English 10

Extended essay:  How does F. Scott Fitzgerald employ common themes in his novel The Great Gatsby and his short story “Winter Dreams”, and how do these themes reflect the American society of the 1920’s?

How does F. Scott Fitzgerald employ common themes in his novel The Great Gatsby and his short story “Winter Dreams”, and how do these themes reflect the American society of the 1920’s?

by

Cecilia Carvalho

English 10E

Ms. Dobson

June 3, 2012

Word Count: 3987

ii

Abstract:

            F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby and his short story “Winter Dreams”, written in the same time period, have distinct similarities. In this essay, coinciding themes such as romantic idealism and social ascendance are compared. In conducting such comparison, the research question arose: “How does F. Scott Fitzgerald employ common themes in his novel The Great Gatsby and his short story “Winter Dreams”, and how do these themes reflect the American society of the 1920’s?” The investigation of such question was undertaken mainly through the analysis and comparison of both literary works. Primary and secondary sources concerning historical accounts of the 1920’s were used in connecting the researched themes and the appropriate historical context. Prior analysis by literary critics is also used as further evidence when comparing Fitzgerald’s work.

Despite the broad range of similar themes, this investigation was undertaken with attention to the specific themes of romantic idealism and social ascendance. Through further analysis, it was discovered that romantic idealism affects both Gatsby and Dexter in two comparable ways: it leads to the tolerance of lack of commitment, and the lingering of their romantic attachment beyond that of their partners. Moreover, the main characters experience social ascendance as an effect of two distinct moral inclinations: the belief in the American dream, and the association of love and wealth.

This research led to the conclusion that Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby and his short story “Winter Dreams” share the common themes of romantic idealism and social ascendance. Furthermore, the novels and themes exposed are a powerful reflection of the American society of the 1920’s. Connections between works and between the time period studied make evident the validity of Fitzgerald’s account and criticism.

Word count: 284

Table of Contents:

Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………ii

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..1

Romantic Idealism and Its Effects………………………………………………………...3

Social Ascendance and Its Methods……………………………………………………….7

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………..12

Works Cited………………………………………………………………………………13

Introduction:

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby and his short story “Winter Dreams” are explicitly linked. Such connections are logical as “Winter Dreams” was written while Fitzgerald developed the ideas that fed into The Great Gatsby. When writing to his editor Maxwell Perkins, Fitzgerald described “Winter Dreams” as “A sort of first draft of the Gatsby idea” (Fitzgerald and Bruccoli). Consequently, parallels with regard to characters, style and themes emerge when both pieces are juxtaposed. Furthermore, the connections between the themes of both pieces provide a detailed reflection of the American society in the 1920’s. Thus, the similarities between The Great Gatsby and “Winter Dreams” concerning common themes and their portrayal of American society in the 1920’s are the focus of this paper. This is investigated through the research question: “How does F. Scott Fitzgerald employ common themes in his novel The Great Gatsby and his short story “Winter Dreams”, and how do these themes reflect the American society of the 1920’s?”

When examined closely, The Great Gatsby and “Winter Dreams” show the common ideology of romantic idealism: the belief that a perfect relationship is attainable is fundamental to the main character’s mentality. Romantic idealism is presented in both works, and is made evident by the effects it brings upon the characters. This idealism affects both Gatsby and Dexter in two comparable ways: firstly, it leads to the tolerance of a lack of commitment and, secondly, a lingering of their romantic attachment beyond that of their partners.

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby in 1925 and “Winter Dreams” in 1922, when the United States was in flux. The period post World War I was characterized as a phase of moral detachment, in which Americans severed the ties with the progressive movement prior to World War I. Fitzgerald portrays this newly formed American society that values entertainment and has loose moral standards in his works. However, Fitzgerald was, like his characters “…[a] romantic dreamer whose longings and ambitions fit well the aspirations and the idealism uniquely defining the American character” (Canterbery and Birch). Through romantic idealism in his books, Fitzgerald criticizes the hedonistic aspect of the American society in the 1920’s. By employing characters such as Gatsby and Dexter, who are idealistic men in terms of romance and life, Fitzgerald shows that there is no place for the virtuous man in America during the 1920’s. The men’s attempt to remain moral in a society that values entertainment and materialism is the conflicting ideology of the works, and the conflicting ideology of the time period. Therefore, romantic idealism is a reflection of America in the 1920’s only by its absence. Fitzgerald uses idealism, especially when it comes to romance, to criticize a newly established society of flexible morals.

