Characters

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Devlin
Devlin is a business associate of Dexter's. He informs Dexter that Judy's beauty has diminished, and she has become a passive housewife to an alcoholic and abusive husband.

Dexter Green
The story traces the life of its main character, Dexter Green, over several years. At fourteen, he is confident and filled with "winter dreams" of a prosperous future. He feels superior to the other caddies, who are "poor as sin," since he works only for pocket money. He often daydreams about outshining the men for whom he caddies or impressing them with fancy diving exhibitions.

The ambitious and resourceful young Dexter performs his duties exceptionally well, making him the most sought-after caddy at the club. As Mr. Jones observes, he never loses a ball and is a diligent worker. However, his longing to join the luxurious world of wealth he has only seen from a distance drives him to abruptly quit his job when Judy Jones makes him feel inferior. The narrator notes, "as so frequently would be the case in the future, Dexter was unconsciously dictated to by his winter dreams."

Dexter's ambition leads him to attend a prestigious university in the East. After graduation, he works hard to master the cleaning trade and becomes a successful businessman. He diligently improves his manners and dress to integrate into the world he admires. In addition to adopting the behaviors of those who attend top universities, he seeks out the best tailors to dress him.

Many who meet him, impressed by his success, often say, "Now there's a boy." However, the narrator clarifies that Dexter is not a snob; he does not seek "association with glittering things and glittering people, he wanted the glittering things themselves." Dexter does not seem to desire these glittering things for their monetary value but instead needs them to fulfill his vision of an ideal life, which includes winning the love of Judy Jones.

Despite his success, Dexter does not always wear it comfortably. When he returns to his hometown and is invited out by the men for whom he used to caddy, he tries to bridge the gap between his past and present. He notes that he fluctuates between feeling like an impostor and feeling clearly superior to the men he once worked for.

Dexter demonstrates emotional strength by accepting Judy's treatment of him, despite the pain it causes, and does not harbor any malice toward her. However, when he learns that her beauty and vitality have faded, he breaks down. Judy has been central to his vision of a golden world of wealth and opportunity. When she fades, so does his dream, leaving him feeling an overwhelming emptiness.

T. A. Hedrick
Dexter works as a caddy for Hedrick, one of the affluent members of the Sherry Island Golf Club. One day, Judy Jones accidentally hits Hedrick in the stomach with her golf ball. Hedrick holds strong opinions about women's roles, which he expresses through his criticism of Judy's behavior. He asserts that "all she needs is to be turned up and spanked for six months and then to be married off to an old-fashioned cavalry captain."

Judy Jones
Judy represents Dexter's ideal woman: beautiful, confident, and wealthy. In her youth, she is described as "inexpressibly lovely" and brimming with vitality, giving off a "continual impression of flux, of intense life." She embodies everything Dexter aspires to have in life. However, she is also shallow and heartless, playing with the emotions of Dexter and other men who fall for her.

At the start of the story, Dexter encounters Judy as she commands him imperiously, arguing with her nurse and even striking her with a golf club. Later, when she accidentally hits Mr. Hedrick in the stomach with her golf ball, she shows little concern, merely telling her partner that she has been delayed because she hit "something." Despite this, Dexter admires her demeanor and even envies it.

Judy becomes a highly capricious young woman, favoring one suitor briefly before moving on to another. When her admirers seem to lose interest, she draws them back with ease. The narrator suggests that her behavior is largely innocent; she treats men this way not out of malice but because she genuinely does not understand the impact of her actions.

Judy's determination is evident as she pursues what she wants "with the full pressure of her charm" and beauty. She confidently turns away from Dexter and other suitors, believing she can win them back whenever she wishes. She plays the romantic game by her own rules, "entertained only by the gratification of her desires and by the direct exercise of her own charm." Yet, deep down, she feels a sense of emptiness, as she laments, "I'm more beautiful than anybody else... why can't I be happy?"

Irene Scheerer
Dexter becomes engaged to Irene after accepting that he will never persuade Judy to marry him. Irene is a "sweet and honorable" young woman who is well-liked and gives Dexter a sense of "solidity." However, she lacks Judy's vitality and beauty. Dexter realizes that Irene would be no more than "a curtain spread behind him, a hand moving among gleaming tea-cups, a voice calling to children." When Judy shows renewed interest in him, Dexter breaks off his engagement with Irene.

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