Babylon Revisited

1. Although Charlie is reformed and the “bad old days” are in the past, Fitzgerald still manages to recreate the sense of the Roaring Twenties. How does he do this?

Introduction

“Babylon Revisited” is a story by Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) set in Paris about the extravagant and spendthrift lifestyle of Charlie wales, an American expatriate and his wife Helen during the stock market boom in the 1920s spending their time and money on one party after the other often getting intoxicated with alcohol together with their friends. Charlie returns to Paris in 1930 after the stock market collapse of 1929, having lost all his money, custody of his only daughter Honoria with whom he had with his now dead wife Helen. Charlie claims to have sobered up after the death of his wife Helen and have left the drinking sprees and party days behind him for good, he even tells Marion his sister in law that he intends to stay sober permanently all for the sake of his daughter Honoria. He is back to regain custody of his seven year old daughter whom he haven’t seen in 10 month because apparently he was in a sanatorium getting medical attention during the time. He lost custody of his daughter to his sister in law Marion and husband Lincoln. The reader is left in doubt as to his true reason for returning back to Paris because his first stop is to the local bar, the Ritz bar to inquire after his old friends with whom he used to drink with before the stock market collapse and he moved to Prague. He even leaves his physical address with the bartender to give to one of the old friend, Duncan Schaeffer just in case he drops by. The author Fitzgerald however brings out scenes suggesting that Charlie has not truly moved on and is still struggling with the changes he has made in his life.

Thesis Statement:  The main character in the story is illustrated to have been reformed and has been able to overcome the characteristics of the ‘bad old days’. However, the author explains some of the traits of the bad old days in Charlie. This paper illustrates how the author brings out the roaring twenties in the now reformed Charlie such as the way in which he is haunted by his wild past.

Discussion

In the first scene , we see Charlie going back to the old Ritz bar on his arrival to Paris though his mission is to get custody of his daughter from his sister in law Marion and the husband, Lincoln. He inquires of his old friends whereabouts from the bartender Alix, he soon finds out that most of them had travelled back to America while the remaining ones did not frequent the bar much often. When he learns that his friend Duncan Schaeffer is still around, he tells Alix “If you see Mr Schaeffer, give him this,” he said. “It’s my brother-in-law’s address. I haven’t settled on a hotel yet.” He hands over his brother in laws, Lincoln, address to the bartender to give to his old party friend. Perhaps he does this out of the urge to reconnect with his old friend who had been as wild as him, or maybe the familiarity of his past life was is more comforting and believable than this new direction his life has taken. He is clearly fighting the urge not to go back to his old ways while at the same time he misses his old friends and life. Immediately he leaves the bar we are told ‘’He then wanders through Paris and sees all the hotspots he used to frequent during the extravagant days of the twenties. Everything looks different to him now that he’s sober and doesn’t have the money he used to’’ (e-notes).
He sees people sitting for dinner at the Duval’s restaurant and wishes that he could have eaten dinner at the cheap restaurant like this during the days he had more financial capability.

Charlie is constantly faced with the quilt of his old extravagant lifestyle of partying and drinking spree he had in the 1920s. When with Marion and Lincoln he tries to avoid topics dwelling on his past, however his past catches up with him fast and much to his discomfort. For instance while visiting his daughter Honoria at his sister in laws place, he expresses is surprise or rather disappointment at seeing so few Americans in Paris. To his amusement Marion his sister in law seemed pleased that the market crash happened she says ‘’ at least you can go into store without their assuming you’re a millionaire. We’ve suffered like everybody, but on the whole it’s a good deal pleasanter.” Charlie on his end comments that it was a good era and remembers the royalty treatment they got. His mind wonders back to the visit he had at the old Ritz bar that day and almost regrets mentioning it to Marion. He cuts it short and says “there wasn’t a man I knew.”  To which Marion retorts that ‘’ I should think you have had enough of bars’’.

Further Charlie is struggling with giving up alcohol completely, although he does not rely heavily on alcohol he cannot go a day without a glass. This he explains is a way for him to keep the idea of taking alcohol mild in his mind. At the Ritz bar the bartender offers him a second drink but he declines saying that ‘’ I am going slow these days’’ to which the bartender reminds him of his hard drinking days when he observes that ‘’ you were going pretty hard a couple of years ago’’. At Lincoln’s home, Lincoln offers him cocktail later as well, this he declines and says he only takes a glass a day these days. The author clearly tries to shows that Charlie’s relationship with alcohol is well known by both friends and family and they expect him to take them on their offer each time.

In another instance Charlie meets with his old college mate Duncan and an old lady friend Lorraine while having lunch with his daughter. They invite him to dinner but he declines saying he was busy, he was going to empire with his daughter .he then invites them to go ahead of them and meet up there possibly .the two meets him there where they invite him for a drink, he accepts. The author tries to bring up his past through old memories and present encounter with past acquaintance to reveal his wild side. However he is cautious in hi steps as he is still trying to win back his daughter before she gets too old. Among the last scene shows Charlie almost winning the custody battles with Marion, she finally gives in and agrees for Charlie to take Honoria. Just then Lorraine and Duncan comes and this upsets Marion knowing well that the two were his old party friends and drinking mates .Lincoln tells him that ‘’Marion’s not well and she can’t stand shock. That kind of people really makes her physically sick’’ with that he is told he has to wait six months to try again, he goes back to the bar to look for them and remove his anger on them. The author tries to show that perhaps it’s not them who he really needed to see but maybe have his drink to calm his nerves because he immediately orders for his drink.

Summary

In this sense the author slowly builds an image of a recovering alcoholic who although claims to be changed still is haunted by the mistakes of the past and struggles to put his past behind him. His sister in law blames his extravagant lifestyle as the cause of her sister Helens death. She views him as unstable alcoholic whose urge to drink is unpredictable. The return of his two friends worsens the situation as Marion believes that Charlie clearly had not put his party days behind by associating with his old flock. Further the author shows that Charlie though changed does not seem to mind spending time in his old drinking place where he spent most of his time in the twenties, this clearly is a setback for him because such places brings back old destructive memories. In conclusion, even though he has changed, much about him is still the same.

Works Cited

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. Babylon Revisited: And Other Stories. Simon and Schuster, 2008.

Gross, Seymour L. “Fitzgerald’s” Babylon Revisited”.” College English 25.2 (1963): 128-135.

Male, Roy R. “” Babylon Revisited”: A Story of The Exile’s Return.” Studies in Short Fiction 2.3

(1965): 270.

Sylvester, Barbara. Whose” Babylon Revisited” are We Teaching?: Cowley’s Fortunate

            Corruption–and Others Not So Fortunate. University of Georgia Press, 2000.