Dreams may take many forms - longing expectations for the future, evocative desires from the past and escapist fantasies about the present, but all dreamers eventually realize that it is necessary to reconcile their dreams with the facts of the real and painful world. Following World War II, humanity was disillusioned and cynical, leading them to become dreamers and idealists. With the intent to find motivation and an escape from a world overflowing with difficulty and trouble, Americans attempt to substitute reality with dream, but authors such as Fitzgerald, Steinbeck and Thurber emphasize the need to face reality.

"Winter Dreams," created by Fitzgerald, illuminated the dreams and illusions of unrealistic lifestyle that marked the nineteen-twenties. Individuals often hoped for and desired dreams that they eventually discovered were unattainable. Controlling his every move and thought, Dexter's desire to win the love of a girl made him, "unconsciously dictated by...