Short Fiction · Character

Dexter Green

A caddy who dreams past the golf course, Dexter Green builds a fortune to reach a girl who belongs to a world that will never quite let him in.

major

Also known as Dexter, whither Dexter

First appearance: I

As a major figure in Short Fiction, Dexter Green is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The protagonist, a young man from a modest background who becomes infatuated with Judy Jones and pursues wealth and status.

In the storyWinter DreamsOpen this moment free

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Dexter starts as a boy on the links and ends as a man with laundries and a house in the city, all of it aimed at a single golden girl. His ambition is disciplined, almost cold, yet it keeps collapsing into the same…

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The fuller portrait of Dexter Green sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Dexter Green in I

Character Web

12 connections

A slice of how Dexter Green sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Romantic
Other

Character groups

Love and ambition
Social climbers and romantics

+7 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

Val reaches his emotional and psychological peak in this passage as he confronts the painful gap between his r…

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Relationships

Judy Jones
romantic · ambivalent
Dexter is obsessively in love with the beautiful but capricious Judy, leading to a… How this plays out →
Judy Jones
romantic · ambivalent
Dexter is obsessively in love with the beautiful but capricious Judy, leading to a… How this plays out →
Judy Jones
romantic · ambivalent
Dexter is obsessively in love with the beautiful but capricious Judy, leading to a… How this plays out →

Judy Jones
Dexter is obsessively in love with the beautiful but capricious Judy, leading to a tumultuous and ultimately unfulfilling romantic dynamic.
Judy Jones
Dexter is obsessively in love with the beautiful but capricious Judy, leading to a tumultuous and ultimately unfulfilling romantic dynamic.
Judy Jones
Dexter is obsessively in love with the beautiful but capricious Judy, leading to a tumultuous and ultimately unfulfilling romantic dynamic.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Dexter Green in I

In the story

Dexter Green appears across 8 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Winter Dreams
The protagonist, a young man from a modest background who becomes infatuated with Judy Jones and pursues wealth and status.
I
A fourteen-year-old caddy from Black Bear Village who quits caddying after being emotionally struck by Judy Jones.
Winter Dreams
The protagonist, now a successful laundry entrepreneur, reflects on his past and encounters Judy Jones.
III
Dines with Judy Jones, reflects on his social climbing and his mother's peasant Bohemian origins, and confesses his wealth.
IV
Dexter surrenders to Judy's charm, experiences ecstasy and agony, and later becomes engaged to Irene Scheerer before being drawn back to Judy.
V
Reflects on his past with Judy Jones and his decision to join the war effort.
VI
Now thirty-two, successful in New York, he learns of Judy Jones's faded beauty and feels the loss of his winter dreams.
Magnetism
Involved in the romantic tensions, reflecting on past and present attractions.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Dexter Green unlock in the free preview.

See Dexter Green in I

See Dexter Green in Winter Dreams