F. Scott Fitzgerald 's Winter Dreams

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story, “Winter Dreams,” ambitious, “desirous” Dexter stands at the threshold between admiring “glittering things” and finding out that the “glittering things” he admires fade away sooner or later. Dexter‘s character throughout this short story, changes in many ways, from being unaware of what he really wanted in life to being aware of what he actually became.

In “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” the narrator describes the importance of the cafe compared to all the other places that are open to convey the idea of loneliness and despair. Through the use of imagery, symbolism, point of view and, allegory Ernest Hemingway establishes a connection between the older waiter and the deaf guy, as he illustrates the significance the well-lit cafe brings to their lonely night. As the waiters discuss their thoughts on being open so late, the older waiter claims to be one of those who enjoy the aura of the cafe being open so late compared to other places. “With all those who do not want to go to bed. With all those who need a light for the night.“ The role the cafe plays to diminish loneliness and despair does not go unrecognized by the older waiter and deaf guy who find their escape in that clean well-lit cafe. Loneliness screams louder at night for those who walk through it by themselves. They look to find comfort in a well-lit place with a calm and pleasant aura. The feeling displayed between the old deaf man and older waiter does not register with the younger waiter who does not understand the search of finding peace found in the cafe. The younger waiter has a wife to go home to as the older deaf man and older waiter have nothing and that is their escape from their dark loneliness, the cafe. Since it is clear that Ernest Hemingway has established that the old deaf man

The similarities between Dexter and Gatsby are why “Winter Dreams” is a prototype of The Great Gatsby. In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby is a man that is born into a poor family but gets rich through illegal work, which is similar to Dexter in “Winter Dreams”, who is also poor at first but then gets rich through a laundry company. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald writes about Gatsby’s becoming by explaining that his parents are unsuccessful farm people that he does not see as a parents and he leaves to lead a new life as a rich man (Fitzgerald 98). Gatsby starts off as a poor man who wants to be someone else. He creates a better version of himself , a version that is not dragged down by poverty. Gatsby wants to be a successful person in life and changing his identity to break away from his lower class lifestyle was his way to do it. Later on, Gatsby uses this to become rich and get back with Daisy. In “Winter Dreams”, Dexters main dreams are to be successful and get Judy. His motivation for quitting his caddy job and starting his laundry company is to gain money, and in turn, win over Judy. Both men are influenced by women and their desperation to get them as well as their desire to be more than what class they were born into. Although the characters are very similar they show differences in how Dexter views his relationship with Judy and how Gatsby perceives his relationship with Daisy. In “Winter Dreams” Fitzgerald shows the two characters differences by writing “The dream was gone [...] ‘long ago, there was something in me, but now that thing

Fitzgerald “Winter Dreams” The entire tone of ‘Winter Dreams’ was nostalgic and wistful. His past memories permeated throughout the story. Dexter tried very hard to forget his humble beginnings. He was on a mission to disregard the recollections of his immigrant mother, and grocer father.

The younger waiter believes he has “no regard for those who have to work.” On the contrary the older waiter also doesn’t belong to a family and attempts to explain “he stays up because he likes it” “it’s clean and well lighted” the light acting as a metaphorical parallel to the comfort the café offers in his otherwise dark life. Seeing as the older waiter understands him he does his best to make the customer feel he belongs and build a relationship with him. He realises that not everyone shares the same perspective realising “it’s not only a question of youth” but in this case a question of lack of relationships allowing sympathy and explaining his actions.

Sadness, frustration, or discontent, however it’s put, there is an obvious difference with the characters in, “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” by Ernest Hemingway, and their ideas of mortality and old age. The short story shows the concept of “nothingness,” displayed through a very depressing view on life. This suggesting that all people, even those who are happy and content, will eventually end up lonely, drunk, or unhappy. By allowing a reader to view this from three diverse perspectives, Hemingway is able to render how someone’s attitude of their own life can go from one extreme to another. Allowing suicide as a final option to surface for some.

In the books Of Mice and Men and The Great Gatsby, and the short story “Winter Dreams”, John Steinbeck and F. Scott Fitzgerald talk about hope and dreams. In “Winter Dreams” Dexter has many dreams that he pursues that keep him going in life. He dreams of being with his idea of a perfect girl, Judy Jones. She manipulates his feelings over and over again, but he does not change his dream of being with her. In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby has the same dream, except with Daisy. This dream of being with Daisy is so great that he bases five whole years of his life to become better for her. Gatsby becomes rich, throws huge parties, and pushes to become successful just for her. His biggest motivation for his dream is the green light that comes from her

Imagine having everything possible in life. Poof! It is gone. That is the basis of a classic tale written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, having everything at once, then watching it slip. “Winter Dreams” was published in Metropolitan Magazine in 1926. Most know of F. Scott Fitzgerald for his work “The Great Gatsby” but every novel has a muse! Winter Dreams was written as almost a rough draft for The Great Gatsby. They share a common theme like most of his work such as reality versus realism and the fall of the American dream. Fitzgerald loves to write about the classic love story of a poor boy falling in love with a rich girl, as its shown when Dexter falls in love with Judy. This short story shows the characteristics of Dexter, Judy and their questionable relationship. It also illustrates the symbolism of changing seasons and depicting colors. Finally, this short story gives a theme of reality vs realism. F. Scott Fitzgerald in “Winter Dreams” summarizes sometimes no matter how hard

F. Scott Fitzgerald's works, the novel The Great Gatsby and the story “Winter Dreams” illustrates that the main characters Jay Gatsby and Dexter Green both face challenges in achieving the American Dream because of sacrifices to gain wealth and status; this theme is clearly revealed through the pursue to erase their lower-class beginnings and revitalize a treasured romance.

