Question...
I don't understand what exactly Susie meant by calling Jack a 'coward' after seeing him play in that nightclub. What exactly was she calling him out on ?
shareFor selling out, not doing what he really wants to do. He was afraid to just go for it. And she was right.
shareSo, she saw that he actually DID have a passion for the music - but he was just pretending that he didn't because he was afraid to fail....?
Is that what you mean .... ?
He wasn't pretending to not have a passion for music so much as he was purposefully underachieving, and seeing the world as jaundiced because he'd allowed his innate talent to jaundice. He stayed safe in the brotherly lounge act, rather than making the music he was actually good at, but which would have required his believing in his own ability and betting his stake on it.
He was a coward because he was too good for the lounges, and he knew it, but didn't believe in himself enough to leave them - even though he'd play other, better clubs after hours to satisfy his itch.
ETA: It was also a double-entendre. Jack never committed to anything for more than a night - a gig, a jam at a club, a woman. His fear of failure was pervasive and a direct contributor to his inability to succeed...in anything. Suzie called Jack a coward because he *was* a coward in almost every aspect of his life.
And that was the peak of his arc - realizing that she was right.