F. Scott Fitzgerald's Babylon Revisited

During the 1920s, writers like Fitzgerald exposed the shallowness and narrow–mindedness of American life. The United States was a materialistic nation which lacked a strong sense of faith. America’s post–war writers believed that an attempt to end the war an make the world “safe” was a senseless mistake. In Fitzgerald’s short story “Babylon Revisited,” the main character, Charlie, is unable to escape his past. Although he actively tries to avoid reminders of the Paris he used to know, his past successfully haunts him. Even parts of Paris, which has changed, somehow remind him of his past. Marion, Charlie’s sister–in–law, constantly reminds Charlie of his failed marriage with Helen and the mistake he won’t forget. Charlie’s past has shaped his