The story Winter Dreams is the epitome of the saying “opposites attract”.
Just take a look at two of the main characters of the story; Dexter Green and
Judy Jones. Judy who was born into wealth has had everything hand fed to her,
for her entire life. And on the other hand you have Dexter, a boy from black
bear, Minnesota with a dad that owns the second most successful grocery store in
area. Dexter is a boy that comes from an upper class family, yet still knows the
importance of working for riches and is fully prepared to do so. Two different
people that are still drawn together by two things, Judy’s loveliness and
Dexter’s gullable personality. First, let’s look at Judy’s personality.
She is snobby yet refined, with an innocent demeanor that can be down right
evil. She is also with out a care in the world. This personality of hers is best
potrayed at the golf course when the gentlemen are playing a round of golf and
all of the sudden here “fore”. Mr. Hedrick is struck in the stomach with a
golf ball that was hit by Judy. As she approaches the men Mr. Hedrick blurts out
that her wild shot had hit him in the stomach, and Judy merely replies “Did
I?” “I’m sorry. I yelled ‘fore!’ “ (p 673) as nothing that had just
occurred was out of the ordinary. Then she continued to look for her ball as she
carelessly walks by the gentlemen, and after all that had just occurred she
asked if they had seen where it went after striking Hedrick. Dexter on the other
hand is completely different than Judy. He is a hard working boy, that is known
and respected as one of the top caddies of the golf course in Black Bear. Dexter
is a confident yet modest boy that has been schooled by the finest schools of
the east. Meaning an ivy league school. He is smart and savvy yet extremely
gullible to beauty, thus the reason for his obsession with Judy. His personality
is best portrayed when he does not like the idea of the snotty little girl Judy
bossing him around. He does not like it so without a hesitation he quits his job
and goes home. As much as I liked Dexter and disliked Judy I found myself
thinking that Dexter was a complete fool. He should have seen what Judy had been
doing to all the other guys around him, and he should have left her. Yet he
didn’t and he hurt other people because of his foolishness. People like Irene,
his bride to be whom he broke off his engagement to as soon as he got a hint of
Judy showing interest in him. Woman can have that effect on men though and
Dexter was only human so all could be forgiven of him. The only thing that
puzzled me the most was the fact that after he had been told of Judy’s ways he
was extremely upset. Even after all the pain that was caused by the beautiful
and wretched girl.