Disillusionment of the American Dream

While reading Winter Dreams, I was thinking about Dexter's pursuit of the American Dream and the eventual disillusionment of that dream. At the beginning of part II, Fitzgerald says that, “Often he (Dexter) reached out for the best without knowing why he wanted it.” I think that the idea of the American Dream was deeply engrained in Dexter’s mind. Coming from a middle class background but seeing all of the wealthy people around him at work made him long for riches even more. A combination of the American Dream and his surroundings made Dexter want more in his life. While Dexter does obtain riches and does better for himself, his dream is still not fulfilled. Judy Jones seemed to be a symbol of the unattainability of the American Dream. She starts out as a great beauty and ends as “all right.” Devlin says “’Lots of women fade just like that,’ Devlin snapped his fingers” (Fitzgerald). Just as beauty fades in the blink of an eye, the beautiful things that one acquires fade as well. Dexter’s “Dream was gone” (Fitzgerald). He tries to bring back the images of his past that led him to where he is today but he is unable to recall them, much like Judy is unable to recall her beauty. Fitzgerald uses Judy to show the futility of obtaining material possessions or beauty. There are more important things in life like love and family. Devlin assumes that Judy loves her husband and she stays home with her kids, no longer caring about her beauty. Dexter can’t see that Judy could be happy with her new life, but rather is extremely disappointed that his dreamlike view of life is now disillusioned.