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“Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Reading Warm-up A
Read the following passage. Pay special attention to the underlined words. Then, read it again,
and complete the activities. Use a separate sheet of paper for your written answers.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most famous novel, The Great
Gatsby, is now regarded as an American classic. Jay
Gatsby, the book’s central character, is a fascinating
figure. On one level, he is offensive and even obnoxious.
It is implied, for example, that he has made his vast
fortune in shady, maybe even illegal, business deals.
Gatsby’s showy, extravagant parties reveal him as somewhat insincere and hypocritical. He is no more interested
in the crowds of socialites and exploiters he invites to his
mansion than they are interested in him. Gatsby is
catering to his guests as a means of impressing Daisy
Buchanan, the lost love he hopes to win back. This goal,
in Gatsby’s mind, has justified all the attention and
expense he lavishes on the partygoers congregating regularly on his splendid veranda and manicured lawns.
During much of The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald strongly
criticizes the shallowness and moral bankruptcy of
American life in the Jazz Age. Yet it is not irrelevant to
note that, at the same time, Fitzgerald’s novel combines
satire and irony with a profound streak of humanity.
Slowly and almost imperceptibly, for example, Gatsby
himself becomes a somewhat sympathetic figure. We
begin to see him as a victim of his own illusions. He is
involuntarily struggling in a trap that he has misidentified as the American Dream. Toward the end of the book,
Gatsby’s funeral is attended only by his father and one
former guest. It is impossible not to feel sorry for him.
1. Underline the words in this
and the next sentence that
give a clue to the meaning of
obnoxious. Use the word
obnoxious in a sentence.
2. Circle the word in this sentence that hints at the meaning of insincere. What are
two antonyms for insincere?
3. Underline the words in this
sentence that give a clue to
the meaning of catering. Use
catering in a sentence.
4. Underline the words in this sentence that hint at the meaning
of justified. What is a synonym
for justified in this context?
5. Circle the words in this sentence that offer a clue to the
meaning of veranda. Write a
sentence describing a real or
imaginary veranda.
6. Underline the words in this sentence that give a clue to the
meaning of irrelevant. What is
an antonym for irrelevant?
7. Circle the words in this sentence that give a clue to
the meaning of the word
imperceptibly. What is an
antonym for imperceptibly?
8. Underline the word in this
sentence that gives a clue to
the meaning of involuntarily.
What is a synonym for the
word involuntarily?
Unit 4 Resources: Disillusion, Defiance, and Discontent
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Name
Date
“Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Literary Analysis: Characterization
Characterization is the revelation of characters’ personalities throughout a story. Just like
you, characters are partly shaped by the social influences of the historical period in which they
live. Fitzgerald’s characters reflect the post-World War I era in their perspectives on prosperity
and personal freedom.
DIRECTIONS: Read each excerpt from the selection and consider the effect that the social
influences had on the character. Then, with this in mind, write down what you learn about each
character.
1. Dexter: “He wanted not association with glittering things and glittering people—he wanted
the glittering things themselves.”
2. Dexter: “All about him rich men’s sons were peddling bonds precariously, or investing
patrimonies precariously, or plodding through the two dozen volumes of the ‘George
Washington Commercial Course,’ but Dexter borrowed a thousand dollars on his college
degree and his confident mouth, and bought a partnership in a laundry.”
3. Dexter: “So he signed his name one day on the register, and that afternoon played golf . . .
He did not consider it necessary to remark that he had once carried Mr. Hart’s bag over this
same link, and that he knew every trap and gully with his eyes shut—but he found himself
glancing at the four caddies who trailed them . . . ”
4. Judy: “But I’ve just had a horrible afternoon. There was a man I cared about, and this
afternoon he told me out of a clear sky that he was poor as a church mouse. He’d never
hinted it before.”
Unit 4 Resources: Disillusion, Defiance, and Discontent
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47
Name
Date
“Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Reading Strategy: Draw Inferences to Determine Meaning
When you read a story, you can draw inferences to determine meaning by combining
information from the story with your personal knowledge of human behavior. To draw inferences, you
often need to read between the lines to infer emotions and motivations that are not directly stated.
DIRECTIONS: Read each excerpt from “Winter Dreams.” Then, answer the question that follows.
1. As so frequently would be the case in the future, Dexter was unconsciously dictated to by
his winter dreams.
Does Dexter always plan his moves carefully and then follow them, or does he sometimes
behave impetuously?
2. “You hit me in the stomach!” declared Mr. Hedrick wildly. / “Did I?” [Judy] approached the
group of men. “I’m sorry. I yelled ‘Fore!’” / “. . . Here I am! I’d have gone on the green except
that I hit something.”
How does Judy probably feel about hitting Mr. Hedrick?
3. [Judy] wore a blue silk afternoon dress, and [Dexter] was disappointed at first that she had
not put on something more elaborate.
What does Judy’s behavior toward Dexter on their first date reveal about her?
4. [Dexter] had been born in Keeble, a Minnesota village fifty miles farther north, and he
always gave Keeble as his home instead of Black Bear Village. Country towns were well
enough to come from if they weren’t inconveniently in sight and used as footstools by
fashionable lakes.
How does Dexter probably feel about his background?
5. There was a pause. Then [Judy] smiled and the corners of her mouth drooped and an
almost imperceptible sway brought her closer to [Dexter], looking up into his eyes.
How does Judy use her physical attractiveness to her advantage?
Unit 4 Resources: Disillusion, Defiance, and Discontent
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48
Name
Date
“Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Grammar and Style: Subject-Verb Agreement Problems
Subject-verb agreement means that the subject in a sentence must agree with the verb in
number.
Example: Seasons that pass quickly are often the most precious.
