How would you describe Irene in F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Winter Dreams"?
In the story "Winter Dreams," Irene is a minor character; you might even say that her existence is more of a plot device than anything else. We know that she was engaged to Dexter briefly, before he slipped back into his obsession with pursuing Judy. But what do we really know about Irene besides this role that she plays in the plot?
Irene was light-haired and sweet and honorable, and a little stout, and she had two suitors whom she pleasantly relinquished when Dexter formally asked her to marry him.
So as the narrator tells us, Irene has a good moral character,is kind, and is perhaps not unattractive but a little on the heavy side. I mention that because it contrasts so starkly with Judy's character; we're told over and over about Judy's startling beauty. Here's something else we know, but it's not much:
[Dexter]...
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stayed late at the dance. He sat for an hour with Irene Scheerer and talked about books and about music. He knew very little about either.
Apparently, then, Irene is probably a good conversationalist and knowledgeable about literature and music. The narration tells us that Dexter and Irene are engaged a few months later, but there's certainly no description of a romance between them that would even slightly compare to Dexter's romance with Judy in terms of passion and excitement.
Here's one more definite thing we're told about Irene:
It gave him a sense of solidity to go with her [to the dance at the University Club]--she was so sturdily popular, so intensely "great."
Those details make Irene seem a bit more interesting than before. Readers at this point may wonder if it's Dexter's indifference to Irene that makes her seem dull; perhaps her personality really is just as sparkling as Judy's, but it's unappreciated by Dexter.
Finally, the story is distinctly lacking in detail about what happens to Irene after Dexter abruptly breaks off their engagement in order to chase Judy some more. We could infer that Irene took the news well, without making a scene or seeking revenge on either Dexter or Judy, evincing again her own good social skills and classy personality.
In Winter Dreams, what is the thematic significance of Irene's characterization?
Irene's characterization is vitally important to the overall destructive nature of Dexter's "winter dreams." After experiencing a sense of tumult with Judy, where Dexter's emotions and finances are spent to a level that can no longer be tolerated, he regroups and gets away from the destructive Judy, the one with "incorrigible lips." In doing so, he finds Irene. She is described in terms that make it clear that from nearly every point of view, Irene is better for Dexter than Judy:
That old penny's worth of happiness he had spent for
this bushel of content. He knew that Irene would be no more than a curtain spread behind him, a hand moving among gleaming tea-cups, a voice calling to children...
These terms bring out how Irene is seen as something "safe" and very reliable, elements that could never be associated with Judy. Irene's characterized in a manner that would complement and not challenge Dexter. Yet, Dexter's rejection of Irene after such a description helps to bring out Fitzgerald's theme that the "winter dreams" that drive Dexter are destructive in their very essence. This is seen in the ending of the short story. Irene ends up becoming a casualty to these "winter dreams" as does Dexter. In showing Irene in such a manner, Fitzgerald is able to evoke the pain and sadness that lies at the heart of self- destructive pursuits.