The Great Gatsby Winter Dreams Analysis

“Winter Dreams” was written in 1926, several years before and after World War I. Fitzgerald is most known for his novel The Great Gatsby, which ‘Winter Dreams” was originally supposed to be included in to give a background of the characters in The Great Gatsby. The common theme in Fitzgerald’s work is the idea of the American dream. He also likes to write about the poor boy falling in love with the rich girl that he cannot have. The short story “Winter Dreams” is about a young man named Dexter Green who falls in love with Judy Jones, and takes many years to realize he was not in love with her, but more her looks. Fitzgerald uses characterization to portray his characters as corrupt people who only care about their own wellbeing. He also uses

Scott Fitzgerald’s “Winter Dreams” incorporates a variety of symbols such as Dexter’s name, and the season to represent the connectedness of his dream to real life. Dexter’s name is a shortened version of the word dexterous. The word dexterous mean “Mentally adroit and skillful” or “Done with mental or physical skill, quickness or grace” (Webster.com). “Dexter has become a successful entrepreneur in the business world. His laundries cater to moneyed patrons specializing in fine woolen golf stockings and women’s lingerie” (Gidmark). This illustrates that Dexter really is skillful and has determination in all work that he does. In the story Fitzgerald says, “Men were insisting that their Shetland hose and sweaters go to his laundry just as they had insisted on a caddy who could find golf balls” (Fitzgerald). This quote is showing readers that Dexter was very skilled with his laundry business, by investing his time in learning how to fold and wash expensive clothes properly. He was also the best caddy at his old job and people appreciated that he took time in his work to be able to be the best. Throughout the story Dexter goes through an internal struggle of becoming rich without all the backlash that comes with it. Whatever Dexter went through or strived to do he had grace in doing so. From going to a prestigious school, to opening his own business, those took skill and without the mindset he had his “dreams” wouldn’t have been

In the story Dexter has two dreams, to be rich and to have Judy Jones by his side. He dreams about having her and knows that things will never work out between them. “By the end, after she has toyed with him for years, he finds that Judy Jones has married a man who mistreats her, and worse still, that she has lost her looks, she has become common place, a shattered dream rather than one that was simply unfilled the dream was gone, something had been taken from him” add more (Noble 297). This supports the evidence that Dexter worried more about looks than personality and being happy. He had left Irene because Judy was prettier, but he shortly realizes that leaving Irene was a bad idea but it was too late. Judy had taken the caring and compassionate side of Dexter away. He became so in love with the idea of Judy, he was so oblivious to the real world. and “Dexter becomes extremely upset at the thought of Judy losing her beauty and allure, admitting that his dream was gone” (Fitzgerald). This also supports the evidence from before that the only thing that mattered to Dexter about Judy was her looks. Without her looks Dexter did not want her, and realized he wasted a lot of his life obsessing over her. Dexter was more in love with Judy’s looks than the actual person she was. Once she lost her looks Dexter realized that she was not who he wanted