More handpicked essays just for you.
“Winter Dreams” by F. Scott FitzgeraldCharacter Analysis
Winter dreams f scott fitzgerald literary elements
“Winter Dreams” by F. Scott FitzgeraldCharacter Analysis
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the seasons as an intricate part of the setting in "Winter Dreams". The seasons are a reflection of the human life cycle. We are given Dexter's outlook of each season throughout the story. Dexter Green longs to live the American Dream of a prosperous life with a beautiful family like the rich people he encounters at the golf course. Spring is the beginning of the human life cycle. It is when things show the most promise. Fitzgerald instead chooses to use the word dismal to describe spring. In Dexter's mind, his beginnings are dismal because his mother "was a Bohemian of the peasant class." (Fitzgerald, 125). During the summers, Dexter works hard at being the best caddie at the Sherry Island Country Club. This is foretelling of the hard work he will do to change his socioeconomic status. We are shown how dedicated Dexter is by the tears in Mr. Jones' eyes on the day he decides to quit (Fitzgerald, 120). After meeting Judy Jones, Dexter developed a stronger sense of urgency to change his status. Dexter is so determined to fulfill his dream that he opts to go to a "more famous university in the East" rather than the state university that was more affordable (Fitzgerald, 122). This is an example of his determination to lift his status in the eyes of others. While speaking with Judy, he uses his prestigious university as the starting point of his life. Unfortunately for Dexter, he cannot conquer Judy Jones as he has every …show more content…
other part of his dream. Even in his youth, Dexter was optimistic about the fall, "October filled him with hope".
(Fitzgerald, 120). The hard work he had done during the summer of his life was manifested in the success he now enjoyed. The only thing missing from Dexter's idea of the American Dream was Judy. In his attempt to have the total dream he gets engaged to Irene. He knows that she is a substitute for his true, unattainable desire. When Judy ruins his engagement and leaves him, Dexter fills the void as a soldier and
businessman. In addition to attempting to acquire his winter dream, Dexter also wanted Judy Jones. Judy left Dexter the same way Minnesota winter left the golf course, dreary, haunted, and desolate (Fitzgerald, 120). When Devlin tells of Judy's current situation, Dexter knows that he will never have his dream. All that he has done has been in vain. He has no children to live the way he imagined his next generation would be able. The importance of the setting in "Winter Dreams" reveals the mood of the story. The descriptions used for the seasons give a glimpse of Dexter's outlook on life. The way Fitzgerald concentrates on the country club rather than where Dexter lives are a reflection of what each means to Dexter. Reference: Fitzgerald, Frances. "Winter Dreams". Engl 200: Composition & Literature. America Public University System. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Pp. 119-135. Electronic.
In ‘Winter Dreams’, the ending is unexpected. Throughout the story, we are under the impression that this is the story of Dexter Green's love for Judy Jones. But at the end of the story, once Dexter finds out that Judy has lost her charms and settled into a bad marriage, we begin to wonder if this story is about something else entirely. Dexter does not weep for Judy. He weeps for himself, for the young man he once was and for the illusions he once held.
Archibald Lampman’s “Winter Evening” and P.K. Page’s “Stories of Snow” both initially describe winter to be delicate and blissful, yet, as one delves deeper into the poem, it is revealed that the speakers believe winter to be harsh and forceful. Archibald Lampman’s “Winter Evening,” starts describing an evening
Dexter, although he could have attended a state university, chose to attend an older and more prestigious university in the East. However, he struggled with his limited funds while studying there. After college, he invested in a laundry business, which he grew and eventually became very wealthy. He returned to the golf course to play with the wealthy old men he once caddied for.
