The Wrapped Golf Ball: A Marxist Literary Criticism

The philosopher Karl Marx once said, “It is not the consciousness of men that determines their being, but, on the contrary, their social being that determines their consciousness” (Marx). Marx argues that social circumstances determine one’s value and belief. Therefore, in his short story “Winter Dreams”, F. Scott Fitzgerald supports this Marxist theory by exposing that the proletariat is oppressed by the bourgeoisie’s ideology that the goal of life lies in status and material success, wrongly leading the middle-class to pursue inappropriate goals and ultimately to lose personal identity as developed through vivid imagery, starting with depicting a proletarian’s dream, followed by his success and transformation by a materialist, and ending with his personal deception.

Fitzgerald first demonstrates that ideological oppression by revealing a proletarian’s desire for prestige through admiration for wealthy people. Since a young age, Dexter Green, a “willing” and “intelligent” (Fitzgerald 33) young man of humble origin, often dreams that he becomes golf champion and defeats a respectful opponent, or that he is admired by the most notable figures in the state. In fact, working as a caddy at the prestigious Sherry Island Golf Club has taught him that happiness and respect come with success and status. This idea is even emphasized after he meets the eleven-year-old rich girl Judy Jones, who treats Dexter and her nurse with rudeness and disdain. Furthermore, although Dexter is three years older than her, she calls him “boy” (33). Accordingly, Judy’s socio-economic status has given her a superiority, which irritates Dexter, leading him to quit this job. Under the shock, his willingness and intelligence impel him to become one of the most...

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...belongs, especially with the evanescence of his ideals. However, Dexter’s courage in pursuing his dream is remarkable, since although he has not succeeded, he has learned the reality of this world, which may be helpful for his future development.

Works Cited

Baggins, Brian. "Abstract from the Preface of A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy." Preface. Comp. Zodiac. A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy. By Karl Marx. Ed. R. Rojas and Matthew Carmody. Trans. S. W. Ryazanskaya. Comp. Tim Delaney and Zodiac. Moscow: Progress, 1859. Marx/Engels Internet Archive. Marx/Engels Internet Archive. Web. 8 Mar. 2012. .

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. "Winter Dreams." Print. Rpt. in English 102 Course Pack. By Megan Newell. Montreal: Eastman Systems, 2012. 33-40. Print.