F. Scott Fitzgerald was born on Sept. 24, 1896 St. and died on Dec. 21, 1940. He was an American short-story writer and novelist famous for his depictions of the Jazz Age. Fitzgerald wrote "Babylon Revisited" during a time of emotional and economic crisis. The stories Fitzgerald wrote were stories that reflected his own personal experiences and his relationship with his wife Zelda. Babylon Revisited” by F. Scott Fitzgerald is about a father’s attempt to regain custody of his daughter after living a life full of sin and debatuary during the 1920‘s when people where becoming very wealthy investing in the stock market. After the stock market crash of 1929 Charlie relizes that he has lost more than money he has lost his wife due to illness and he has also lost custody of his daughter to his sister in law due to the wild and reckless lifestyle the he choose to live. During the story Charlie is a reformed man, he no longer drinks and he made a new business for himself in Prague. Charlie’s only wish is for a second chance that he can have custody of his daughter and have a good life with her. The idea or theme of the story is that people make mistakes but everyone should be entitled to a second chance, it is possible for people with addictions to turn their life around for the better and that a persons past will always haunt them. The character Charlie shows how difficult it is to break the cycle of addiction and start a new life.

The title “Babylon Revisited” informs the reader of the lifestyle that Charlie lived. The story begins and ends at the Ritz hotel bar in Paris. Charlie is a recovering alcoholic who has returned to Paris, where he once lived a wreckless lifestyle that led to the death of his wife and lost custody of his daughter to his sister-in-law and her husband. The city of Babylon was an ancient city known for its tremendous wealth and power it was a city of sin associated by the Hebrews and Greeks with the pursuit of sexual pleasure and the overindulgences of life. Babylon is referring to the city of Paris where the story begins and ends in a bar at the Ritz Hotel during the 1920’s. Charlie was a wealthy man a “baller” or“ high roller” before the stock market crash of 1929. He had so much money that he threw it around. He got caught up in the high life of money and power and the sin that is associated with these things. “Revisited” is the fact that Charlie has to return to Paris to see his daughter and try to get custody of her. Charlie has to return to this sinful city where he runs into old friends that try to influence him to go back to his old ways. They cannot deal with the fact that this is a change man who has one goal to do good for himself and his daughter.

The time setting of story Babylon Revisited and the economic setting can be compared to current day events that are taking place. In the early and mid 1920’s the economy was flourishing, people were making and spending lots of money. This caused some people to overindulge and live lavishly in certain areas. When one has too much money and power it could be their down fall. In the story Charlie, who made lots of money without hardly working became a victim of this lifestyle, he became addicted to alcohol and partying. During the late 1990’s and early and mid 2000’s our economy was flourishing. People were making and spending money, banks where giving out generous home loans to individuals who were not qualified. During the past few years out economy has declined banks our foreclosing on homes and many people that should not have been qualified are defaulting on these homes. This negative trend in the economy is causing families to separate, people are turning to drugs and alcohol for a way to forget about their problems.

Babylon Revisited reflects that how much a person may change that their past will always haunt them. During the story Charlie shows signs of a reformed man. But Marion his sister-in-law have still lost faith and trust in him because of the person he once was. Marion holds Charlie responsible for the death of her sister, and resents him for getting wealthy for doing little work. During the story Charlie convinces Marion to give him custody of Honoria but before the plans go through two of Charlie’s old drinking buddies, Duncan and Lorraine show up to the apartment drunk and this changes Marion mind of giving Charlie back custody. By Charlie’s old drinking buddies showing up Marion feels that this is a man who still has a drink everyday, and his old friends are still around, that this is a man that has not changed. Charlie is being judged by his past. He is guilty by association. Duncan and Lorraine showed up uninvited to the apartment and appear drunk Marion is thinking that Charlie has gone back to his old ways and is hanging around with his old friends again. Take Tiger Woods for instance, winner of numerous Golf Tournaments, the greatest golfer who has ever played but will always be remembered for one of the biggest sex scandals in history. No matter how much a person has changed they will always be judged by their past and the bad decision that they have made and by the people that they associate with.

While reading this story I could relate with Charlie. While I was a teenager I was a bad person. I was hanging out with the wrong crowd and wasn’t a good member of society. I have done things in my life that I am not proud of. I changed my life for the better when I was 19, I enlisted in the Air Force, I did 6 years on Active Duty and separated and came back to live in Sarasota. When I am out in the town at a bar or a eating at a restaurant I always run into someone from “back in the day”, when we start to reminisce about those days and all the fun but bad memories come back to me I urge for it again. I have to fight myself everyday from calling my old buddies and going back to those old ways.
Charlie Wales' during the story runs into his two old friends, Duncan and Lorraine, they are bad influences on Charlie. Charlie still has lingering memories and desires of the good times he had with his two old friends and he needs to stay strong and not give into temptation. Deep down inside, Charlie desires to take on the responsibility of being a father to his daughter but the past memories and desires still haunt him everyday.

The opening paragraph establish that he has been away from Paris for a while, and everything that he has remembered about the city has changed. Charlie describes how empty the bar is, which was one of his favorite old places. While at the bar Charlie is talking with one of his old bartenders about his old drinking buddies. The bartender ask Charlie how long he is going to be in town for, Charlie replies “Four or Five days to see my little girl”. The bartender who has known Charlie for a long time responds “Oh-h! You have a little girl.” This scene describes how Charlie lived his life prior to the stock market crash, the bartender who knew Charlie very well didn’t even know he had a child, that Charlie was so caught up in his sinful ways and obsessed with the finer things in life that he never mentioned his daughter to the people around him. I feel Charlie wass asking about his old drinking buddies and their whereabouts because he misses and yearns for those good ole days of having lots of money and doing whatever he wants with it and living the fast life and having no responsibilities. He is still trying to overcome the addiction of the lifestyle that he use to live and he battles that addiction everyday
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In conclusion, at the end of the story Charlie is sitting at a bar with a empty glass in front of him, he has refused to drink, but if this trend continues of him sitting at bars as he used to do, he will not refuse drinks forever it will be a matter of time until he gives in to his addiction and has another drink. In this story the author shows just how difficult it is to break the cycle of addiction and start a new life and be able to get away from the people who are bad influences on you and that old friends will always try to bring you back to the person you use to be and no one in this world is free from the trials and tribulations of life.

Work Cited

"F. Scott Fitzgerald." 2010. Biography.com. 4 Jul 2010, 06:29 http://www.biography.com/articles/F.-Scott-Fitzgerald-9296261.