Study Questions – “Winter Dreams”
1. This work is filled with beautiful similes and metaphors beginning on the first page (“the long Minnesota
winter shut down like the white lid of a box”)…pay attention to them.
2. What evidence is there that Dexter is aware of his own social class? Provide at least three specific
examples.
3. What, exactly, are his winter dreams? Explain.
4. After quitting his job as a caddy, the narrator tells us that “the enormity of his decision frightened him.”
Explain this comment.
5. How does Judy function in the story? Explain, providing examples from the text. Perhaps focus on Dexter’s
comments about her, the narrator’s commentary, and her own actions/voice throughout the text.
6. Explain how the narrative voice functions in this text. Look through the text and find examples of the
narrator’s voice and notice how he/she is speaking to us, the reader. What affect does this have and why
does Fitzgerald include or write the narrator this way?
7. On page 852, Dexter refers to Judy using a series of metaphors: “He knew that Irene would be no more than
a curtain spread behind him, a hand moving among gleaming tea-cups, a voice calling to children...” What
do these metaphors suggest about how Dexter views Judy?
8. Explain what makes Dexter cry at the end of the story.
9. Explain the role that dreams played in Dexter’s life and the way that the loss of these dreams has affected
him (not the fact that he cried, but affected his views about life/existence, etc.). Pay special attention to the
last page and Dexter’s closing comments here.
10. Is Dexter a static or dynamic character? How about Judy Jones? How do you know? Explain.
11. How is this work essentially Modernist? You need to actually refer back to your intro notes here and explain
this answer using the information there…what ideals did the Modernists attack? Why is Fitzgerald’s work
considered Modernist?
Study Questions – “Winter Dreams”
1. This work is filled with beautiful similes and metaphors beginning on the first page (“the long Minnesota
winter shut down like the white lid of a box”)…pay attention to them.
2. What evidence is there that Dexter is aware of his own social class? Provide at least three specific
examples.
3. What, exactly, are his winter dreams? Explain.
4. After quitting his job as a caddy, the narrator tells us that “the enormity of his decision frightened him.”
Explain this comment.
5. How does Judy function in the story? Explain, providing examples from the text. Perhaps focus on Dexter’s
comments about her, the narrator’s commentary, and her own actions/voice throughout the text.
6. Explain how the narrative voice functions in this text. Look through the text and find examples of the
narrator’s voice and notice how he/she is speaking to us, the reader. What affect does this have and why
does Fitzgerald include or write the narrator this way?
7. On page 852, Dexter refers to Judy using a series of metaphors: “He knew that Irene would be no more than
a curtain spread behind him, a hand moving among gleaming tea-cups, a voice calling to children...” What
do these metaphors suggest about how Dexter views Judy?
8. Explain what makes Dexter cry at the end of the story.
9. Explain the role that dreams played in Dexter’s life and the way that the loss of these dreams has affected
him (not the fact that he cried, but affected his views about life/existence, etc.). Pay special attention to the
last page and Dexter’s closing comments here.
10. Is Dexter a static or dynamic character? How about Judy Jones? How do you know? Explain.
11. How is this work essentially Modernist? You need to actually refer back to your intro notes here and explain
this answer using the information there…what ideals did the Modernists attack? Why is Fitzgerald’s work
considered Modernist?
