Student Question
What is the significance of the tune coming from the piano in "Winter Dreams"?
Quick answer:
The piano tune in "Winter Dreams" symbolizes the innocence and promise of youth, reflecting Dexter's early dreams and aspirations. As Dexter encounters Judy Jones again, the music evokes nostalgia for past summers and foreshadows his eventual disillusionment. The melody signifies a "brightness and glamour" that will not endure, marking the story's climax and highlighting the fleeting nature of youthful dreams, a recurring theme in Fitzgerald's work.
Fitzgerald introduces the melodies played on the piano at a crucial point in "Winter Dreams" when Dexter encounters Judy Jones as a mature woman for the first time. The music, significantly, is from past summers and from the years when Dexter was still immature himself but was formulating his life's goals.
The music symbolizes both the innocence of youth and the boundless promise the young believe the world holds for them. In "Winter Dreams," Judy is another version of the dream-girl figure who appears again and again in Fitzgerald's fiction. Usually it ends up that disillusionment sets in for the protagonist, either with the girl herself or the overall situation. The most famous example of Fitzgerald's dream-girl type is, of course, Daisy in The Great Gatsby.
But although Dexter's enchantment with Judy is just getting into full swing (and on the golf course!), the music is also a subtle foreshadowing that his attachment to her will not last. It represents a "brightness and a glamour he might never know again." In other words, it's the climax of the story. From this point the reader senses that the promise will remain unfulfilled. Fitzgerald's implication is that the reverie of youth, as wonderful as it is while it's happening, is over almost as soon as it begins.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.