?Winter Dreams,? by Scott Fitzgerald, is a short story about the control of one person over the emotions of another. In this midpoint passage fromWinter Dreams,? Dexter has committed to Judy Jones, a young and beautiful girl he remembers from his youth. Only wanting the best for both of them, it turns out to be a nightmare for Dexter. Through the passage Fitzgerald illustrates how Judy has total control over Dexter's actions and emotions. Fitzgerald accomplishes this through his use of diction, his description and details, and his implementation of dashes as a stylistic device.
The diction of the passage indicates the control Judy has over her pawn, Dexter. Fitzgerald writes,Dexter surrendered a part of himself to the most direct and unprincipled personality with which he had ever come in contact? (2). The word surrendered in this quote means that Dexter has given a part of himself to Judy, and she can do with it what she likes. Unable to withstand her flirt, Dexter is overcome and unable to resist her demands for material and physical possessions. The word also suggests that by giving in, he is no longer able to function as an individual. He is now forced to carry out her bidding, and cannot make choices for himself. He is her property, a slave in a sense. The succeeding sentence includes diction that gives insight into Judy's methods. The author comments,Whatever Judy wanted, she went after with the full pressure of her charm? (3). The word charm in this sentence illustrates the manner in which Judy's victims fall prey. Judy's innocent girl disguise fools Dexter in believing she is truly infatuated with him. Her constant manipulation of situations with her flirty guise causes Dexter to lose sight of his real surroundings. The word also means Judy's primary attack was one of innocent destruction. By using charm she can consciously say that she isn't doing anything wrong.