Even though the short story "Winter Dreams" was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1922, most of the events that take place in it predate the 1920's. Fitzgerald was a modernist writer who sought to capture the essence of modern life in both the form and content of his work. An important characteristic of Modernism is that the author portrayed life as it really was at the time. World War One (1914-1918) gave an impetus to this modernist movement. In the post war climate, people veered towards two very different extremes. The First of these extremes is associated with partying, traveling, glamour, and hedonism and is often referred to as "the greatest orgy in history." The other extreme is associated with disillusionment, uncertainty, questioning, emptiness, unhappiness, and cynicism. Both of these extremes are documented through the characters of Judy Jones and Dexter Green throughout all of "Winter Dreams."

The...