When you are unable to face the implications of your previous actions, false illusions are often created. F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story, “Babylon Revisited,” is set in Paris during the onset of the Great Depression. Charlie Wales, who made his fortune shorting stocks, is shocked by his reckless behavior, the most serious of which led to the death of his wife, Helen. He believes he is a changed man and tries to regain custody of his daughter, Honoria, from his sister-in-law, Marion. After a deep discussion about Charlie's character, Marion agrees to give Charlie his daughter, but two of Charlie's former friends, Duncan and Lorraine, drunkenly barge into the conversation. They eventually convince Marion that Charlie is not prepared for the responsibility of having custody of Honoria. F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Babylon Revisited" highlights the corrosive effect of money on someone's character and the self-destructive nature of guilt, which is exemplified through the conflicting ideals of Charlie's past and future. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Fitzgerald uses metaphor and two examples of diction to portray Charlie's self-justifying mindset when faced with criticism of his past actions. As he walks the streets of Paris, Charlie recalls his behavior in the past, often with a feeling of remorse. He feels guilty for his profligate actions, but when he describes his wife's death, he believes that "[she] ran away into a grave." The use of the word "escaped" creates a more positive connotation around the tragic death and suggests that Helen died of her own free will. Charlie avoids the undeniable fact that he is responsible for his wife's death to avoid taking responsibility for his actions. He eases his pain by sharing the blame with others, hoping that this will provide closure. Contrary to what Charlie believes, his inability to face his inhibitions hinders his moral growth. He tries hard to demonstrate his growth by not letting the past affect him, but still demonstrates the cowardly attitude that led to his past mistakes. The specific choice of word emphasizes Charlie's fear of taking the blame, which denies him the opportunity to learn from his mistakes. When discussing the reasons why Charlie deserves custody of Honoria, Marion blames Charlie for Helen's death, which sends "an electric current of agony" through him. The metaphorical comparison to an electric current emphasizes the intense pain Charlie feels when he is blamed for his wife's death. The greatest pain comes from the truth, suggesting that he knows he is responsible, but is unable to face it. The use of "surge" also suggests that he buries his feelings deep inside, thus leading to an overwhelming surge when they resurface. He continues to self-justify his actions to prevent him from facing his guilt, thus inhibiting the healing process. Charlie is comfortable with the illusion of growth he has created for himself, which allows him to give the appearance of a changed man without actually having to be one. Unmasking this illusion causes agony because it dismantles his false appearance, thus revealing that he is more tied to the past than he seems. David Toor complements my position by arguing that Charlie actively tells people he is capable of overcoming a problem like his alcoholism to avoid “trying to deal with and overcome deeper issues.” Toor interprets Charlie's internal conflict as an illusion of change that suppresses an ugly truth. Work constantly to try to maintainthe appearance of a changed man by citing superficial examples, such as his alcoholism. In an attempt to convince the people around him, Charlie also tries to convince himself that he is not responsible for the actions that caused him to lose custody of Honoria. Faced with the truth that he is not a changed man, feelings of guilt arise. The illusions acted like a shield and provided the opposite of the intended purpose. Evading responsibility convinced Charlie not to take a definitive step towards transformation, which allowed him to remain in his comfortable and false reality. Fitzgerald illustrates Charlie's internal conflict in remaining in his comfortable world of illusions and having to take responsibility for his actions, and comments on the negative effects of wealth. Additional themes can be interpreted from Charlie's internal struggle, such as the negative effects of money on one's life. moral. Fitzgerald uses personification to demonstrate the entrapping effect of money and uses juxtaposition to describe the differences in Paris before and after the accident, which is directly related to and symbolizes Charlie's life in regards to his character's downfall due to wealth. As Charlie walks the streets of Paris, he watches nightclubs "devour" an American couple. By attributing the ability to devour people to nightclubs, the author suggests that these places are capable of trapping people through temptation. Devour is defined as consuming voraciously, often when in need of sustenance. Clubs feed on people's money and perhaps even their morals. The vices of Paris try to satisfy their need for superficiality and the waste of their character. During one of Charlie's walks around Paris, he uses contrasting colors when describing the setting. The “seedy and sinister hotels were dark,” while the French public emulated more light. The differences in the setting represent the differences in Paris before and after the influx of money. Light suggests innocence to the vices that wealth brings, such as lust and devotion to material objects. Darkness is a loss of light and therefore a loss of innocence. The Paris setting is directly related to Charlie's character. He is not exposed to the often dark consequences of excessive spending. The darkness hides these effects, but causes him to appreciate the frivolous things in life, corrupting his character. Paul Bodine further proves my point by recognizing the symbolism between the stock market crash and Charlie and explains how this demonstrates "how far Charlie had fallen in the days before the crash and the dangers that still threaten him." Bodine highlights the contrast between European elegance and the humble appearance of money traps. He claims that money gives the illusion of elegance and class, but in reality it does exactly the opposite. Bodine also delves into the topic of the corrosiveness of money by applying it to America as a whole during the Great Depression. Uncontrolled spending devalued money, which then led to a reckless culture. Now that the money is gone, society must attempt to undergo a transformation similar to Charlie's. Fitzgerald further shows the ambiguity of Charlie's life by revealing how Charlie regrets not getting any value for money, but takes no action to solve his problems. The corrosiveness of money and the self-destructiveness of guilt both create a larger overarching purpose: the contrast of Charlie's past and future. The author uses symbolism heavily by having contrasting characters represent certain time periods, which is illustrated through the use of metaphor and diction. When Charlie meets old friends of the..