F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Babylon Revisited”, a short story about redemption and transformation, seems to be the main theme. Charlie’s stock market crash was a wakeup. It was said that he was being treated for his alcoholism. He returns, in order to retrieve her, to Paris, his former partying grounds. Charlie’s life has changed in many positive ways. He has stopped drinking heavily and going out to parties. He tells her that he did this to earn his daughter’s love and return. Fitzgerald makes Charlie’s character seem unchanged, even though everything seems to be going well. In Paris, he visits the places which bring back his memories. The barman at the Ritz is also given his brother’s addresses, leading two of his booze-filled friends to his front door. He can’t recall where they were when he was found, but it wasn’t a good thing.
The theme of the movie is that we can change and redeem ourselves. But it’s up to us to see if we want to do it and how hard we will work to achieve it. Charlie was heading in the right direction to get his daughter’s back and fix his life until he allowed his judgment to falter. This short story is a representation of Charlie’s wild and extravagant days. The Bible refers to Babylon as a city that was well-known for these behaviors. Charlie’s Babylon is Paris. He is going back to it. Even though he has left behind the sinful life, the memories still exist. Fitzgerald uses the title of this story and the faces of the cafes to create a religious theme. Charlie stands there in his sin city, staring into the Cafe of Heaven or Cafe of Hell. These two cafes may represent the decisions that Charlie must make about his future. This story and its title remain relevant to this day. Each person in the world goes through some sort of transformation, or even redemption. In these moments of transition, we all feel the effects of our past. Everybody’s sins differ, as does the magnitude of wrongdoing. However, we all still have to face temptations that remind us of the parts we are trying change. This story is relevant today and in the future.
