicating he has been there all night.

As they are sitting by the piano and the sun is starting to come out after the storm, Gatsby calls to Klipsinger. Klipsinger, with light hair and horn-rimmed glasses, appears, now dressed casually, and Gatsby tells him to play the piano. Klipsinger says he is out of practice, but Gatsby tells him to play anyway. Gatsby orders him around, almost as if he is a servant. He does not treat him as a guest, and one wonders about the nature of their relationship.

Despite his protests, Klipsinger plays. The tune is "The Love Nest," and the lyrics about how the rich get richer and the poor get children bring to the fore the theme of class that always hovers in the background of this novel.

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The dialogue you are asking about appears in chapter 5. Gatsby gets Klipspringer out of bed to play the piano for him and Daisy. Klipspringer tells them that he doesn't play very well and tries to say that he hasn't practiced in a long time, but Gatsby won't take no for an answer. After he plays a tune, he turns around on the piano bench and says: “I’m all out of practice, you see. I told you I couldn’t play. I’m all out of prac——."

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