WINTER DREAMS
F. Scott Fitzgerald
20 Questions
NAME: __________________
American Lit.
Please provide short answers to the following questions, but write in complete sentences and in
detail. A good strategy would be to answer the questions as you read, rather than waiting to
complete the story. (Numbers correlate to the page where the question is addressed in the
packet.)
1. (Page 7) Dexter seems quite impressed with the wealthy Mr. Mortimer Jones. Do you agree
with young Dexter’s evaluation of Mr. Jones? Why or why not?
2. (Page 7) How does the little girl contribute to making Dexter quit?
3. (Page 9) What does Judy’s behavior reveal about her character? Do you agree with Dexter’s
response to Judy’s attempt to club the nurse?
4. (Page 10) Why does Dexter quit caddying?
5. (Page 11) Why doesn’t Dexter tell his golfing partners that he once caddied at Sherry Island?
6. (Page 12) What is Judy’s reaction to hitting Mr. Hedrick with her golf ball? Explain what this
reaction suggests about her character.
7. Fitzgerald is skillful in creating an image and a mood. Identify a metaphor and example of
personification on page 13.
8. (Page 13) Five years before, when Dexter heard the same music, he was a spectator. Now
that he is part of the life he aspired to, the music takes on new meaning. Describe Dexter’s mood
as he listens to the music.
9. (Page 14) What does Judy’s treatment of her suitor – the guy she leaves waiting at her house
while she jumps into her boat – reveal about her personality? Is there any evidence to show
whether she is a dynamic character (one that changes throughout a story) or a static character
(one who remains unchanged by his or her experiences)?
10. (Page 14) Judy Jones’s last “casual whim” prompted Dexter to quit his caddying job. How
does this second casual whim and the new direction it brings for Dexter differ from the first one in
terms of how Dexter responds to it?
11. (Page 18) A character’s thoughts reveal much about his or her personality. Explain what
Dexter’s reaction to Judy’s lie – that she had not kissed the other man – reveals about his
attitude.
12. (Page 21) In the beginning of the story, Dexter viewed something “gorgeous about fall.”
Review this reaction on page 7. How does this response differ from the one he has on page 21?
13. (Page 21) Do you approve of Dexter’s decision to marry Irene? Why or why not? Offer an
explanation of Dexter’s decision.
14. (Page 22) Identify the things to which Dexter compares his future bride. Tell what these
metaphors suggest about his feelings toward her.
15. (Page 24) Gauge Judy’s sincerity when she says, “Of course you could never love anybody
but me … I like the way you love me.” Think about what we know of her character and her
treatment of men.
16. Carefully read the last paragraph on Page 25 (beginning with “It was strange…”) and the first
paragraph on Page 26 (“Dexter was at bottom…) Based on these two paragraphs, can you detect
a change in Dexter’s character?
17. (Page 26) What do you think of Dexter’s response to Judy’s decision to terminate the
engagement?
18. (Page 28) Use Devlin’s description of Judy to identify the changes in Judy’s character and to
infer what might have caused them.
19. What makes Dexter so sad at the end?
20. Explain the role that dreams played in Dexter’s life and the way that the loss of these dreams
changed him.