Winter Dreams : A Feminist Interpretation Anonymous College

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Winter Dreams” illustrates the life of Dexter Green, a young man who yearns to be a part of exclusive society, and hopes to become close to a woman named Judy Jones. This traditional styled story about society, masculinity and dominance in relationships is upended when viewed through a feminist lens. From this standpoint, we can expose elements of patriarchal culture and misogyny, and how Judy breaks free from these bonds to rise to a new level of equality in 1920’s rural America. By examining the relationship of women in a male- dominated society, and the behavior which Judy outputs to offset the effects of oppression towards her; all are quintessential in showing the status quo operation of a traditional paradigm revolving around a virile chauvinist society.

Growing up as a middle-class child, Dexter aspires to assimilate into a higher social class and obtain massive wealth; and is extremely eager to achieve all the notoriety and splendor that appears to be symptomatic of owning giant sums of money. He becomes obsessed with Judy Jones, namely his “golden girl,” and accepts that winning her over is equivalent to garnering wealth. He and his comrades openly say “she needs to be spanked for six months and...