The narrator says, "the quality and the seasonability of these winter dreams varied, but the stuff of them remained."
The word "seasonability" can be troublesome for readers. It is an archaic word that means occurring at the appropriate time—like the word "opportune." Perhaps Fitzgerald meant that the different practical permutations of Dexter's dreams were not fixed, but they were consistent in their essence.
The narrator puts a finer point on what this opening sentence means...
The narrator says, "the quality and the seasonability of these winter dreams varied, but the stuff of them remained."
The word "seasonability" can be troublesome for readers. It is an archaic word that means occurring at the appropriate time—like the word "opportune." Perhaps Fitzgerald meant that the different practical permutations of Dexter's dreams were not fixed, but they were consistent in their essence.
The narrator puts a finer point on what this opening sentence means when he goes on to carefully separate what Dexter does not want—to associate with rich people and the things, tangible and intangible, that they possess. Dexter wants "the glittering things themselves." He aspires to have what the rich have without conscious thoughts about why he wants it. His quick success after college is the first step, he believes, in surpassing what rich men his age have. He does not seek approval from his social superiors—he wants to out-earn them on his own terms. He notes the flaws in people above him in social standing, and his own rise builds his confidence. Dexter seeks self-reinvention and longs to break from his past and leave no trace of who he used to be; that is the "stuff of them" with regard to his winter dreams. How he makes his fortune, a string of laundries or any other industry, is unimportant. For Dexter, the destination is all and the journey is incidental.
No comments:
Post a Comment