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The American Dream In F. Scott Fitzgerald's Winter Dreams

1878 Words8 Pages

Everyone wants to be successful and live the life they always dreamed about having. Some people achieve the dream and others fail to accomplish it. The short story was published in December of 1922. Fitzgerald has multiple stories that he is well known for, but The Great Gatsby is his claim to fame. In most of his stories he focuses on the American Dream, mostly the failure of it. He is known for writing about a poor boy who falls in love with a rich girl and will do anything to be with her. “Winter Dreams” is about Dexter who falls for a rich and snobby girl and struggles to keep her by his side. Fitzgerald characterizes Dexter, the main character, as a very driven and dedicated man. The author uses symbols to reference the story to further connect what is happening. He uses his language to showcase the theme of the American dream and how Dexter tries to attain it. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Winter Dreams” demonstrates that many people try to achieve the American dream but not all are successful. In Minnesota lives a man named Dexter Green, where he caddies at Sherry Island for wealthy people. …show more content…

“Setting as a symbol of Dexter’s changing state of mind” (“Winter Dreams”). In the beginning of the story Dexter is in Minnesota caddying on a high-class golf course. Then he makes his way to a very prestige college to become successful, which then leads him back to the club. Throughout the story he goes back and forth to New York and then back to Minnesota. This story takes place over a long period of time and many seasons pass by. “Summer, fall, winter, spring, another summer, another fall—so much he had given of his active life to the incorrigible lips of Judy Jones” (Fitzgerald). His constant change in setting is all because of Judy and her decisions and actions. In each season a different even happens and regarding Judy and it makes Dexter question what he wants in

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