Return To Babylon - Analysis Essay

Charlie talks about Norma his younger sister the most but Charlie only remembers bad memories with his sister for example Norma use to become jealous of he brother because she thought he was getting special treatment.

Charlie’s friendship with Jasper Jones, his parents, and witnessing the intolerance of Corrigan are the three biggest factors in Charlie's development from innocence to experience. Jasper Jones exposed him to fear and forced him to be brave and face his fears, the rampant intolerance in Corrigan, both racial and otherwise, exposed him to the injustices of the real world, and his relationship with his parents taught him to be diplomatic and control his

Charlie also learns love in a way to get him better and set him for life. When his mother makes him dig the hole and fill it back up, this is harsh love and will prepare Charlie for later life as it will teach him respect and manners. Charlie deep down knows this is what his mother is trying to teach him, but at the time he just wanted to believe that she was trying to punish, annoy and make him work. Charlie also discovers the love of peers. When Charlie is dragged into the drama of Laura by Jasper he didn’t know if to trust him. But when the truth came out and Jasper wasn’t a part of it, Charlie loved him for telling the truth and being a good friend. Also when Jasper asks Charlie to leave Corrigan with him when they are older, Charlie loves Jasper for the respect and friendship he is giving him. Charlie also sees the act of false love. This is seen by Charlie when he witnesses his mother cheating on his father in the backseat of a car. Charlie knew his parents relationship wasn’t going too well, but he didn’t expect this. He uses this to overcome his mothers power over him. But this example shows us how Charlie has learnt the difference between real love and false love, this will only help him later in life.

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

Charlie begins to hang out with Sam and Patrick and is getting in the routine of going to football games and then going out afterwards to celebrate. Afterwhile he catches feelings for Sam and the way he expresses them further deepens our understanding of his depression. Instead of going with the flow and not telling her about the dreams he had about her, he professes his love for her in the form of sharing his dreams and telling her just how he feels. Perhaps, this isn’t all his fault because when Sam tells him that she’s too old for him, he becomes obsessed with his love for her and can’t stop thinking about how perfect she is in his eyes. The only thing this confession has done for him is make his feelings grow and send him in a downward spiral of

Charlie shows us the intertwining of time when thinking of his future plans with Honoria, then thinking of the plans he had made with his late wife and never completed in the past. He then comes to the present and realizes that it is most important (Mizner 316).

After the operation, in only a couple of months, Charlie starts showing signs of new intelligence. His grammar, improved, and he is able to reflect on what his does in the past something he wasn’t able to do before. He had finally gotten something use had always desired. Then, everything and everyone turned on him. In “PROGRESS REPORT 12” April 30th (pg. 60) Charlie writes: “now, they hate me for my knowledge and understanding. What in the name of god do they want of me? They’ve driven me out of the factory. Now I more alone than ever before…” Charlie got what he always wanted, and now he lost everything he had. It was a sacrifice it sounded like he didn’t want to make. I can tell just be the tone of his writing. This shows that we should embrace everything that we have. Charlie didn’t embrace everything, although he appreciated most of the thing he never became happy not being able to just enjoy life as it is.

Eventually, Mary Elizabeth forgives him. It is about time for Sam, Patrick, and his sister to graduate and for his favorite teacher to leave. Charlie starts to wonder how he will cope with the loss of his friends yet again. Then, he learns of the hidden horrors of his childhood and becomes indisposed with the knowledge of his molestation. Charlie is sent to a hospital where he gets help in rediscovering who he is. Following his release, Charlie is much better at creating relationships and is more hopeful for the

Charlie Kelmeckis is described as a “wallflower.” He is socially awkward and likes to keep to himself. He also really enjoys reading and writing. Charlie cares deeply for others, but has a lot of guilt about past events. For example, Charlie believes that the death of his Aunt Helen is his fault, because she was killed in a car accident on an errand to get Charlie a birthday gift. Charlie has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety, and Depression. His mental instability was mostly caused by being sexually abused by his Aunt Helen before the age of seven. Charlie experiences flashbacks of his Aunt over the course of the movie, but all are portrayed in a positive light.

Charlie was faced with many losses throughout the story. For example, he had the surgery that made him intelligent, but he soon regressed to his previous self. Secondly, he also lost a mouse named Algernon, who he raced with at the research hospital. Lastly, Charlie lossed

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.

13-14) For her, Charlie was the embodiment of that villain. Though the argument that resulted in the incident was the fault of both parties, Marion is unwilling or unable to consider Helen an equal party to Charlie's excesses. Marion's hatred of Charlie makes it impossible for her to impartially judge his attempts to rebuild his life. When she questions, "How long are you going to stay sober, Charlie?" (p. 12) at dinner the first evening of his return, her behavior is colored by her ill feelings toward her brother-in-law, but her concern for his willingness to stay sober is valid and understandable given Charlie's past behavior and her genuine concern for Honoria's best interests. His continued separation from Honoria is wrenching, but Marion's resistance to relinquishing custody, though partially fuelled by her hatred of Charlie, is also motivated by her fondness for her niece.

“The door of the world was open again. He made plans, vistas, futures for Honoria and himself” (2211). But soon the happy thoughts are clouded by the memories of his late wife, Helen. His memories would always be around to haunt him, and this became extremely clear when Charlie received a letter from an old friend of his. Lorraine Quarrles, who he ran into when he was with Honoria, was one of the people he spent most of his time with when drunk. During his encounter with her and another friend, Duncan Schaeffer, they were taken aback by his sobriety and tried to offer him a drink on multiple occasions. His refusal and later lack of contact cause the two to seek out Charlie for themselves, and from here on, everything goes downhill. The pair show up to the Peters’ just when Charlie, Marion, and Lincoln are finalizing the plans regarding Honoria’s custody. Charlie is outraged by their sudden appearance, but so is Marion. She changes her mind about giving away her custodial rights; the drunk pair just gave her more proof that Charlie would never change. He vows to come back some day stating “they couldn’t make him pay forever” (2215). All he wants is his child, and his past has kept him from

If this story was a narrative, there would be more thoughts of Charlie’s in each situation. As he closes the day or, writes about a previous day, it is impossible to record all his thoughts; to add to this, he knows that others will be reading it and has admitted that it is hard for him to openly admit everything (Keyes 59). Although these are rather minor problems, each affects the story in small ways. The story is so focused on Charlie and he doesn’t know everyone’s stories that it causes him to be blindsided and not understand why a character acts the way they do. This is most prevalent when Burt tells Charlie about Professor Nemur wife’s character (Keyes 152). At this point, Charlie learns that Nemur’s wife has a lot of control over his career and without her, he wouldn’t be where he is now. Other details, like these, would help add to the story to give a more complete view of each character.

Charlie and his wife lived in Paris during the twenties, and just as any other night they were out drinking and having fun. They get into a fight witch results in his wife, Helen, kissing another man. Charlie storms home, and an hour later when Helen has stumbled herself home, Charlie locks her out of their apartment and she dies soon after. Charlie has a breakdown and is institutionalized right before he looses all his money in the stock market crash of 1929. As the story opens three years later Charlie is back in Paris, sober, determined to get custody over his daughter, Honoria, who lives with Helens sister, Marion.