Babylon Revisited: Truly Left Babylon

After a national tragedy has struck the United States, a group of survivors now has to learn how to survive on their own. In Alas, Babylon a nuclear war has just started that has majorly decreased the population in countries around the world leaving nuclear fallout in its path. Alas, Babylon takes place in the United States, Florida in a small town called Fort Repose. Frank writes, in his book Alas, Babylon, about Randy Bragg and a small group of survivors from River road that band together to take on all the changes that face them without the help from the government. The three methods of survival that Randy and his band of survivors use are making ways to process items and recharge batteries; reinventing old ways of transportation and replacing

Which would you value more-knowledge, or truth? Stephen Vincent Benét explores this question in his short story “By the Waters of Babylon”. However, Benét doesn’t answer this question exactly, instead “By the Waters of Babylon” focuses more on a singular theme that knowledge and truth are intertwined. Benét brings the reader into a post-apocalyptic world where humans have resorted to a more primitive state after the “Great Burning”(310). Now the only humans left with any knowledge are the Priests, and John happens to be the son of one. John has been exposed to the only remaining knowledge that he’s been told his society has at that the time and now quest for more. This burning desire that John has to know more of

What is the most important thing to know about knowledge you are given? The answer is simple, the truth. In the story “By the Waters of Babylon” the main character John is on a quest for knowledge. In his civilization the priests are the wisest and most knowledgeable people. John is the son of a priest and wants to become one himself. John is obsessed with finding more knowledge. John says, “My knowledge made me happy--it was like a fire in my heart” (Benet 312). He dreams of going to on a journey to the The Dead Place, a place that is forbidden for any of his people to go to.

When drastic times occur and sweep one of everything they own, do they have a plan of action? Will they be prepared for a life without power, resources, and stability? Many times when people are faced with this situation they find themselves unprepared and unable to live in such conditions. They lose the connections with the world, the water they drink is likely to get contaminated, and the scarcity of goods is a threat to themselves and anyone left alive. Everywhere around them there is death and destruction leaving them isolated in their own dystopia. Pat Frank’s Alas, Babylon illustrates a nuclear bomb simulation. In such a way, he gives the readers a taste of isolation and survival needs when facing such drastic times.

In both I Am Legend and “By the Waters of Babylon,” the author and the director have very comparable styles when it comes to certain aspects of their work. The theme of both the film and the story revolve around the idea of humanity destroying itself due to the misuse of power and misunderstanding of the knowledge they had acquired. On the contrary, the mood in I Am Legend and “By the Waters of Babylon” are vastly different. In the film, the viewer feels the pain and loss embodied by Robert Neville himself; while in the story, John didn’t have any personal losses related to the catastrophic event that overtook those before him. Therefore the reader doesn’t connect to John in the same empathetic

1. The main conflict in the novel is ‘man vs. society.’ Randy was constantly put against the highwaymen. Randy really wanted and was trying to create peace and order in Fort Repose post nuclear attacks while the highwaymen was using violence to get everything they needed.

Knowing the historical context of a work is crucial to understanding both its general meaning and its deeper essence. Often times, authors use their works as outlets to freely express their personal feelings toward a social trend or issue. As such, the time in which a story is written can have a strong influence on the message the author is trying to convey to his or her reader. Their personal reflections can be asserted in many ways; among the most common being through the characters themselves and their development throughout the work, the setting, and the implied themes.

The reason Charlie travels to Paris in the first place is to attempt to regain custody of his daughter, Honoria. He lost custody of Honoria due to a problem with alcoholism. Because he was not fit to care for a child he gave up his custody rights to Honoria to his sister-in-law, Marion. When Charlie consents to the guardianship he states he “…was flat on my back in a sanitarium and the market had cleaned me out. I knew I’d acted badly and thought it would bring any peace to Helen, I’d agree to anything.” (Fitzgerald 707) He loves and cares for Honoria enough that he would sort through his alcoholism and become a fit parent mentally and financially. The only problem is that his past kept him from gaining custody of her and he had lost so much precious time with her. He knew he lost time but still remains optimistic of their future together and dreams of being apart of her life. He wants to put “…a little of himself into her before she crystallized utterly.” (Fitzgerald 704) But then states, “It was hopeless to try to know her in so short a time.” (Fitzgerald 704) Although Charlie talks Marion into considering giving him custody this consideration comes to a startling halt when Charlie’ old friends Duncan and Lorraine arrive at the residence uninvited and highly intoxicated. The short article “Fitzgerald’s THE GREAT GATSBY and BABYLON REVISITED” by Brian Sutton states that, “Although he treats them coldly, this reminder of his past misbehaviors temporarily destroys his bid to get his daughter back.” (Sutton 3) Marion heavily disapproves of this interaction even though it was uninvited and postpones giving Charlie custody rights for another

Charlie was trying to change for the better, his sister-in-law not liking him reflected him in many ways as well for the fact that he had to prove to her that he was a changed man to have custody of his daughter again. He went from drinking drastically to having as little as one drink per day. Who says being a young dad was an easy task? Often Hornia questions why she wasn't able to live with her dad. As stated in the story Marion questions whether he has changed when his old friends entered his life, as they say, birds of a feather flock together. Well, we do want to know was his friends going to influence him back downhill? will he go back to his insane drinking days? In the story, it does mention he meets up with his old friends, in my opinion, Charlie is having some difficulties trying to overcome his drinking habits, although he shouldn't be judged for his past but he should be observed for his current actions.

