American Dreams
(A Critique on Winter Dreams)
The short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Winter Dreams) can be thought of as almost a review on the idea of the American Dream. This idea that a person’s success is dependant on his or her efforts rather than factors such as class or race is a common notion among Americans. The main character of Winter Dreams, Dexter, experiences this ‘dream’ in an unexpected way, sort of with a twist to it. He shares this common american dream, and achieves his goals but finds in the end not what he was looking for. Fitzgerald's Winter Dream expresses the idea that if you work hard you can be successful, yet it is also shown that material things don't last, and happiness is not found in the things you can obtain. …show more content…
In Dexter's case, this does not mean money. Dexter had the money and the material things, but what he did not have was a beautiful arm piece. He had no gorgeous gal, or beautiful babe, to hang on to him. What he lacked was a beautiful woman, until Judy Jones showed up. She, to put it shortly, played him and used him along with several other men. She showed to him that things are only temporary, which made Dexter want her even more. He already had most of his glittering things, but there was just one last thing that wouldn't conform to be his, that only stayed as merely an association. “-- and sometimes he ran up against the mysterious denials and prohibitions in which life indulges. It is with one of those denials and not with his career as a whole that this story deals.” Not being content with what he has will be Dexter's fatal flaw, his hamartia, his ultimate downfall. The ‘glittering’ object of Judy Jones was beautiful when he knew her to be young and scandalous, but after she leaves him and marries another she loses her luster. This is the ultimate downfall of Dexter. When he realizes that Judy is no longer a prize to be won, and never really was. That she was eventually going to lose her shine and glitter. His dream is gone. As Hochschild tells us, “Most Americans celebrate it unthinkingly, along with apple pie and motherhood; criticism typically is limited to …show more content…
This short story gives the notion that success isn't nearly everything we need. The material things, the superficial, do not last. Things like money and beauty fade away. As an old Cree Proverb states, “Only when the last tree has died, and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught, will we realize that we cannot eat money.” When Dexter realizes that Judy has lost her beauty and exuberance, he is lost. His dream was taken from him. This short story portrays an image and a message. Yes, you can be successful in all the right ways and have all the glittering things in life. But what will you do when those things run out? When beauty fades, and banks fail? Is seeking the American dream worth it? Is to be successful, to be happy? “Finally, mere wealth may actually impede true success, the attainment of which require a long list of virtues.” (Kasser) That is to say, is success bound entirely to monetary attainment, or is real success found not in the glittering things of
(A Critique on Winter Dreams)
The short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Winter Dreams) can be thought of as almost a review on the idea of the American Dream. This idea that a person’s success is dependant on his or her efforts rather than factors such as class or race is a common notion among Americans. The main character of Winter Dreams, Dexter, experiences this ‘dream’ in an unexpected way, sort of with a twist to it. He shares this common american dream, and achieves his goals but finds in the end not what he was looking for. Fitzgerald's Winter Dream expresses the idea that if you work hard you can be successful, yet it is also shown that material things don't last, and happiness is not found in the things you can obtain. …show more content…
In Dexter's case, this does not mean money. Dexter had the money and the material things, but what he did not have was a beautiful arm piece. He had no gorgeous gal, or beautiful babe, to hang on to him. What he lacked was a beautiful woman, until Judy Jones showed up. She, to put it shortly, played him and used him along with several other men. She showed to him that things are only temporary, which made Dexter want her even more. He already had most of his glittering things, but there was just one last thing that wouldn't conform to be his, that only stayed as merely an association. “-- and sometimes he ran up against the mysterious denials and prohibitions in which life indulges. It is with one of those denials and not with his career as a whole that this story deals.” Not being content with what he has will be Dexter's fatal flaw, his hamartia, his ultimate downfall. The ‘glittering’ object of Judy Jones was beautiful when he knew her to be young and scandalous, but after she leaves him and marries another she loses her luster. This is the ultimate downfall of Dexter. When he realizes that Judy is no longer a prize to be won, and never really was. That she was eventually going to lose her shine and glitter. His dream is gone. As Hochschild tells us, “Most Americans celebrate it unthinkingly, along with apple pie and motherhood; criticism typically is limited to …show more content…
This short story gives the notion that success isn't nearly everything we need. The material things, the superficial, do not last. Things like money and beauty fade away. As an old Cree Proverb states, “Only when the last tree has died, and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught, will we realize that we cannot eat money.” When Dexter realizes that Judy has lost her beauty and exuberance, he is lost. His dream was taken from him. This short story portrays an image and a message. Yes, you can be successful in all the right ways and have all the glittering things in life. But what will you do when those things run out? When beauty fades, and banks fail? Is seeking the American dream worth it? Is to be successful, to be happy? “Finally, mere wealth may actually impede true success, the attainment of which require a long list of virtues.” (Kasser) That is to say, is success bound entirely to monetary attainment, or is real success found not in the glittering things of