Example: Either the piano or the guitars are out of tune.
Example: Everyone in the class thinks the poem is difficult.
A. PRACTICE: Circle the correct verb to go with the subject in each sentence.
1. Dexter (attend, attends) an expensive university back East.
2. The foursome (plan, plans) to play eighteen holes of golf.
3. The caddy that followed them (look, looks) bored.
4. A memory of long ago often (change, changes) our mood.
5. No one (is, are) more impatient than a young man who is in love.
B. Writing Application: Read each sentence. If the subject agrees with the verb, write
Correct; if it does not agree, write Incorrect. If the subject does not agree with the verb, rewrite
the sentence correctly.
1. First one caddy and then all the others asks to caddy for Mr. Hart.
2. Only four balls that were hit by the novice golfer was found.
3. Either the girl that plays golf is very good or she is very lucky.
4. There is many ways to succeed in life.
5. Dexter think too much before he makes a decision.
Unit 4 Resources: Disillusion, Defiance, and Discontent
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50
Name
Date
“Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Enrichment: Film
DIRECTIONS: Fitzgerald considered “Winter Dreams” a first draft for The Great Gatsby, a novel
he wrote in 1925. Obtain and watch a copy of the film version of The Great Gatsby. As you watch
the movie, consider the characters and plot in “Winter Dreams.” In the space below, write
comparisons of leading characters in, and the plots of, the story and the movie. Finally, discuss
whether “Winter Dreams” could be a first draft of The Great Gatsby. Support your opinion with
examples from both the story and the movie.
Compare and Contrast
1. Dexter Green and Jay Gatsby:
2. Judy Jones and Daisy Buchanan:
3. Plot of “Winter Dreams” and plot of The Great Gatsby:
Analyze
4. Fitzgerald considered “Winter Dreams” a first draft for The Great Gatsby. In my opinion,
Unit 4 Resources: Disillusion, Defiance, and Discontent
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Name
Date
“Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Selection Test A
Critical Reading Identify the letter of the choice that best answers the question.
1. How is the character of Dexter revealed when he says, “There aren’t any caddies
here except me” in “Winter Dreams”?
A. by the character’s thoughts
B. by the character’s actions
C. by the character’s words
D. by a description of the character
2. What effect does Judy’s changing personality have on Dexter in “Winter
Dreams”?
A. It makes him forget about her.
B. It makes him work harder.
C. It makes him fascinated with her.
D. It makes him think she is ill.
3. In “Winter Dreams,” how is the character of Dexter revealed when the writer
says that he was a favorite caddy?
A. by the character’s words
B. by the character’s thoughts
C. by the character’s actions
D. by the writer’s description
4. In “Winter Dreams,” what inference can be drawn after Dexter sees Judy for the
first time?
A. Judy will learn to be a good golfer.
B. Judy will be important to him.
C. Judy will become his wife.
D. Judy will ask Dexter to caddy.
5. In “Winter Dreams,” what inference can be drawn about Judy based on her
behavior toward the men on the golf course?
A. She doesn’t care whom she hurts.
B. She wants to improve her golf game.
C. She takes responsibility for herself.
D. She hopes to meet Dexter again.
Unit 4 Resources: Disillusion, Defiance, and Discontent
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6. In “Winter Dreams,” how does Judy appear when she refuses to marry a poor
man?
A. She seems friendly.
B. She seems small-minded.
C. She seems religious.
D. She seems unhappy.
7. Why does Dexter quit his caddying job in “Winter Dreams”?
A. He is thinking about Judy.
B. He is going to study instead.
C. He wants to be wealthy.
D. He is bored by the work.
8. What is a theme of “Winter Dreams”?
A. Life without dreams is unfulfilling.
B. Physical beauty is unimportant.
C. Dreams can be disappointing.
D. Living for love is all-important.
9. Why does Dexter become engaged to Irene Scheerer in “Winter Dreams”?
A. He wants to share in her wealth.
B. He wants a more steady life.
C. He no longer loves Judy Jones.
D. He wants to make Judy jealous.
10. In “Winter Dreams,” what inference can be drawn about Dexter as he weeps at
the end of the story?
A. He has a difficult time with grief.
B. He has lost the dreams he once had.
C. He wishes he had never met Judy.
D. He does not want to grow old.
Vocabulary and Grammar
11. Which word best replaces poignant in this sentence: “The author’s description
was so poignant that the reader cried”?
A. pretty
B. hopeful
C. painful
D. fancy
Unit 4 Resources: Disillusion, Defiance, and Discontent
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12. Which sentence includes incorrect subject-verb agreement?
A. Judy, a beautiful woman, influenced Dexter’s decisions.
B. All the caddies at the club loses balls every time they caddy for Mr. Jones.
C. Dexter and Judy, alone at last, talked about their feelings.
D. No one thinks and feels about Judy the way Dexter does.
Essay
13. In “Winter Dreams,” why do you think Dexter is so angry at the end of the story, when
Devlin describes Judy as no longer very attractive? What does this picture of Judy say
about Dexter and the way he has lived his life? Write a brief essay that explains what
Dexter wanted to believe about Judy and how he has been disappointed.
14. In “Winter Dreams,” the author says that Dexter “wanted the glittering things themselves.” How does this description explain Dexter’s attraction to Judy? What conclusions can you draw about why Dexter weeps at the end of the story? Write a brief
essay to answer these questions.
15. Thinking About the Essential Question: How does literature shape or reflect
society? Dexter, the main character in “Winter Dreams,” is preoccupied with
thoughts of wealth and his position in society. Do you think people are happier
when they have these things? Explain your answer, using details from the story.
Unit 4 Resources: Disillusion, Defiance, and Discontent
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