Analysis of a Key Character in “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
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Analysis of a Key Character in “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Winter Dreams is a story about a young American boy known as Dexter Green whose
dream is to become rich. Dexter Green is a young boy from a very humble background. His
mother was an immigrant who continuously strained to adopt the language of the foreign land.
His father owned a grocery in their neighborhood. Dexter had a dream of not just having an
association with the rich and elite people but being one of the rich and elites. He ended up being
rich and elite but later realized that this did not bring the satisfaction and happiness that he had
always wanted. This paper analyses some of the conflicts between the desires of Dexter Green
and his ethical responsibility.
According to the novel, it is clear that Dexter is motivated to prove his worth by
achieving success and prestige. However, he also objects to his attempts to transcend his humble
beginnings by mindlessly pursuing wealth and sophistication. Due to his mindset of neither
accepting nor rejecting his middle-class upbringing, Dexter becomes the obstacle that stands
between him and the satisfaction he seeks for himself. Dexter can't solve this central identity
crisis on his own. Being accepted as a guest at the country club, Dexter feels like an outsider and
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superior to the business captains, whom he finds boring and inept. Dexter's complex history with
Judy reflects his inherent duality. Even if he tries to convince himself otherwise, he will always
feel an intense desire for her. This desire for Judy made Dexter to be caught between his ethical
responsibilities and the desire to achieve his American dream.
It is evident that Dexter puts obstacles in his own way whenever he wants to indulge in
some self-pleasure. As he is terrified of committing to anyone, he chooses to live alone and on
the cusp of a life of partying and bachelorhood. He always wanted to be financially secure, but
now that he is, he feels isolated from society because he had to put in so much effort to get where
he is. He believes that he bought rather than earned his current position. The satisfaction he
derives from being the wealthiest young man in the upper Midwest motivates him to pursue
unrealistic goals, such as acquiring Judy Jones. Due to his inability to empathize, he often mixes
his personal and professional lives together. Money and love are inseparable in his mind.
Dexter's need to be perfect ends up being the biggest obstacle to his happiness. Even though he
knows Judy is fallible and human, he still considers her to be the ideal partner. Dexter's hopes
and expectations are finally dashed as she transforms into a modest housewife.
Dexter's obsession with becoming upper class and his decision to forego business school
are just two examples of the many decisions in his life that he attributes to his winter dreams.
According to Dexter, he did not just want to be associated with the upper class and elite, he
wanted to be one of them. "He wanted the glittery things themselves, not association with
glittering things and glittering people." (Fitzgerald 7). This statement helps to tell the story of
Dexter's aspiration to join the elite. Dexter sees in Judy the aspirational social group he has
always yearned to join. When he returns to the golf course as a college student to play with the
men he once caddied for, he runs into Judy Jones, who has matured into a more attractive and
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desirable version of herself. Dexter's ascent in society and pursuit of the authority he desperately
desires are reflected in the fact that he was invited back to perform at the Black Bear Lake Club.
However, after acquiring this power, he realized that it wasn't everything he needed to feel
complete. His aspirations for superiority and prestige led him to pursue and long for a girl who
was already seeing a number of other men. Dexter learns this when he discovers that Judy has
dated about twelve guys on repeat, giving no one a distinct advantage.
The way Dexter reacted to the news that Judy was married and living the life of a
housewife was indicative of how he viewed the American Dream. "The dream was gone"
(Fitzgerald 27). This shows how devastated Dexter is to learn that Judy has finally settled down
and lost her attractive beauty. He can't accept the news, and it hurts him deeply. This implies that
the modernist ideal of the American Dream held by Dexter is unattainable. It's obvious that most
people, including young Dexter, think that the American Dream is all about getting rich and
famous. In the wake of this shocking information, Dexter realizes that his childhood dream of
joining the affluent elite was never more than an illusion. Judy Jones was always his ultimate
goal, but he confused his pursuit of wealth with his feelings for her.
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Works Cited
Berke, Amy, et al. "Writing the Nation." (2015).
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald. New York: Simon and Schuster,
1989. Print.
Syawalia, Er Maula, et al.
AMERICAN DREAM OF DEXTER GREEN IN “WINTER DREAMS”
BY F. SCOTT FITZGERALD
. Diss. Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya, 2015.