There are some stories that need a certain type of moment, or atmosphere, to give it that "total effect", but there are those which can make any time their moment. These stories are universally functional in any society. They are stories that have been told and lived out for centuries in the play of human history. Their success is due to the fact that they all contain themes that can be adapted almost anywhere for any time. This versatility in setting makes it more interesting and familiar to almost any culture. Winter Dreams has a variety of themes that occur over and over again in society. Mostly though it's the doomed retelling of a one Dexter Green's encounter with a women who would " bring no end of misery to a great number of men."(Pg.588).
"She was arrestingly beautiful- (Pg.591) This description of Judy Jones is a foreboding statement about Dexter's destiny. He, like many before him, would be hopelessly lost to the charms of a devastatingly beautiful woman, arrested if you will, by her looks. Does this tale breathe a vague familiarity to many stories told before? Dexter's tale is that of one told by many a man in the course of time. The Trojans and Greeks had to bare decades of war over a woman whose beauty compared to that of Greek gods, Helena. Caesar risked his empire for the charms of a seductive Cleopatra. This age-old tale of a woman's power over a man trails back to biblical times. Adam's bite from the apple has long been a symbol of feminine influence. Nowadays, it can be heard in jokes, and found in TV shows with the image of a henpecked husband. This love for a woman, during even extreme adversity, and sometimes abuse, is a timeless theme. Even the saint like member of the round table, Lancelot, couldn't resist a pair of loving eyes. This themes is just one of the major one's on the surface of the story, for the deeper themes, one needs to delve into more serious content.