ALL SUMMARY PACK FOR YOU
CLICK HERE 👇 TO READ SUMMARIES
SUMMARIES OF SHORT STORIES, POEMS, AND PLAYS
 |
| Neb English Support Class 12 |
Babylon Revisited by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Full Plot Summary | Short Story
Babylon Revisited by F. Scott Fitzgerald
ABOUT THE STORY
Babylon Revisited by F. Scott Fitzgerald
This short story, "Babylon Revisited," was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was written in 1930. It was first published on February 21, 1931, in the Saturday Evening Post and free inside The Telegraph the following Saturday.
This story is about Charlie, a rich man who tries to redeem his past reckless self by searching for the affection and parental custody of his daughter.
The story is all about memory, regret, and one man's desire to atone for the past.
The story explores the major themes of parental love, homemaking, and making amends.
FULL PLOT SUMMARY
Babylon Revisited by F. Scott Fitzgerald
This story is divided into five different parts. In the very beginning of Part I, we find two characters, Charlie and Alix, talking to each other. Alix is a bartender at the Ritz. Charlie wants Alix to provide his brother-in-law's address to a person called Duncan Schaeffer. The narrator says that it feels empty in Paris and at the Ritz bar. Charlie tells Alix that he hasn't had a drink for a year and a half and is now living his life as a businessman in Prague. Both of them talk about people they used to know. Charlie mentions that he's here in town, especially to visit his daughter.
Charlie moves and takes a taxi ride. For him, the Left Bank area looks provincial, and he wonders if he's made the city less appealing for himself. The story narrator tells us that Charlie is a good-looking 35-year-old man. Charlie moves to his brother-in-law's house. When he arrives there, his daughter, Honoria, greets him quite happily. Marion Peters, his sister-in-law, seems a bit unhappy and doesn't welcome him warmly. But his brother-in-law, Lincoln Peters, seems more friendly. Charlie starts commenting about how well off he is financially these days. His comment makes Lincoln seem uneasy, so Charlie changes the topic. Marion mentions that she's happy there aren't many Americans left in Paris. This statement by Marion makes it clear that she doesn't like Charlie.
After having dinner with the Peters family, Charlie moves to see a well-known dancer named Josephine Baker. Next, he heads to Montmartre and walks past nightclubs that he recognizes. He notices some scared tourists making their way to one of the clubs. He thinks about what it means to waste time and money. He remembers all the money he spent carelessly there. On the other hand, when a woman tries to flirt with him, he ignores her. He goes back home.
The second part of the story starts the next morning. Charlie takes Honoria out for lunch. He suggests to her that they should go to a toy shop and later watch a vaudeville show. Honoria doesn't like to visit the toy shop because she thinks that they are not wealthy anymore. Charlie jokingly acts like a stranger and introduces himself to Honoria as if they've never met before. He pretends that her doll isn't only a doll but her baby, and she starts playing along with the doll. She tells Charlie that she likes Lincoln more than Marion and inquires why she can't live with him.
After leaving the restaurant, Charlie meets his two old friends, Duncan Schaeffer and Lorraine Quarrles. Lorraine informs Charlie that she and her husband are poor now. She is spending her life in poverty, and she is alone in Paris. Both friends invite Charlie to dinner, but Charlie declines their invitation and doesn't even tell them where he's staying. They meet once again at the Vaudeville show. Charlie has a drink with them. In the taxi back home, Honoria tells Charlie that she wants to live with him. Charlie becomes very happy hearing this. She kisses Charlie when she's safely inside the house.
In the third part of the story, Charlie talks to both Marion and Lincoln. He tells them that he wants Honoria to live with him and that he's changed. He explains to them that he only has one drink a day on purpose, so he won't think too much about drinking again. Marion doesn't get his words, but Lincoln thinks he does. Charlie prepares for a big argument, reminding himself that he's not trying his best to defend his actions but to win Honoria back.
Marion informs Charlie that she hasn't seen him as important. Marion felt so bad about Charlie since he locked Helen, her sister, and Charlie's wife out of their home. Charlie tries to assure Marion that she can trust him. Through Marion's opinion, her dislike for Charlie becomes more clear. Charlie starts worrying that Marion might influence Honoria against him. He keeps on emphasising that he can provide a good life for Honoria, but later he notices that both Marion and Lincoln don't want to hear about his wealth. In the meantime, Charlie really desires a drink.
The narrator explains that Marion understands that Charlie wishes to see his daughter but sees him as a bad person. She hints that Charlie was the real cause of Helen's death. But Lincoln disagrees with her opinion. According to Charlie, Helen died from heart problems, but Marion sarcastically agrees with his opinion. Suddenly, Marion stops arguing with Charlie and leaves. Later, Lincoln tells Charlie that he can take Honoria with him.
In his hotel room, Charlie thinks a lot about how he and Helen destroyed their love for no reason. He recalls that particular night when they fought and Helen kissed someone else. When Charlie got home first, he locked her out. Later, there was a snowstorm, and Helen wandered outside in the cold. This event marked the “beginning of the end” of their relationship. Later, Charlie falls asleep and dreams of Helen. In a dream, Helen says to him that she wants him and Honoria to be together.
The fourth part of the story starts the next day. Charlie interviews two possible caretakers for Honoria. Later, he moves to have lunch with Lincoln. Charlie mentions that Marion is upset because both Charlie and Helen spent a lot of money while Marion and Lincoln struggled a lot financially. Charlie gets a letter from Lorraine delivered through a tube to his hotel. Lorraine reminisces about their past silly actions when they were drunk. He wants to meet Charlie at the Ritz bar. Charlie finds Lorraine's memories so enjoyable. But to him, they seem like nightmarish.
In the afternoon, Charlie moves to Marion and Lincoln's house. Honoria knows about the decision. She seems very happy about this decision. The room feels cosy and secure. Suddenly, the doorbell rings. There appear to be Lorraine and Duncan. Both of them are intoxicated. Their tone isn't clear. They invite Charlie to dinner, but Charlie denies them twice. They leave after that, upset. Marion becomes angry and leaves the room. The kids eat dinner, and Lincoln moves to see how Marion is doing. When he comes back, he informs Charlie that they have changed the plan.
In the fifth part of the story, Charlie again goes to the Ritz bar. He meets Paul, a bartender whom he knows from his past. He remembers various things, such as the fights he had with Helen, the people who were drunk or on drugs, and how he left Helen outside in the snow. He calls Lincoln, who says that they need to postpone the idea of Honoria living with Charlie for the next six months. Charlie returns to the bar. He realises that buying things for Honoria is not enough. He decides to return and try again.
ALL SUMMARY PACK FOR YOU
CLICK HERE 👇 TO READ SUMMARIES
Thanks for Visiting my Website: Suraj Bhatt
Post a Comment