Similarities Between Winter Dreams And The Great Gatsby

The statement made by Marius Bewley's critical essay "Scott Fitzgerald: The Apprentice Fiction", "Fitzgerald's ultimate subject is the character of the American Dream in which, in their respective ways, his principle heroes are all trapped.", can be justified through Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby and his short story "Winter Dreams". In both pieces of literature, Fitzgerald explores and comments upon Americans and their pursuit of the American Dream through Jay Gatsby and Dexter Green's pursuit of their "golden girls". Fitzgerald shows that the American Dream is not easily achieved by giving each leading man obstacles in the pursuit of their golden girl. Both Jay Gatsby and Dexter Green face many obstacles while trying to win their golden girl. For example, Jay
Gatsby is faced with the fact that he was not rich enough to be a prospect for Daisy when they were younger. By giving Gatsby this obstacle Fitzgerald is showing the reader that the road to achieving the American Dream is not smooth and not easily traveled. In addition, in Dexter Green's quest to win Judy Jones he is faced with the fact that she is promiscuous and loses interest in men easily. Fitzgerald is commenting upon the fact that the Americans search for the American Dream and that the American Dream doesn't come to the American. You have to work for the American Dream, it is not simply acquired. Fitzgerald, through both his novel and short story, comments upon the obstacles that accompany pursuing the American Dream. It is evident in The Great Gatsby and in "Winter Dreams" that Americans will do practically anything necessary to achieve their American Dream, just as Gatsby and Green have done anything to win their golden girls. For example, Dexter Green, although he has been hurt and abandoned by Judy Jones several times, broke his engagement with another woman as soon as Judy Jones stated she wanted to marry him. Fitzgerald is showing the reader that Americans will do anything, no matter how much they've experienced suffering because of it. Through Green, Fitzgerald shows that the American Dream is the most important thing to an American once they've decided to achieve it. Furthermore, Gatsby becomes a gangster and lives an empty life with lavish parties. Gatsby does all this because Fitzgerald wants to show how much an American will change their lives to achieve the dream. Gatsby's suffering of an entire lifetime is just to win Daisy, which shows that an American is able to suffer lifetimes of hardships and low points in hopes of one day having the American Dream. Fitzgerald, through the actions of Gatsby and Green, comments upon the unlimited things that an American in pursuit of the American Dream will do. Fitzgerald also shows his readers how Americans in pursuit of the American Dream live only for that purpose.
For example, Gatsby lives and builds his whole life in pursuit of Daisy. He tries his whole life to relive the past in hopes that one day he will be good enough for Daisy and be able to have her. Fitzgerald is showing the reader how much of an American's life is revolved around the American Dream. That Americans don't simply try to achieve the dream but use any means necessary to do it. In addition, Green finds out that Judy no longer has the spark and life that he admired and loved so much, " ‘Long Ago,' he said, ‘long ago, there was something in me, but now that thing is gone.' " Green is saying that he is empty now because he knows that he can no longer have Judy, the Judy that he loved and knew. Fitzgerald is showing how an American lives their entire life for The American Dream and when they lose that, there is nothing left for them because their entire lives have revolved around having The American Dream. Through Gatsby's choices and Green's losses, Fitzgerald is able to show the reader the importance of the American Dream and how Americans make them life long
goals. Bewley was correct in accessing Fitzgerald's work, such as the novel The Great Gatsby and the short story "Winter Dreams", as being reflections of Americans and their pursuit of The American Dream. Fitzgerald clearly comments upon that through his main characters, The Great Gatsby's Jay Gatsby and Dexter Green in "Winter Dreams", and their pursuits of their golden girls, Daisy and Judy Jones. Fitzgerald displays how hard it is to achieve it, the importance of it and how people will do almost anything to achieve it, and how Americans revolve much of their lives around their pursuit of The American Dream.