Babylon Revisited Analysis

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Babylon Revisited first presents itself as a heart warming tale of a father facing the mistakes of his past with a determination to right his wrongs and regain his role in his daughter’s life. However, we come to find, as an audience, first impressions can be deceiving. Fitzgerald portrays Charlie Wales to be a charismatic, fun loving, businessman who, like any, has made mistakes in past. As we become better acquainted with our protagonist, “we will find that it is irrefutable that the problem with alcoholism he himself believed all but behind him is in fact still unresolved before him” (The Indelible Affection to Alcohol). Charlie Wales of Babylon Revisited demonstrates earnest efforts to resolve his relationship with …show more content…
Amidst his heroic return to Paris, for Honoria's sake, the first place Charlie visits is not the home of his sister-in-law where Honoria has been living, but instead one of the infamous bars of his past. This choice of action suggests Charlie’s priorities have not changed, placing alcohol and its company first and foremost with Honoria still falling behind. While in the bar, he talks with the bartender about old times and asks about the crooked people he’d once associated with such as “Claude Fessenseden” (pg 2). This interest in events and people of his problematic past is the first clue readers are given that Charlie is not the changed man he assures he is. Charlie then makes the mistake of revisiting his mistakes further by leaving Marion’s address to be passed along to Duncan Schaffer, another person from his drunken past. This mistake proves costly later in the story when Duncan and Lorraine show up belligerently drunk asking for Charlie. While catching up with Alix, the bartender, Charlie takes notice of “strident queens” attendance in the bar. Their immunity to the condition of the stock market leaves Charlie feeling “oppressed” which then influences him to rescind his declination and get a drink. This aspect of the story is a key component to understanding Charlie as a character as well as the nature of his motives. As he makes his way from the bar to see Honoria, the purpose for his return, Charlie “directs his taxi to avenue de l’Opera, which was out of his way” so that he might further reminisce of aspect to his drunken past that “[F]or some odd reason he wished that he had” (pg 2) . Arriving at the home of Marion Peters, Charlie is greeted with open arms by Honoria, encouraging readers once again to see Charlie’s character is an endearing light.