The Impulsive Decisions In F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'Winter Dreams'

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Decisions are what make you who you are and bring you to where you are in life. Making a decision without thinking is known as an impulse decision. In the short story “Winter Dreams” by, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dexter Green, makes several impulsive decisions. His impulsive decisions have both negative and positive consequences that he has to live with
In the winter Dexter skis down the hills of Sherry Island Golf Club, and in the warm seasons he would caddy there. This golf course symbolizes wealth as you have to be part of the upper class to be a member there. The golf course is where he makes his first impulsive decision. One day while working, he laid eyes on Judy Jones. She was the daughter of Mortimer Jones, one of the wealthy members of the Club. Judy was impatiently waiting to golf with her nurse and she asked Dexter to be her caddy. He said he couldn't as he was the only caddy there at the moment and therefore couldn't leave his post. She then began to throw a tantrum and she tries to hit her nurse with a club. When the caddy master returns he tells Dexter to go caddy for her. He quickly responds with, “I think i’ll quit.”(Online) This is his first …show more content…

His impulsive decisions look like they have payed off as “he had done well--so well that there were no barriers too high for him.”(Online) He is having a conversation with Devlin, one of his business associates. He informs Dexter that Judy has married a friend of his. The man she married is known to drink and cheat on her, while she stays home with the kids. This is ironic as Judy had many options of men in her youth but ends up in an unhappy marriage. He also informs him that she's lost some of her beauty. Dexter is very upset by this news and starts to cry. He thinks back on his life and to all the impulsive decisions he's made. He then wishes he was young once again. This is ironic also because he has a lot of money but is still