When Dexter embodies all of his dreams in the beautiful Judy Jones, her fickle attitude and the inevitability
Foster’s book, How to read literature like a Professor. The twentieth chapter of Forster’s novel explains, “Summer [represents] adulthood and romance and fulfillment and passion,” while, “ winter [symbolizes] old age and resentment and death.” Knowles uses the winter season to kill off Finny and show the mutual resentment between Gene and Leper. Additionally, he uses Autumn to show Finny’s physical decline. Knowles also shows the transformation into adulthood, romance for the war, and the passion of fighting and being an adult. Knowles perfectly uses the symbolism associated with many of the
“In her wealth, social status and beauty, she symbolizes the golden-girl embodiment of the American Dream” (Lahood, “Judy”). Judy has Dexter wrapped around his finger to the point where his emotions revolved around her presence. Judy made Dexter feel excited, energetic, and longing for his American Dream. “She had treated him with interest, with encouragement, with malice, with indifference, with contempt” (Fitzgerald). Judy not only was Dexter’s final wish for his American Dream, she manipulated him into thinking she was the ultimate prize that could never be won.
In “What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why?” Edna St. Vincent Millay says that “the summer sang in me” meaning that she was once as bright and lively as the warm summer months. In the winter everyone wants to bundle up and be lazy, but when summer comes along the sunshine tends to take away the limits that the cold once had on us. She uses the metaphor of summer to express the freedom she once felt in her youth, and the winter in contrast to the dull meaningless life she has now. There are many poets that feel a connection with the changing of seasons. In “Odes to the West Wind” Percy Bysshe Shelley describes his hopes and his expectations for the seasons to inspire the world.
Joshua Ferris, the author of the short story, “The Breeze”, closely links seasonal conditions and activities to different lifestyles. Specifically, Joshua links outdoor activities and spring in Manhattan to a life that needs “more adventure” and “thrills”. He also chooses to link indoor places and winter to the picture of a life that is “limited”, “dying” and “misspent”. Light and dark are also used as a binary within this story. What shows the connection between the ideas described is how the author uses repetition and patterns to emphasize his most important details.
For each seasonal section, there is a progression from beginning to end within the season. Each season is compiled in a progressive nature with poetry describing the beginning of a season coming before poetry for the end of the season. This is clear for spring, which starts with, “fallen snow [that] lingers on” and concludes with a poet lamenting that “spring should take its leave” (McCullough 14, 39). The imagery progresses from the end of winter, with snow still lingering around to when the signs of spring are disappearing. Although each poem alone does not show much in terms of the time of the year, when put into the context of other poems a timeline emerges from one season to the next. Each poem is linked to another poem when it comes to the entire anthology. By having each poem put into the context of another, a sense of organization emerges within each section. Every poem contributes to the meaning of a group of poems. The images used are meant to evoke a specific point in each season from the snow to the blossoms to the falling of the blossoms. Since each poem stands alone and has no true plot they lack the significance than if they were put into th...
Dexter and Judy could have had a fairytale ending, but in the end both of their lives were lonely and depressing. Judy wanted Dexter, but not to fall in love with her. She wanted him because she knew she could have him and wanted to prove to herself that her beauty could get a man to do anything. She convinced a man to break off an engagement with a girl he could have been happy with. She didn’t even stick around Dexter long enough for him to even propose.
The concept of the American dream has been related to everything from religious freedom to a nice home in the suburbs. It has inspired both deep satisfaction and disillusioned fury. The phrase elicits for most Americans a country where good things can happen. However, for many Americans, the dream is simply unattainable. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Winter Dreams,” Dexter Green, a hardworking young man born into the middle class, becomes wrapped up in his pursuit to obtain wealth and status in his life. These thoughts and ideas represent Dexter’s fixation on his “winter dreams,” or, the idea of what the American Dream means to him: gaining enough wealth to eventually move up in social class and become somebody, someday. As Dexter attempts to work himself up the social ladder, he falls in love with Judy Jones, a shallow and selfish, rich woman. But to Dexter, Judy represents the very idea of the American Dream-- obtaining wealth and status. Dexter’s pursuit of Judy and essentially the American Dream becomes an obsession. In the end, Dexter is forced to accept the realization that his “winter dreams” are actually just empty wishes. By characterizing Judy as a superficial, materialistic woman, Fitzgerald criticizes the destructive nature of the American Dream.
