The Wrapped Golf Ball: A Marxist Literary Criticism

1261 Words3 Pages

The philosopher Karl Marx once said, “It is not the consciousness of men that determines their being, but, on the contrary, their social being that determines their consciousness” (Marx). Marx argues that social circumstances determine one’s value and belief. Therefore, in his short story “Winter Dreams”, F. Scott Fitzgerald supports this Marxist theory by exposing that the proletariat is oppressed by the bourgeoisie’s ideology that the goal of life lies in status and material success, wrongly leading the middle-class to pursue inappropriate goals and ultimately to lose personal identity as developed through vivid imagery, starting with depicting a proletarian’s dream, followed by his success and transformation by a materialist, and ending with his personal deception.

Fitzgerald first demonstrates that ideological oppression by revealing a proletarian’s desire for prestige through admiration for wealthy people. Since a young age, Dexter Green, a “willing” and “intelligent” (Fitzgerald 33) young man of humble origin, often dreams that he becomes golf champion and defeats a respectful opponent, or that he is admired by the most notable figures in the state. In fact, working as a caddy at the prestigious Sherry Island Golf Club has taught him that happiness and respect come with success and status. This idea is even emphasized after he meets the eleven-year-old rich girl Judy Jones, who treats Dexter and her nurse with rudeness and disdain. Furthermore, although Dexter is three years older than her, she calls him “boy” (33). Accordingly, Judy’s socio-economic status has given her a superiority, which irritates Dexter, leading him to quit this job. Under the shock, his willingness and intelligence impel him to become one of the most...

... middle of paper ...

...belongs, especially with the evanescence of his ideals. However, Dexter’s courage in pursuing his dream is remarkable, since although he has not succeeded, he has learned the reality of this world, which may be helpful for his future development.

Works Cited

Baggins, Brian. "Abstract from the Preface of A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy." Preface. Comp. Zodiac. A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy. By Karl Marx. Ed. R. Rojas and Matthew Carmody. Trans. S. W. Ryazanskaya. Comp. Tim Delaney and Zodiac. Moscow: Progress, 1859. Marx/Engels Internet Archive. Marx/Engels Internet Archive. Web. 8 Mar. 2012. .

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. "Winter Dreams." Print. Rpt. in English 102 Course Pack. By Megan Newell. Montreal: Eastman Systems, 2012. 33-40. Print.

Show More
Related

  • How Did F Scott Fitzgerald Use Paradoxes In Winter Dreams

    976 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dreams prove as a powerful, motivating force, propelling an individual forward into real achievements in life. Conversely, dreams can transpire as blatantly artificial. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Winter Dreams” depicts the story of Dexter Green, a young man who dreams of achievements and works hard in a real, non-illusionary world to win them. His work in this plain, unromantic world brings him ever closer to the dream world he so desperately wants, while at the same time the dreams show themselves as decaying or empty. Unfortunately, this does not cure him of dreaming and does not push him to abandon his dreams in favor of a healthier attitude.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Winter Dreams In The Great Gatsby

    2009 Words  | 5 Pages

    Fitzgerald likes to write about love, corruption and, fantasy during the Jazz age. Winter Dreams is about a middle-class boy falling in love with a wealthy girl and doing whatever he can to obtain her. Dexter Green chases his dream of wealth and love for one woman only for it to come crashing down. F. Scott Fitzgerald shows the characterization of hope through Dexter’s Green

    Read More

  • Comparison of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby and “Winter Dreams”

    952 Words  | 2 Pages

    The short story of “Winter Dreams” was written around the same time that Fitzgerald was developing ideas for a story to turn into a novel. While The Great Gatsby wasn’t published until 1925, “Winter Dreams” débuted in 1922 and the similarities between the novel and short story were done on purpose. “Winter Dreams” became a short draft which Fitzgerald paralleled The Great Gatsby after, but also differentiated the two in specific ways (“Winter Dreams” 217). The main characters are both men, Jay Gatsby and Dexter Green, who desire for the American dream, not necessarily for themselves, but in order to lure back the women they idealize. In The Great Gatsby and “Winter Dreams” F. Scott Fitzgerald’s constant theme is shown through the characters of Jay Gatsby and Dexter Green, both similar in the way they pursue the American dream of wealth and social status in order to try and win back the women they love, but also different in specific ways.

    Read More

  • Unethical Pursuit of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby

    983 Words  | 2 Pages

    Within life, there are moments where one begins to question one’s ideals. Whether these beliefs are ones taught through social interaction and experience or are religious in nature, most of us, humanity, come to a time in life where one’s perception of life challenges the foundations of one’s strongest and, often times, longest held convictions. Sometimes, the questioning and examination of these convictions often lead one to a sense of disillusionment, and, in some ways, this individual analysis allows one to gain personal perspective on one’s life. In Human All-Too-Human, Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, “Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies”, and, within the backdrop of the 1920’s, Fitzgerald makes abundantly clear in the text that the American dream is a conviction that so happens to be based on lies and corruption. Throughout The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald portrays the American dream as an ideal steeped in corruption and deceit through which the attainment of material wealth and the appearance of success justify the methods by which one attains his or her idea of that fabled dream.