Another theme that is common in both The Great Gatsby and “Winter Dreams” is social ascendance. An aspect of the American Dream, social ascendance involves the idea of mobility within social structures. Dexter and Gatsby experience social ascendance as an effect of two distinct moral inclinations, one being the belief in the American dream, and the other the association of love and wealth.

The 1920’s, as previously described, were a time in which behavioral and cultural values were revolutionized. The post World War I period, where America lived a great economic growth, became a period of materialism as is exemplified by the exponential growth of the Automobilist industry; in 1910, there was one car per 265 people while in 1928 the ratio was down to 1 per 6 (Wolman). Fitzgerald attempts to frame this quality of American life in his literary works. In The Great Gatsby, the main character economically rises from a meager adolescence into a lavish adulthood. In “Winter Dreams”, the same ideal is reverberated, as Dexter works hard to boost his economic situation. After becoming rich, the characters’ entry into the rich upper class is facilitated; as it mostly concerns financial status. Fitzgerald’s depiction of social mobility through hard work was proper of the time period depicted. Gatsby and Dexter exemplify economic prosperity and materialism, making social ascendance in Fitzgerald’s works a reflection of America in the 1920’s in socio-economic terms.

            Literary criticism on Fitzgerald’s works is broad, as several critical studies have been published analyzing the depth of his writing. His relationship with the 1920’s is summed as realistic, given “[Fitzgerald] is also a celebrated symbol of the Jazz Age and an eponym of the Roaring Twenties…” (Gale). Regarded as a writer whose “…life and fiction were one,” (Beers and Probst) Fitzgerald’s accounts of the Roaring Twenties are precise and insightful. As part of “The Lost Generation”, a group of writers who rejected the post World War I values that permeated the 1920’s (“The Lost Generation”), Fitzgerald criticized, through fictional stories, the illusive and indulgent facets of American society in the 1920’s. This lively depiction and criticism inherent to a time period that Fitzgerald experienced firsthand is significant in adding to the spectrum of knowledge about American culture. The Great Gatsby and “Winter Dreams” are primary hues in the painting of society during the 1920’s. They deserve examination for their realistic and true portrayal of a unique period of American history.

Romantic Idealism and Its Effects:

                      The novel The Great Gatsby and the short story “Winter Dreams” both have, as one of their supporting pillars, the theme of romantic idealism. Romantic idealism suggests that a perfect relationship is achievable. This perception defines the romantic idealism prominent in both tales, and forms the basis of Jay Gatsby’s and Dexter Green’s romantic fantasies. These lead them to a glorified view of their partners in which their qualities are highlighted and their defects are ignored. Both characters experience the effects of such idealism in two comparable ways: it leads to an acceptance of an absence of commitment, and to an over-extension of their romantic attachment.

As an effect of the perception that idealizes romance, Gatsby and Dexter tolerate the lack of commitment of their partners. As Gatsby and Dexter fall in love with the romanticized women, Daisy and Judy respectively, they face the shortcomings of their inflated views, encompassing a moral flexibility when it comes to loyalty. Although both men devote themselves entirely to their partners, Daisy and Judy do not show the same level of fidelity. In both books, the lack of commitment displayed by the women is obvious to Gatsby and Dexter. However, this behavior conflicts with their idealized view of their lovers. Therefore, to sustain the dream and the ideal, Gatsby and Dexter develop a tolerance to lack of commitment that is presented throughout the works. This tolerance is an effect of romantic idealism, because to uphold this perspective, they have to condone and ignore behaviors that disprove their projected ideal. The similarity is evident; in both stories the women find themselves unwilling to commit entirely to their partner. However, some key differences that must be observed are the manners in which this lack of commitment is expressed. In The Great Gatsby, Daisy pronounces her lack of commitment by being unable to choose between Tom and Gatsby, and eventually claims to have loved them both, whereas in “Winter Dreams” Judy overtly has other affairs while with Dexter.

