Fitzgerald and Anderson on Lovers, Wives and Mothers

Abstract

<span>“Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald and “Mother” by Sherwood Anderson are two short works that have been surrounded by criticism because of their enigmatic portrayals of female characters. Is Judy Jones a shallow seduction symbol? Or is she an intelligent character using her beauty as a counterpunch to social conventions? Does Anderson trap women with his nostalgic optimism or does he give trapped women a voice as characters advocating intimacy and creative expression? These works are plagued with the contradictions of artists struggling for truth within the constraints of a distinct time and place: post-WWI America. By exploring Fitzgerald’s “Winter Dreams” alongside Anderson’s “Mother,” I attempt to unearth the complexities that Fitzgerald and Anderson find in a new kind of female character while simultaneously examining their biased conclusions which pigeonhole these characters into female stereotypes.</span>