The tone of “Winter Dreams” is simultaneously melodramatic and contemplative. The melodrama emerges in the scenes in which the third-person narrator almost seems to merge with Dexter, channeling his feelings and thoughts directly, such as in the sentence, “[Judy] had insulted him, and she had ridden over him, and she had played his interest in her against his interest in his work—for fun.” The narrator is not reporting on this as the truth but allowing Dexter’s bitterness about Judy’s fickle nature to seep into the narration, affecting the tone in the process.
At other points, the narrator distinguishes their voice from Dexter’s, using a more contemplative tone. In the following passage from the start of Section 6, the narrator directly addresses readers, explaining why the story is skipping ahead seven years:
This story is not his biography, remember, although things creep into it which have nothing to do with those dreams he had when he was young. We are almost done with them and with him now. There is only one more incident to be related here, and it happens seven years farther on.
Here, the narrator uses a more wise and all-knowing tone. They are clearly separate from Dexter and his drama and in control of the narrative flow, hinting that there are specific lessons they hope that readers will take away from this depressing tale. Though the narrator does not state it directly, it’s likely the story’s focus is on “those dreams” that Dexter had when he was young so that readers will leave the story understanding that lofty “winter dreams” of attaining financial and romantic success often lead to dissatisfaction rather than happiness or contentment.