                   Ever since World War I, Gatsby’s love for Daisy remains unmatched and unquestioned; he dreams of a perfect romance with Daisy even in her absence. In this idealization, Gatsby also believes that Daisy shares the same unconditional and enduring love he has for her. This conviction is distinct as he tells Daisy’s husband, Tom Buchanan, that “[Daisy] never loved you, do you hear? She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me. It was a terrible mistake, but in her heart she never loved anyone except me!” (Fitzgerald 130). Gatsby’s idealistic view that Daisy has loved him all her life is what allows for his tolerance of Daisy’s indecision. When asked to confirm her love for Gatsby over her love for Tom, Daisy is hesitant and announces to Gatsby, “I love you now—isn’t that enough?” (Fitzgerald 132). Daisy is unable to commit to only one of the men in her life, claiming she has loved them both, and Gatsby tolerates this, in as far as he ignored her marriage to Tom. Furthermore, Gatsby persists in his pursuit of Daisy, even when her inability to commit to him is transparent. When Nick Carraway suggests Gatsby leaves for Atlantic City for a week, Gatsby refutes his idea. Nick then concludes that “[Gatsby] couldn’t possibly leave Daisy until he knew what she was going to do. He was clutching at some last hope I couldn’t bear to shake him free” (Fitzgerald 148). Despite Daisy’s evasion Gatsby continues his pursuit, hoping that, in the end, she will conform to his form of romantic idealism.

                    Similarly, in “Winter Dreams” Dexter has strong feelings for Judy like Gatsby has for Daisy, even asking for her hand in marriage. Dexter grants Judy much more importance than she ever grants him, and this is pronounced in Judy’s ephemeral and simultaneous love affairs. Unlike Daisy, who is unable to choose between Gatsby and Tom, Judy has a much broader range of men she cannot commit to: “[Dexter] was, as he found before the summer ended, one of a varying dozen who circulated about [Judy]. Each of them had at one time been favored above all others…“ (Fitzgerald 594). Judy is clearly unwilling to commit to Dexter or any of the men she dates. However, Dexter persists in his pursuit of Judy, despite her oscillating sense of commitment, as a result of his romantic fantasy. During an afternoon picnic, Dexter witnesses Judy disappearing with another man, and the omniscient narrator remarks: “When she assured him that she had not kissed the other man, he knew she was lying—yet he was glad that she had taken the trouble to lie to him” (Fitzgerald 594). Judy’s faltering is further accentuated, as Dexter asked her to marry him and “[s]he said, "maybe some day," she said "kiss me," she said "I'd like to marry you," she said "I love you"—she said—nothing" (Fitzgerald 595). The elusive quality of Judy is clear to Dexter in their everyday interactions, yet he does not waver in her pursuit. Dexter’s characteristic of ignoring Judy’s lesser interest in him manifests itself throughout their relationship in which he creates a Judy that, despite her obvious flaws, is romanticized. Even after a brief re-encounter that lasts merely a month, he concludes that “He loved her, and he would love her until the day he was too old for loving—but he could not have her” (Fitzgerald 600). This shows how his romantic idealism influences his relationship; to stay with Judy he endures her lack of commitment and, like Gatsby, remains loving and hoping for an equivalent love and the realization of his dream.

