The Relevance of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Babylon Revisited Today

Transformation and Redemption in "Babylon Revisited"

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story, “Babylon Revisited,” the theme appears to be transformation and redemption. Charlie received a wakeup call when the stock market crashed and he was, or it was alluded to, being treated for alcoholism. He returns to Paris, the stomping ground of his wild party days, to retrieve his daughter. Charlie has transformed his life in some very positive ways. He stopped his heavy drinking and partying. He explains this to his sister-in-law as a way to redeem himself and get his daughter back. All seems well, but Fitzgerald makes us wonder if Charlie has changed. While in Paris he continues to wander to the places that bring back memories of his past. He also gives his brother's address to the barman at the Ritz, where the story begins and ends, which leads two of his drunken friends to his doorstep. He doesn’t recall how they found him but nevertheless it was a setback.

The Relevance of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s "Babylon Revisited" Today

I believe that the theme here is showing us that yes, we are capable of changing and redeeming ourselves, but it is up to us whether or not we’re going to make it last and how hard we’re going to make it for ourselves. Charlie was on the right path to fixing his life and getting his daughter back until he let his judgment falter and he regressed slightly. The title of this short story represents Charlie’s wild, extravagant, and sinful days. The term Babylon comes from the Bible and refers to the City of Babylon which was known for such behaviors (Revelation 18:10-21). For Charlie, Paris is his Babylon which he is revisiting. Although he left the sinful lifestyle behind, that doesn’t mean the memories don’t exist.

Fitzgerald sets a religious tone to this story in the title and with the two café’s mouths. Charlie is standing there in his city of sin staring at Café of Heaven and Café of Hell (Fitzgerald, 1931). Maybe these two signify the choices that Charlie has to make, which way he wants his life to go. This dichotomy emphasizes that redemption requires constant vigilance against temptation.

The theme and title of this story remain prevalent today. Every person alive goes through a stage of transformation and redemption at least once, if not many times. And during these times of change in our lives, we are all haunted by our pasts. Everyone’s sins are different, and the scale of what’s wrong varies for each individual, but we are still confronted with temptations and reminders of the parts of us we are trying to change.

I believe this story to be relevant now and for years to come because it reflects universal struggles with personal growth amidst external influences (Jones & Smith, 2020). It serves as a reminder that while change is possible, sustaining it requires ongoing effort.