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In the short story "Babylon Revisited," a man named Charlie Wales has come back to Paris with the intent of regaining custody of his nine year old daughter. She has been staying with her aunt and uncle since the death of her mother. Being in Paris brings back memories of his previous lifestyle of drinking, late night socializing, and excessive spending. During lunch with his daughter he encounters two friends from his carousing days, but since he is attempting to turn his life around, he has no desire to renew their friendship. He politely declines their invitation to meet up later so that he can spend time with his daughter. While finalizing the details with his sister-in-law regarding his daughter, they are interrupted by his former cohorts from the restaurant, resulting in the postponement of custody. The central idea is that people make mistakes but if they are given a second chance, it is possible to turn their life around. Personification is one of the literary terms used in this story. The examples "his heart sat up rigidly" and "his heart leaped" are giving his heart human characteristics. The first quote is referring to how nervous Charlie is feeling when he is
not like aches or wounds; they're more like splits in the skin that won't heal because there's not enough material. I wish you and I could be on better terms." "At the Empire, Honoria proudly refused to sit upon her father's folded coat. She was already an individual with a code of her own, and Charlie was more and more absorbed by the desire of putting a little of himself into her before she crystallized utterly. It was hopeless to try to know her in so short a time." The reader could feel sympathy for Charlie since he claims to be a recovering alcoholic who has lost his wife, daughter, and money during the stock market crash. He realizes that he once had a problem but that he has finally turned his life around. To regain custody of Honoria, all he has to do is prove to Marion that he is a changed man and that he deserves a second chance. One can only wonder whether Charlie is really any different than before. When Marion asks Charlie how long his drinking will remain at one a day, his response is not one of confidence. While reminiscing about the past, he recalls the days of living in luxury and the way he threw money around. He seems to find those memories as joyful ones and not one of regret. When Charlie states that he lost money during the crash, but everything during the boom, he realizes that what he lost was his family and that they are important to him. Possibly this is why he dwells in the past, where Helen lives, and has not yet gone on with his life. The author uses a metaphor in following passage:
Some common words found in the essay are:
Wales Paris, Marion Family, Charlie Honoria, Empire Honoria, Duncan Marion's, Marion Charlie, Lorraine Duncan, Babylon Revisited, aches wounds, splits skin, family quarrels, won't heal, wounds splits skin, family quarrels aches, charlie claims, quarrels aches, lorraine duncan, splits skin won't, wounds splits, quarrels aches wounds, crystallized utterly, aches wounds splits, marion's house,
Approximate Word count = 1093
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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