Another effect of romantic idealism that is noticeable in both The Great Gatsby and “Winter Dreams” is Gatsby’s and Dexter’s lingering romantic attachment beyond that of their partners. Even after Judy and Daisy have decided to discontinue the romance, Gatsby and Dexter remain enchanted by their charm, and trapped in their webs. Gatsby, for example, has been dreaming of Daisy and their re-encounter for five years, therefore he doesn’t accept that Daisy has lost her audacity and the momentum that moved her towards him. The narrator notes, “Her frightened eyes told that whatever intentions, whatever courage she had had, were definitely gone” (Fitzgerald 135). She is now inclined to stay with Tom and in the situation she was in before, yet Gatsby is far from realizing that. As Daisy comes home, Gatsby decides to stay outside in the drive of the Buchanan’s house, watching over it, claiming he is assuring Tom doesn’t “…bother her about that unpleasantness this afternoon” (Fitzgerald 144). Gatsby’s actions reflect his innermost desire to cling onto Daisy, even as she is inside her house with another man, and slipping from his fingers. Gatsby has not yet realized that his battle for Daisy has come to an end, because she is no longer questioning her romantic situation. This is further accentuated when Gatsby asks his butler to deliver any phone calls to him at the pool, expecting Daisy to send a telephone message, which she never does. It is only his untimely death which puts an end to his pursuit of her.

                    In “Winter Dreams”, Dexter is influenced by Judy even after their relationship ceases to exist. The narrator tells of Dexter’s experience—after his romance with Judy has dissipated—at a dance in which he cuts in on her. He relates, “For almost the first time since they had met he did not ask her to sit out with him or tell her that she was lovely. It hurt him that she did not miss these things—that was all” (Fitzgerald 596). Dexter shows that even after Judy has moved on to new adventures, he still feels hurt that, unlike himself, she shows no sign of yearning for him. This attachment he holds is clearly evident, too, in a conversation about Judy that takes place seven years after their last encounter. He discovers, in a business meeting, that Judy is unhappily married, and while her husband “...treats her like the devil”, she has simmered down to a “…pretty girl” (Fitzgerald 601). Dexter is outraged during the conversation, and eventually retreats into a feeling of dullness. The narrator unveils, then, the greatness of Dexter’s attachment to Judy, even seven years after they had their last fling. Dexter waivers between panicked thoughts of the Judy Jones that has faded away, juxtaposed with memories of her loveliness: “The dream was gone. Something had been taken from him” (Fitzgerald 602). When recalling her beautiful physical features, Dexter thinks “Why, these things were no longer in the world! They had existed and they existed no longer” (Fitzgerald 602). The cataclysmic tone at the end of the short story demonstrates the extent to which Judy has affected, and still affects, Dexter. Due to his glorification of who she is, Dexter cannot accept the final dénouement of their idealistic relationship, even after it has ceased to exist, and of Judy’s timeless and idealistic beauty.

Social Ascendance and Its Methods:

            The inextricable similarities between Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby and the short story “Winter Dreams” are seen through the shared theme of social ascendance: the ability to defy social stratification and move from a lower class level to an upper class level. This concept is strongly connected to the American Dream, which “…refers to the idea that one's prosperity depends upon one's own abilities and hard work, not on a rigid class structure” (Dastjerdi). The main characters, Jay Gatsby and Dexter Green engage in upward social mobility by means of two distinct ideologies: through the belief in the American dream, and through the association of love and wealth.

Jay Gatsby and Dexter Green become attached to the desire to be part of the rich upper class ever since their childhood. The class distinctions in both literary works are clear, and the men’s inferior social position is evident. Nick describes Gatsby’s poor life as a teenager: “For over a year he had been beating his way along the south shore of Lake Superior as a clam-digger and a salmon-fisher or in any other capacity that brought him food and bed” (Fitzgerald 98). He further accentuates Gatsby’s destitute upbringing referring to his parents, “[who] were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people—,” yet, Gatsby’s early craving for a wealthy life is evident in the addendum: “his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all” (Fitzgerald 98). Gatsby dreams of an affluent lifestyle, “A universe of ineffable gaudiness spun itself in his brain […]” (Fitzgerald 99). Such daydreams show the contrast between the rich and the poor and Gatsby’s disposition to associate with the latter. Dexter is also portrayed as part of the rank that surrounds the upper class. In the first paragraph of “Winter Dreams”, this stratification is made clear: “[s]ome of the caddies were poor as sin […], but Dexter Green’s father owned the second best grocery store in Black Bear—the best one was “The Hub,” patronized by the wealthy people from Sherry Island—and Dexter caddied only for pocket money” (Fitzgerald 587). Dexter is financially closer to the upper class, unlike Gatsby who lives a scanty life. Yet, this proximity is deceiving, as Dexter still has a long way to go in terms of money and manners until he rises to the level of those who own the best grocery store in Black Bear. Dexter’s desire to surmount this difference and prove himself an equal is shown in his imaginative reveries, “[a]gain, stepping from a Pierce-Arrow automobile, like Mr. Mortimer Jones, He strolled frigidly into the lounge of the Sherry Island Golf Club—“(Fitzgerald 588), and provide an example of his early desires to be associated with the wealthy.