    Read More

  • Gish Jen’s novel Typical American

    1268 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...many realities that exist within America's society and that most do not fit the typical American dream. Even those people that achieve some measure of success, as Ralph did, are often plagued by personal problems that outweigh any measure of wealth or reputation. The lie of the American dream is that it promises to fix humanity's problems with material gain – it promises happiness from things that are not capable of giving it. And so, followers are all left unfulfilled by the great American dream, left with a reality that is much different than what was so easily guaranteed. The reality that everyone experiences, whether it is the suburban soccer mom or the tired immigrant, is that the dream is mostly unachievable. The reality we think exists is only a myth – a true mythological reality.

    Read More

  • Winter Dreams Research Paper

    548 Words  | 2 Pages

    Winter Dreams There are many ways in which “Winter Dreams” is like and unlike a fairytale. “Winter Dreams” had the potential to have a fairy tale ending. Beginning the story, F. Scott Fitzgerald made the story seem predictable. The reader would have predicted a happy ending, like a fairytale. An ending where the ambitious young man gets the beautiful girl of his dreams.

    Read More

  • Unemployment in Australia Through a Conflict Perspective.

    1346 Words  | 3 Pages

    Temkin, G. (1998). Karl Marx and the economics of communism: Anniversary recollections. Communist and Post-Communist Studies, 31(4), 303–328. doi:10.1016/S0967-067X(98)00014-2

    Read More

  • Winter Dreams And The American Dream

    517 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “Winter Dreams”, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dexter’s dream can be related to the American Dream, but Fitzgerald represents it negatively, basically saying that the reality is the American Dream can never be reached. F. Scott Fitzgerald's life is a tragic example of both sides of the American Dream; the joys of young love, wealth and success, and the tragedies associated with excess and failure which shows through in this story (F. Scott).

    Read More

  • Scott Fitzgerald's Use Of Isolationism In The Great Gatsby

    801 Words  | 2 Pages

    James Baldwin states in The Creative Process, “The state of birth, suffering, love, and death are extreme states—extreme, universal, and inescapable. We all know this, but we would rather not know it. The artist is present to correct the delusions to which we fall prey in our attempts to avoid this knowledge.” In works such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Lost Decade, and Winter Dreams by Scott F. Fitzgerald, characters are developed to epitomize the journey of life. Fitzgerald instills feelings of independence, loneliness, and growth into his stories to avoid the common delusions of an unrealistic lifestyle.

    Read More

  • History as a Theatre

    3309 Words  | 7 Pages

    Karl Marx, the preface, “a Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy,” written 1859, Progress Publisher, Moscow, Translated by S. W. Ryazanskaya 1999

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby Final Essay

    754 Words  | 2 Pages

    Through the use of symbolism and critique, F. Scott Fitzgerald is able to elucidate the lifestyles and dreams of variously natured people of the 1920s in his novel, The Great Gatsby. He uses specific characters to signify diverse groups of people, each with their own version of the “American Dream.” Mostly all of the poor dream of transforming from “rags to riches”, while some members of the upper class use other people as their motivators. In any case, no matter how obsessed someone may be about their “American Dream”, Fitzgerald reasons that they are all implausible to attain.

    Read More

  • The Impossible American Dream in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

    1258 Words  | 3 Pages

    A dream is a deep ambition and desire for something; everybody tries to reach their dreams no matter how far away they may seem. The characters in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s stories strive for nothing less than “The Great American Dream”. This is the need to be the best of the best, top of the social ladder, and to be happier and more successful than anyone has been before. Fitzgerald writes about this American Dream that every character has but can never achieve; the dream is kept unattainable due to obstacles, the disadvantages of being low on the social ladder, and also the restrictions of having a high social status.

    Read More

  • Marx (The Communist Manifesto) and Rousseau

    2059 Words  | 5 Pages

    Marx, Karl, Friedrich Engels, and Robert C. Tucker. The Marx-Engels reader . 2d ed. New York: Norton, 1978. Print.

    Read More

  • Rousseau and Marx: Property and Inequality

    1831 Words  | 4 Pages

    Marx, Karl, Friedrich Engels, and Robert C. Tucker. The Marx-Engels reader. 2nd ed. New York: Norton, 1978. Print.

    Read More

  • Karl Marx and Capitalism

    893 Words  | 2 Pages

    Karl Marx’s critique of political economy provides a scientific understanding of the history of capitalism. Through Marx’s critique, the history of society is revealed. Capitalism is not just an economic system in Marx’s analysis. It’s a “specific social form of labor” that is strongly related to society. Marx’s critique of capitalism provides us a deep understanding of the system to predict its pattern and protect ourselves from its negative sides.

    Read More

More about The Wrapped Golf Ball: A Marxist Literary Criticism

Open Document