Babylon Revisited

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses alcoholism.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Babylon Revisited” defies the traditional arc of a redemption story, employing techniques such as internal monologue, dialogue, motifs, and symbolism to paint a portrait of a man whose path to redemption is neither clear nor assured. The story subverts conventional 19th-century narratives in which characters overcome their past misdeeds through a linear progression of penitence and moral triumph. Instead, Fitzgerald presents a world in which the past is not a mere backdrop to be left behind but an intrinsic part of the protagonist’s present struggle.

The story is told through a third-person limited point of view, which allows Fitzgerald to present Charlie’s internal struggles intimately while maintaining narrative distance. This point of view also enables an exploration of the other characters’ perceptions of Charlie, reflecting the social stigma he faces. The use of flashbacks not only portrays Charlie’s hedonistic history but also disrupts the narrative flow and introduces the central conflict, The Haunting Power of the Past, which is constantly pulling the protagonist—and thereby the reader—back into the past he is striving to escape.