Winter Dreams

Summary, Characters, Etc.

• This story follows the love life of Dexter Green, a young, successful man
• from Black Bear, Minnesota. He falls in love with Judy Jones, a beautiful,
• rich young lady who grew up in the same town as his. As they began to get
• further into their relationship, however, Dexter begins to see a consistent
• flaw in Judy...

Summary, Characters, Etc.

• Dexter realizes that he is merely "one of a varying dozen who [circulate]  
• about  her." Judy is very foolish and shallow, skipping along from one date
• another, while somehow still holding onto all of her previous dates. The 
• men seemed to be entranced by her looks, as "whenever one showed 
• signs of dropping out through long neglect, she granted them a brief...

Summary, Characters, Etc.

• ...honeyed hour, which encouraged them to tag along for another year or
• so." Dexter also falls for her sneaky, immoral plan, but later becomes 
• engaged to another girl after Judy repeatedly brings him "ecstatic    
• happiness and intolerable agony of spirit." Suddenly, just as Dexter is 
• about to announce his engagement, Judy comes back and entrances him.

Summary, Characters, Etc.

• The story leaves Dexter in misery and pain after he discovers that Judy
• has become married to another man. He mourns over the loss of his dream 
•  that he once possessed, knowing now he will never be able to have Judy
• with him now as he did in the past.  

Relation to The Great Gatsby

• This story seems to relate to The Great Gatsby in many ways.
• First of all, Dexter met Judy Jones on a golf course, which reminded me
• Jordan Baker and her love for golfing in The Great Gatsby. Secondly, Dexter
• cannot move on from Judy Jones, desperately desiring to have her as his
• throughout the story, just as Gatsby was so intent on getting Daisy.       

In the end, the difference between The Great Gatsby and Winter Dreams was that when it became necessary, Dexter released his grip on his past with Judy, while Gatsby refused to let go of Daisy...