Jay Gatsby also engages in upward social mobility through his belief in the American dream. Since his encounter with Dan Cody, a man that was “...many times a millionaire…” (Fitzgerald 99), Gatsby begins his association with the wealthy and his effort to become so himself. On Dan Cody’s yacht, it is through hard work for five years that he earns his employer’s trust and eventually an inheritance of twenty-five thousand dollars. This behavioral pattern is a demonstration of his belief that any man, through dedication, can be prosperous. As the years pass, Gatsby becomes fabulously rich, buys an enormous mansion in Long Island and throws glamorous parties every weekend. However, Gatsby’s methods of pursuit of wealth are illegitimate and illegal. Gatsby proposes to Nick that he joins him in a business deal, and then reveals that “[i]t happens to be a rather confidential sort of thing” (Fitzgerald 83). All these aspects indicate that Gatsby made his fortune illegally, through bootlegging and racketeering. Yet, although the origins of his fortune are shady, Gatsby has to work hard to achieve it. When he begins working with Wolfsheim, a gambler, Gatsby has nothing but his army uniform as clothing, yet in only 3 years he makes the money that buys his mansion on Long Island. Gatsby’s lavish parties are the entertainment of many wealthy socialites and, by being the host, Gatsby becomes a part of the upper class. Although his garish display of wealth is unlike the manners of the “old rich”, Gatsby’s fortune grants him a place among the rich and powerful in New York City. Due to his belief in the American Dream, Gatsby earns enough money to establish himself in the upper class and engage in social ascendance.

Similarly, Dexter accumulates wealth and voyages into the upper class only through his faith in the American Dream. His desire to reside among the rich is clear when he chooses to “…pass up a business course at the State University—his father, prospering now, would have paid his way—for the precarious advantage of attending an older and more famous university in the East, where he was bothered by his scanty funds” (Fitzgerald 590). By choosing a more prestigious school, and having to work hard to pay for his education, Dexter shows his belief that through effort he could become a well-to-do man. He puts his belief to practice when he grows rich through his hard work. While many “…rich men’s sons were peddling bonds precariously,” Dexter “made a specialty of learning how the English washed fine woolen golf-stocking…” (Fitzgerald 590). Dexter makes money and eventually “own[s] the largest string of laundries in his section of the country” (Fitzgerald 590). Unlike Gatsby, who made his fortune illicitly, Dexter uses respectable means, like his knowledge and an investment, to make money. Yet, both characters only achieve their financial positions through hard work and determination. Dexter’s interactions with the rich are based on the poise and the wealth he has acquired, and these characteristics ease his establishment as a part of the upper class. Dexter’s conviction that through diligence comes the possibility of social ascendance proves itself true, and because of the American Dream he joins the upper class.

Furthermore, Jay Gatsby succeeds in social mobility due to his association of love and wealth. When describing Daisy’s voice, Gatsby ascertains: “’Her voice is full of money,’” (Fitzgerald 120). Through this description, the links between Daisy and money in Gatsby’s mind are glaring. The connections Gatsby draws between achieving Daisy’s love only through the achievement of a great fortune are what propel him toward his financial success. Gatsby blatantly exposes his belief that Daisy could only love him if he is wealthy when he alleges: “[s]he only married [Tom] because I was poor…” (Fitzgerald 130). The bonds Gatsby creates with regard to love and wealth are in part what trigger his rise to financial prosperity and his social ascendance. The luxurious parties Gatsby hosts, an immense display of wealth, have the purpose of attracting Daisy. As Jordan tells Nick, “I think [Gatsby] half expected [Daisy] to wander into some of his parties, some night…” (Fitzgerald 79). These gaudy parties, which express Gatsby’s association of love and wealth, were fundamental to his social ascendance.

