Question

Explain Dexter's tears at the end of the story? What has he lost?

Answer 1

Dexter is mourning the loss of his youthful dreams and the vitality that Judy Jones once represented to him; he realizes that the passionate life he once envisioned for himself is irrevocably lost.

Step-by-step explanation:

Dexter's tears at the end of the story symbolize the profound sense of loss he experiences. This is not merely about losing Judy Jones as a love interest but rather the evisceration of his youthful dreams and ambitions that she embodied. Dexter has lost the illusion of what could have been—a life filled with the same passion and vitality that Judy once sparked in him. Now, with her allure faded and his dreams dissipated, Dexter grieves for the ecstatic joy he once gleaned from his aspirations and the beauty he associated with them, now understanding they are irrevocably lost. The passage encapsulates the thematic core of the story, where winter dreams symbolize the ephemeral nature of youthful illusions and desires, highlighting the inevitability of change and the somber reality of lost dreams.

Answer 2

Dexter loses the last of his illusions about the romantic life of the upper class. And as for Dexter, he realizes that his pursuit of those dreams at all costs have left him with a big fat nothing.