Dexter had to keep himself from forgetting he cannot have Judy Jones. In the end of the story Dexter has come to a conclusion he could not have Judy, “When autumn had come and gone again, it occurred to him that he could not have Judy Jones. He had to beat this into his mind, but he convinced himself at last. He lay awake at night for a while and argued it over. He told himself the trouble and the pain she had caused him, he enumerated her glaring deficiencies as a wife”(p 974). While Dexter cared for Judy he felt that he need to forget her since he knew he could never really have her full attention. While he knew he could never have her he knew he could never have her he meet her again and falls for her all over again one last time and this time it was her that was convincing him to date once again. "I'm more beautiful than anybody else," she said brokenly, "why can't I be happy?" Her moist eyes tore at his stability--her mouth turned slowly downward with an exquisite sadness: "I'd like to marry you if you'll have me, Dexter. I suppose you think I'm not worth having, but I'll be so beautiful for you, Dexter"(p 977). While Dexter was not too sure how to feel he didn't know how to react to this, with Judy he
He lives a double life as a vigilante-serial killer type killing criminals guilty of heinous crime such as rape and murder, and are free from consequences of their actions. Dexter follows a strict code known as the code of Harry created by his father. These codes prevent Dexter from killing those that aren’t deserving. Producer Cerone uses Dexter's past to create a way for a viewer to become emotionally invested in the main character. Kayla Upadhyaya, a columnist for Michigan Daily (2013), believes that creators of shows like Dexter commonly force the character to push the envelope for their villainous ways and then creating a moment where the character switches to a more vulnerable and compassionate state. These states of vulnerability and compassion makes it easier for one to sympathize with Dexter. An example would be that in the first season, viewers learn that not only did Dexter witness his mother’s murder when he was very young, but he was stuck at the scene for many days before he was found. This emotional and traumatic moment not receives pity from viewers, but it shows what exactly may be a cause for Dexter’s character. Dexter eventually grows into man fascinated with blood and the urge to kill. With this code of Harry Morgan finds solace through the merciless killing of criminals. Even
Throughout the novel, the author shows Dexter’s need for killing others. For example, after he kills the priest, he declares, “Killing makes me feel good. I enjoy my work”(14). The author uses this example to make audiences question Dexter amusement to murder others. Because murdering others is inhuman, most people may look down upon Dexter because of the influences of religion and education. This may suggest that Lindsay wants to stress how people in today’s society gives assumptions too quickly when people value certain matters differently. It indicates that people do have different opinions throughout society, but people may feel conflicted when it is against their morals and ethics. Also, another reason why Lindsay categorizes Dexter as the protagonist to show how having good intentions and being loyal toward loved ones is most important. At the end of the novel, when Dexter has the option to kill Deborah, he is conflicted of the Code of Harry. The Code of Harry makes Dexter kill only the notorious people in his point of view. Afterwards, he is loyal to Harry’s code of law and does not choose to kill his sister (278). When Dexter follows the code, it proves how Dexter is loyal to only killing the “bad guys” and has good intention. Lindsay’s purpose could show how being loyal toward family members is an important value that modern society should follow. Therefore, the author’s purpose is to show how people in society have different values and intentions toward different matters. Also, people’s loyalty toward loved ones can determine their actions in
If you read through the story you will see that he explains he quit because of her behavior the first time they met, he didn’t really want to surround himself around her. Dexter rather of quit being a caddy just so he could avoid her. And all the times he ran into her it was never on purpose. It was never his intention to run into her, it was always on accidents, for example, when he took the guest pass to play golf and she ended up being there or the time he went swimming in the lake and she came up and splashed him with water simply because, she wanted him to drive her boat so she could ride her surfboard on the back. Dexter does not really realize how his feelings have changed until the end of the story when the man is talking to him about Judy and how she does not look the way she used to after she got married and had children. At the end of the story he says "Long ago," he said, "long ago, there was something in me, but now that thing is gone. Now that thing is gone, that thing is gone. I cannot cry. I cannot care. That thing will come back no more." neatherless, the ending of the short story just goes to prove he does not care for Judy, that he has not felt something for her for