Analysis Of Babylon Revisited By F. Scott Fitzgerald
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How far would you go to reconcile abhorrent actions in your past to create a better future for yourself? In “Babylon Revisited” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the protagonist, Charlie Wales, has to win back the trust of his former sister and brother-in-law to regain custody of his daughter. A man of once great wealth and circumstance, married to the love of his life and the father of a young daughter, Charlie was on top of the world. Following a stock market crash, presumably during the fallout from Black Tuesday which triggered the Great Depression, Charlie’s family life quickly began to fall apart. “Babylon Revisited” gives us Charlie’s first person view of how he planned and tried to put his rocky past behind him, mend ties with his family, and create a brighter outlook for his daughter and himself. Fitzgerald uses the style of his writing during this story, symbols, and locations to lead us through this redemption story. The story begins in France during the 1930’s. Charlie sits at one of his old favorite bars, recounting with the bartender where all of his friends from the past are. Nearly all of them have moved on from their past life, absconding to different ventures in places such as Switzerland and the United States. Charlie wishes to join them in their efforts, but first has to win back the trust of his deceased wife’s sister, Marion, and her husband, Lincoln. Charlie longs to leave France and start a new life in Prague with his daughter. A task, unfortunately for him,