Winter Dreams
Reading Questions
Name:
1. Where does the story take place?
2. What are Dexter’s winter dreams?
3. Why does Dexter say he quits his caddying job?
4. Why do you think he quits?
5. Describe Miss Jones as a child.
6. As an adult, what does Dexter do for a living?
7. How does Dexter meet Judy Jones the second time?
8. Describe Judy as an adult.
9. On their date, Dexter dresses and acts in very carefully planned ways. Why do you think he does this? Is
it just to impress her, or is there another reason?
10. What does Judy’s lack of formality on their date suggest about her attitude toward Dexter?
11. How is Dexter’s desire for Judy like the ‘winter dreams’ of his youth?
12. When Judy assures Dexter that she didn’t kiss someone else, he knows she is lying, but he is glad that
she takes the trouble to lie. Why might that be?
13. Judy has a cloud of men with her that summer. What motivates her? Is she in love with love? Is she
strictly a hedonist (pleasure seeker)? Explain your answer.
14. The narrator says that Judy is nourished “wholly from within.” What do you think is meant by this?
15. Dexter and Judy’s relationship lasts for 18 months. How would you define the relationship of those 18
months?
16. What do you think is the purpose of all the men in Judy’s life?
17. What brings an end to Judy and Dexter’s relationship?
18. Why does Dexter become engaged Irene? Is it as a diversion from Judy, or for other reasons? Explain
your answer.
19. When Dexter again sees Judy, he notices the gold in her dress, headband, and shoes. Why might he
associate gold with Judy?
20. Why do you think Judy is pursuing Dexter again?
21. “A million phrases of anger, pride, passion, hatred, tenderness fought on his lips. Then a perfect wave of
emotion washed over him, carrying off with it a sediment of wisdom, of convention, of doubt, of honor.
This was his girl who was speaking, his own, his beautiful, his pride”. Fitzgerald uses very figurative
language here to describe how Dexter is feeling. Deconstruct this statement and explain it.
22. Are you surprised that Judy now stays at home with the kids while her husband “runs around”? Why
might she be in this kind of situation?
23. Why does Dexter experience such profound grief upon finding out about Judy? Explain why he feels
that “his dream is gone.”
24. “The sun was gone down, and there was no beauty but the gray beauty of steel that withstands all
time.” Remember that Dexter has associated Judy with gold, fire and light. Why might Dexter
experience his loss of Judy as a loss of sun and beauty?