F. Scott Fitzgerald

Motivation – refers to the reasons for a character’s behavior

Inference – making an educated guess based on facts presented in the text and on your own life experiences

Point of view – the vantage point from which the writer tells the story

The story begins at the end of the progressive era Laws were passed to protect public health

and factory workers, to increase educational opportunities, to improve housing

By the time the story ends, it is the Jazz Age—a time of rapid change in America

Popular sports Golf and tennis were popular among the

wealthy Women began to participate in sports

Jazz music flourished Machines entered homes and began

affecting daily life Radio, vacuum cleaner, washing machine

Automobiles By 1929, the typical middle-class family

had an automobile 23 million cars were on the road Some saw automobiles as one reason for

the decline in morals Provided opportunities for young people to

socialize away from the watchful eyes of chaperones

Flappers – young women who broke conventions Cut their hair short Wore form-fitting dresses Danced the Charleston Acted zany

Fitzgerald wrote this, as well as several other short stories, about the dreams and illusions that marked the Jazz Age

Written in 1922 Seen as a “first draft” for his novel The

Great Gatsby Both share the same theme There are significant differences, though

Story opens around 1911 Dexter is a fourteen-year-old boy who is

caddying for wealthy golfers The story spans eighteen years of Dexter’s

life Told from Dexter’s point of view

He is a grown man looking back at his youth He realizes that his dreams have been

shattered