Short stories have fully developed themes but appear significantly shorter and less elaborate than novels. A similar theme found in short stories “Winter Dreams” written by Scott F. Fitzgerald and “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner included the social and environmental influences that encouraged and controlled the character’s life and decisions. In “Winter Dreams”, the main protagonist-- Dexter-- fell into a fixation over a young, whimsical blueblood, Judy Jones. His obsession led him to believe that Judy Jones reciprocated his feelings for her, leaving him bare and mortal-- despite prior beliefs. Following her father’s death, Miss Emily fell into a dark obscurity due to the pressure and compulsion of having to carry on the honorable family name. While using a unique point of view (first person peripheral), “A Rose for Emily” followed a mysterious and desirable woman named Miss Emily as her hometown tried to understand her peculiar ways and began to find her disgraceful. By comparing and contrasting these two literary pieces, a similar organization-- including the writers’ purpose and themes-- should become clear. By using literary devices-- such as point of view, dramatic irony, detail, and figurative language-- Scott F. Fitzgerald and William Faulkner conducted two short stories similar in aim and reasoning, probable for contrasting and comparing elements within the parallel writings.

F. Scott Fitzgerald was an american author with several breathtaking novels and short stories. Among his most well known pieces of literature is The Great Gatsby which is a about a rich man who is in love with a married woman. “Winter Dreams” is also another piece of literature that Fitzgerald wrote. “Winter Dreams” is about a man's dream of becoming wealthy and dream of marrying the woman he loves. These two pieces of literature are very similar in various aspects that are noticeable as the reader compares the two. The constant mention of the desire of love and the desire for luxury demonstrates that these two things are not always the key to a happy life.

The short story “Winter Dreams” was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and was first seen by anyone in December of 1922 when it appeared in Metropolitan Magazine. The story also illustrates many of the same themes as “The Great Gatsby,” the greatest novel in American history. “Winter Dreams” is about a young man named “Dexter” who has desires, but thinks the only way he can have them is if he is rich. His ambition gets the best of him when he strives for everything he cannot have. When unmasked to reality, your dreams can expire instantaneously.

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place is my favorite Hemingway story, so I wrote a parody mocking Hemingway’s masterful dialogue in the piece and other Hemingway characteristics. I took a careful look at the story and remembered a quote by Hemingway describing his writing process at a café in France. The quote reads “It was a pleasant cafe, warm and clean and friendly, and I hung up my old water-proof on the coat rack to dry and put my worn and weathered felt hat on the rack above the bench and ordered a cafe au lait. The waiter brought it and I took out a notebook from the pocket of the coat and a pencil and started to write”. This quote inspired the old man in my parody to be Hemingway at his favorite café engaged in his writing process. The story of my parody is essentially a story of an elderly Hemingway seated late in his favorite cafe writing while the two waiters gather the courage to ask him to leave.

In the story “A Clean, Well- Lighted Place” by Earnest Hemingway begins with the main character and his co-worker in a café. The two are analyzing, and discussing a deaf, drunk Oldman, who is their last customer of the day. As the deaf old man insists on having more whiskey, the main character informs the young waiter as to why and how the old man tried to commit suicide. They began to converse about the Oldman’s depressed life. The younger waiter is in a rush to go home to his wife, while the older waiter is patient and he stands up for the Oldman, being able to relate to him. Hemingway’s sentence structure and writing style represents the comparison and contrast between setting, people, and objects, along with emphasizing how it is to have and be nothing.

      Hemingway's second portrayal of symbolism that a reader may distinguish is the café itself.  The café represents a sanctuary of the evilness of the world.  The namesake of the short story is a clue for the reader to see that the café would represent some form of an asylum not only from the elements of nature, but also safety from evil.  An example of the usefulness of this sanctuary is how the deaf old man uses the café as a safe-haven to be to himself after the incident where he almost succeeded in committing suicide and enjoys the comfort the café gives.  The old waiter represents in the café the kindness and caring that the café should provide; whereas the younger waiter is more of a materialistic character.  He clearly displays shallowness and selfishness.  Arthur Waldhorn writes that the older waiter helps keep the light on a little longer at the café for those, who like himself, 'do not want to go to bed.' (P 28)  The younger waiter is a protagonist in attitude of the older waiter.  The philosophy of Nihilism is brought into this theme when the older man recites the Lord's Prayer but substitutes the word "nada" for every noun in it.  Nihilism is brought onto a larger scale because it is very evident that there is nothing to believe in, even as a