When one is unable to face the implications of one's previous actions, they often create false illusions. F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story "Babylon Revisited" is set in Paris at the start of the Great Depression. Charlie Wales, who made his fortune short-selling stocks, is reeling from his reckless behavior, the most serious of which led to the death of his wife, Helen. He believes himself to be a changed man and seeks to regain custody of his daughter, Honoria, from his sister-in-law, Marion. After an in-depth discussion about Charlie's character, Marion agrees to give Charlie her daughter, but two of Charlie's former friends, Duncan and Lorraine, drunkenly intrude into the conversation. They eventually convince Marion that Charlie is not prepared to take on the responsibility of having custody of Honoria. F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Babylon Revisited" highlights the corrosive effect of money on character and the self-destructive nature of guilt, illustrated by the contrasting ideals of Charlie's past and future. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayFitzgerald uses a metaphor and two diction examples to describe Charlie's self-justifying mentality in the face of criticism of his past actions. While walking the streets of Paris, Charlie remembers his past behavior, often with a feeling of regret. He feels guilty for his debauched actions, but when he describes his wife's death, he thinks that "[she] fled 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 in order to avoid taking responsibility for his actions. He relieves his pain by sharing the blame with others, hoping it will give him closure. Contrary to what Charlie believes, his inability to fight against his inhibitions hinders his moral growth. He strives to prove his growth by not allowing himself to be influenced by the past, but he still displays the cowardly attitude that led to his past mistakes. The specific choice of word highlights Charlie's fear of being blamed, which denies him the opportunity to learn from his mistakes. When discussing 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 with an electric current underlines the intense pain Charlie feels when he is blamed for the death of his wife. The greatest pain comes from the truth, suggesting that he knows he is responsible, but is unable to face the truth. The use of the term "surging" also suggests that he buries his feelings deep inside, thus leading to an overwhelming rush when they resurface. He continues to justify his actions in order to prevent him from confronting his guilt, and thus inhibits 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 having to actually be a changed man. Exposing this illusion causes agony because it dismantles his false appearance, revealing that he is more closely tied to the past than he appears. David Toor complements my position by asserting that Charlie actively tells people that he is capable of overcoming a problem like his alcoholism in order to prevent himself from "trying to face and overcome deeper issues." Toor interprets Charlie's internal conflict as an illusion of change removing an uglytruth. He constantly strives to maintain the appearance of a changed man by citing superficial examples, such as his alcoholism. In his attempt to convince the people around him, Charlie also tries to convince himself that he is not responsible for the actions that lost his custody of Honoria. Faced with the truth that he is not a changed man, feelings of guilt arise. The illusions behaved like a shield and provided the opposite of their intended purpose. Dodging responsibility persuaded Charlie not to permanently commit to a transformation, allowing him to remain in his comfortable false reality. Fitzgerald illustrates Charlie's internal conflict of remaining in his comfortable world of illusions and having to take responsibility for his actions, and comments on the negative effects of wealth. Other themes can be interpreted from Charlie's internal struggle, such as the negative effects of money on life. moral. Fitzgerald uses personification to demonstrate the trap effect of money and uses juxtaposition to describe the differences between Paris before and after the crash, which directly correlates and symbolizes Charlie's life as it relates to the fall of his character due to wealth. As Charlie walks the streets of Paris, he observes the nightclubs "devouring" an American couple. By giving nightclubs the ability to devour people, the author suggests that these places are capable of trapping people through temptation. Devouring is defined as consuming voraciously, often when in need of nourishment. Clubs thrive on people's money, and perhaps also on their morality. The vices of Paris seek to satisfy their need for superficiality and at the expense of their character. During one of Charlie's walks around Paris, he uses contrasting colors to describe the setting. The “dark, grim hotels were dark,” while the French crowd imitated light more. The differences in decor represent the differences in Paris before and after the influx of money. The light suggests the innocence of 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 setting of Paris directly correlates with Charlie's character. He is not exposed to the often obscure consequences of excessive spending. The darkness conceals these effects, but causes him to value 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 proves "how far Charlie had fallen before the crash as well as the dangers that still threaten him." Bodine highlights the contrast between European elegance and the modest appearance of money traps. He argues that money gives the illusion of elegance and class, but in reality it produces quite the opposite. Bodine also expands on the theme 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 value for his money, but will take no action to solve his problems. The corrosive nature of money and the self-destructive nature of guilt both create a larger overall goal: Charlie's contrast. past and future. The author uses symbolism extensively by having contrasting characters represent certain periods, which is illustrated by..