Essay: Winter Dreams by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Winter Dreams was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This is a very interesting short story that successfully portray the internal conflict, motivation, and meaningful and descriptive dialogue. The main character is called Dexter Green, whose father owns the “second-best grocery-store in Black Bear.” He was a caddy at the Sherry Island Golf Club in Black Bear, Minnesota. Dexter’s main goal is to become fabulously wealthy and improve his social middle-class. He wants all of the grace and beauty that seems to go along with extreme wealth. However, when he became successful, he realizes his dream dies. Dexter describes the winter as, “profoundly melancholy, hunted by ragged sparrows for the long season. “Winter” symbols the collapsed of Dexter’s Winter Dreams. F. Scott Fitzgerald successfully wrote Winter Dreams by using literary devices such as simile, symbol, and contradiction.
Fitzgerald uses similes throughout “Winter Dreams,” most at the first part of the story. He used simile to clarify the huge difference between Dexter and Judy. Dexter is the son of a grocer. Dexter is born in middle-class. Fitzgerald used similes “poor as sin” to describe other caddies to show the difference between Dexter and other normal poor caddies. Dexter lived in mid-west, which Fitzgerald used simile “ In the fall when the days became crisp and gray , and long Minnesota winter shut down like the White lid of a box. (Fitzgerald 230)” Fitzgerald describe Minnesota as a box, which gives the reader of the picture of how strong the snow is in the winter at Minnesota. Judy is born from a wealthy family. Dexter was very inspired by Judy. He wishes to have the wealthy of Judy. He also wants to be part of Judy’s beauty. Fitzgerald used simile to described Judy’s beauty. ‘The color in her cheeks was cantered like the color in a pictured-it was not a “high” color, but a sort of fluctuating and feverish warmth, so shaded that it seemed at any moment it would recede and disappear.(Fitzgerald 236)” The color in her checks is compared to the color of the paint. Fitzgerald used a further deep description of color, “Not a high color” and “seemed at any moment it would recede and disappear” didn’t give the reader a clear picture, but instead it gives imagination. Fitzgerald creative way using simile had broken the traditional rule of using simile. Dexter had seen Judy as a picture through the whole time. Not only physical appearance but also the internal feelings too. Dexter believe Judy was beautiful, but just like a painting. Dexter believed he could purchase her by gaining wealth and admire her as a painting at home. Later on from the story, Dexter became one of the top social-class. However, his truthful feelings towards Judy didn’t match the winter dreams he had been thinking when he was a young caddy. Fitzgerald’s usage of simile had played an important role to portray dramatic feelings throughout the context.
“Winter Dreams” has symbol how the story would become. The season “winter” may seem to be cold and melancholy. Winter isn’t just a short period of physical cold. It symbols Dexter’s feeling. At the end of the story, the winter becomes permeant. He became success and wealthy, but his love with Judy was gone forever, his winter dream had died. The boat in the story also played a significant role in the story. The boat in the golf club first symbol luxuries of living life. However, it also indicates how an empty luxury life could have led to indulgence. It also symbols some dramatic moment. Judy and Dexter solitary sitting on the boat and watching the view in the middle of a lake. He was dreaming of the wonderful future he would have with Judy. However, the motor of the boat has overpowered and Judy almost fell out from the lake .This also foreshadows what would happen between Judy and Dexter later on of the story. From Judy’s view, the boat symbols as an escape from reality. In the last of the story, Judy became tired of man. Judy always hops on the boat and escape. The boat not only symbols escape from reality, but also escape from responsibility for her actions. Symbolism from the first part of story has foreshadowed important events that would occur later in the story.
Fitzgerald used the literary device “contradiction” to make the story unpredictable. First, Dexter’s feelings toward Judy had been contradicting himself for most of the time. Dexter said,” I had no desire to change her. Her deficiencies were knit up with a passionate energy that transcended and justified them” (Fitzgerald, 242). At their first date, he expected her to wear a formal dress. Instead, “she wore a blue silk afternoon dress”, and called the maid’s name instead of calling “maid”. Dexter realized Judy doesn’t meet his expectations for night. He contradicts himself of liking the perfect Judy but also feeling she is not as perfect as he thought. Dexter still treated Judy very well. However, Judy told Dexter she wasn’t satisfaction when they were together. When Dexter was ready to engage with another girl called Irene Scheerer, Judy returns and tells Dexter she wants to marry him. Judy didn’t only contradict herself but also hurts others feeling. Dexter knew Judy treated him bad. Dexter believed Irene is a more appropriate choice as a wife and mother for children. At the beginning of the story, Dexter was happy and hopeful of his future. However, at the end of the story, he was sad and wealthy. At the first part of the story, Judy has a lot of followers, but she ends up with a not so great man. Moreover, one part of the story, Judy said she wanted to marry Dexter, but instead she married someone else when Dexter leaves the war. Both characters end up in a sad way. Contradiction portrays the difference between reality and expectations.
With the use of simile, symbolism, and contradiction, Fitzgerald successfully describe how Dexter approach to his winter dreams. The reader was able to picture the full story in his or her mind. Although Judy has lost her beauty as her age grows, Dexter still can’t totally give up on her. The bond between them is always lying there, showing the memories they have been through. The entire book is an incredible journey for both Dexter and Judy.