One morning in the town of Fort Repose, Florida Randy Bragg gets a telegram from his brother Mark. He asks Randy to meet at an air force base at noon, concluding his message with alas Babylon. Alas Babylon means something is wrong. Arriving at noon, Randy finds the Orlando Air Force base empty, soon after Mark arrives and leads Randy into a back room. He tells him that the Russians are trying to take over the Mediterranean, and that they are willing to start a nuclear war. Randy makes his way to the supermarket, where he stocks up on food, soon after his girlfriend visits him. Randy begins to warn her when the local doctor comes to ask her a question, so Randy also tells the doctor what’s happening. Randy goes to his girlfriend’s house to tell her parents, but they don’t like him so they think he is lying.

In the story F. Scotts Fitzgerald dubbed, "Babylon Revisited" a story about a man named Charlie Wales who goes on a quest to go to Paris and bring back his daughter, Honoria, back home to live with him instead of his sister and brother-in-law. Charlie was a man who had a drinking problem when him and his wife were still together even when they had Honoria. Eventually, Charlie 's bad temperment led him to lock his wife out of his house which indirectly led to her untimely death and Honoria being taken away from him and put into the care of his sister/brother-in-law in Paris. Charlie tries to convince his brother and sister-in-law, Lincoln and Marion, to release Honoria into his custody to return back home in Prague. Charlie eventually convinces the both of them to give him back Honoria, but in the end after reflecting on the things that Charlie has done in the past and is current state the couple change their mind and tell him to first completely fix his drinking problem. Before diving into the analysis, a little background context for this time era is neccessary before going any further. This story occurs towards the end of the Great Depression where Charlie returns to Paris from a sanitarium because of his alcholism problem. The Great Depression was a time where the stock market crashed in 1929 and as a result, Charlie 's money crashed along with it which could have been the cause of his severe alcholism. Now that Charlie has returned to Paris though after a few years, he

F. Scott Fitzgerald is known as the spokesman of the "Lost Generation" of Americans in the 1920s. The phrase, "Lost Generation," was coined by Gertrude Stein "to describe the young men who had served in World War I and were forced to grow up to find all Gods dead, all wars fought, all faiths in man shaken" (Charters 489). Fitzgerald exemplified the generation that Stein defined. His family, with help from an aunt, put him through preparatory school and then through Princeton University (Charters 489). Fitzgerald’s family hoped that he would stop "wasting his time scribbling" and would be serious about his studies (Charters 489). However, he left college before graduating and accepted a

In “Babylon Revisited” Marion’s disdain toward Charlie is justified through many abrasive actions. Charlie is a recovering alcoholic who wants custody of his daughter, Honoria to be with him. After, the death of Charlie’s wife, Helene she sent Honoria to live with Marion, Charlie's sister in law. When Marion learns that Charlie wants to be with Honoria and take custody, she lips out and denies his request. Through, Marion's perspective Charlie has proved himself wrong time and time again. For instance, Charlie leaves Helen outside in a snowstorm while intoxicated; which leads to her death. After hearing this Marion would have every reason to disdain Charlie. Not only, has Charlie been an alcoholic for many years, but now when he is trying to

Charlie’s behavior really affected his ability to become a better father. No matter what mistakes he made he grew up and realized the bigger picture. The bigger picture was his little girl that was his everything. That moment that he decided to have only one drink a day was the day he knew he can change. No matter how the situation ended up with his late wife he still made poor choices. For Charlie’s to open his eyes and see what he was missing in life is what is important. Honoria was his saver on becoming a new man “he had larger plans” (F Scott Fitzgerald 649). He had plans for his future with Honoria. Charlie put effort and though of how his plans would be if only Marion allowed him to take the care of his child.

The main theme in the short story “Babylon Revisited” is that you can’t repeat the past. Charlie has a lot of hope for the future, but his guilt from the past catches up with him. He tries to forget about the Paris he used to know, but memories from the past haunts him throughout the story. His past is inescapable and he has to pay great debts when the party comes to an end. “Babylon Revisited”, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald was published in 1931. The story is greatly affected by the time period it was written in, and by what was going on in Fitzgerald’s life.