Dexter, like Gatsby, also associates love and wealth, a concept that leads to his social ascendance. In the beginning of Dexter’s tale, the narrator ascertains that Dexter is not snobbish, “[h]e wanted not association with glittering things and glittering people—he wanted the glittering things themselves” (Fitzgerald 590). By describing Dexter as a materialist, the narrator makes clear that Dexter covets wealth, not the social position that it entails. Later in the story, the narrator makes the link between Judy and material wealth evident: “It did not take him many hours to decide that he wanted Judy Jones ever since he was a proud, desirous little boy” (Fitzgerald 593).  Dexter longs for Judy and her love just as he longs for glittering things. This connection between both is the essence of Dexter’s association of love and wealth. Because of this attachment, Dexter ascends socially. Being with Judy gives him a social position that was beyond what he could have earned simply by his wealth. As the narrator explains, “…he was an eligible young man, “ yet, “[h]is confessed devotion to Judy Jones had rather solidified his position” (Fitzgerald 596). Because Dexter couples love and wealth, he longs for Judy’s love as he longed for material wealth. When he achieved both his goals, she gave him a social position distinguished from his own, and this contributed to his social ascendance to the upper class.

Conclusion:

The novel The Great Gatsby and the short story “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald seem to have come from the same concept. They deal with self-made men who are anxious to move into a higher social class, and by pursuing wealth and women they eventually discover that personal fulfillment and their ideal women are ultimately elusive. Based on this observation, the research question arose: “How does F. Scott Fitzgerald employ common themes in his novel The Great Gatsby and his short story “Winter Dreams”, and how do these themes reflect the American society of the 1920’s?”

Both pieces “…share several thematic and stylistic elements as they each center on a young man from a modest background who strives to be a part of the exclusive world inhabited by the woman he loves” (Ullmann). Such similarities are occurring when it comes to the themes of the works, as is analyzed in the essay. Upon comparison, both pieces are linked through the themes of romantic idealism and social ascendance.

            Furthermore, another connection is effectively investigated in the paper. The themes in Fitzgerald’s works correlate with the American culture of the 1920’s. First, through the theme of romantic idealism, Fitzgerald criticizes the permissive post World War I values that dominated the time period. Second, through the theme of social ascendance, Fitzgerald reveals the economic opportunities and growth that influenced many Americans in this typically materialistic decade.

Ultimately, the research question is effectively answered, through the comparison of Fitzgerald’s pieces, historical accounts and previous literary criticism. F. Scott Fitzgerald employs the common themes of romantic idealism and social ascendance by the creation of two very similar tales, whose themes reflect the American society in the 1920’s because of the genuine narration of the Roaring Twenties.

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Canterbery, E. Ray, and Thomas D. Birch. F. Scott Fitzgerald: Under the Influence. St. Paul: Paragon House, 2006. 16. Print.

Dastjerdi, Nasrin. "How Class Ascendancy Is Presented In The American Novel." Ezine Articles. 9 Jan. 2008. Web. 19 May 2012.

Fitzgerald, Francis S. F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Life in Letters: A New Collection Edited and Annotated by Matthew J. Bruccoli. Ed. Matthew J. Bruccoli. New York: Scribner's, 1995. 121. Print.

Fitzgerald, Francis Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2004. Print.

Fitzgerald, Francis Scott. "Winter Dreams." Elements of Literature Fifth Course: Literature of the United States With Literature of the Americas. By Kylene Beers. Austin, TX: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2003. 587-602. Print.

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"The Lost Generation: American Writers of the 1920's." The Lost Generation. Montgomery College. Web. 18 May 2012.

Ullmann, Carol. “’Winter Dreams’ By F. Scott Fitzgerald." Short Stories for Students. Vol. 15. Detroit: Gale Group, 2002. Gale Cengage. Web. 31 May 2012.

Wolman, Leo. Consumption and the Standard of Living. Recent Economic Changes in the United States. Vol. 1. NBER, 1929. 13-78. The National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. Web. 17 May 2012.