Question

Analyze the theme of disillusionment in Fitzgerald’s "Winter Dreams."

Answer 1

Answer:

Dexter’s “winter dreams” embody the American dream of gaining material success and making a place in society, no matter what one’s social or financial background. Even when Dexter realizes his dream, it doesn’t give him any happiness.

He became a golf champion and defeated Mr. T. A. Hedrick in a marvellous match played a hundred times over the fairways of his imagination, a match each detail of which he changed about untiringly—sometimes he won with almost laughable ease, sometimes he came up magnificently from behind. Again, stepping from a Pierce-Arrow automobile, like Mr. Mortimer Jones, he strolled frigidly into the lounge of the Sherry Island Golf Club—or perhaps, surrounded by an admiring crowd, he gave an exhibition of fancy diving from the spring-board of the club raft. . . .

Dexter also wants to be rich because he wants to prove himself worthy of Judy Jones, who ultimately breaks his heart. The theme of disillusionment is highlighted by Dexter’s loss of love and the fact that he can never have Judy. Dexter’s disillusionment with love is symbolic of the disillusionment with the American dream:

No disillusion as to the world in which she had grown up could cure his illusion as to her desirability.

Dexter was at bottom hard-minded. . . . He was completely indifferent to popular opinion. Nor, when he had seen that it was no use, that he did not possess in himself the power to move fundamentally or to hold Judy Jones, did he bear any malice toward her. He loved her, and he would love her until the day he was too old for loving—but he could not have her. So he tasted the deep pain that is reserved only for the strong, just as he had tasted for a little while the deep happiness.

Explanation:

From- Plato

Answer 2

Winter Dreams" just like The Great Gatsby is one of Fitzgerald's diatribes against the Old Money class in American society and its seeming false offer of equality to those who believe in the American Dream. In the story, Dexter observes the wealthy golfers for whom he caddies and believes that if he works hard enough, he can one day be just like them.  He envisions scenes where he drives up in luxurious cars and the wealthy surround him simply to listen to him speak.

Dexter does work hard and becomes wealthy, but once he makes it to the top, he realizes that the dream has become corrupted (just like Daisy is the corrupted version of Gatsby's dream and can never live up to his expectations).

Both of these works present Fitzgerald's frustration with his own life and attempts to achieve the American Dream.  He, like Dexter and Gatsby, became interested in a wealthy socialite (Zelda) and was looked down upon by her social class and family.  When he finally did win Zelda and marry her, he endured a tumultuous relationship with her where their wealth was unstable and their faithfulness to one another questionable.  He believed (as he demonstrates in "Winter Dream") that the Old Money portion of society corrupts the moral, decent Midwesterner.