Francis Scott Fitzgerald put himself into his writings, both literally and figuratively, and this is certainly true for "Babylon Revisited"; very few studies of his life find it possible to ignore the story as being something representative of Fitzgerald or his times. Any biographical study, then, serves in itself as background material for an understanding of "Babylon Revisited." The intention here is to recognize those elements from Fitzgerald's life that had the most direct bearing in the composition of "Babylon Revisited," without overburdening the study with those more general biographical aspects that have been treated in depth elsewhere.
             Composed in 1931 and published in 1935, "Babylon Revisited" is "the story of a man whose failure to understand the tyranny of time and the subversive properties of money results in a tragic defeat" (Cowart 27). The story's main character, Charlie Wales, attempts to get back on track with the American Dream after his wife's death, the stock market crash of 1929, and a difficult battle with alcoholism. He becomes a businessman in Prague, Czechoslovakia, and returns to Paris in an attempt to regain custody of his daughter, Honoria. Honoria is Charlie's last hope of re-establishing his family life, for she is still forgiving and trusting at the innocent age of nine. However, the child is under the legal guardianship of Charlie's sister-in-law, Marion Peters, who rigidly holds Charlie's past against him, and her husband, Lincoln. Rather unluckily, some former drinking companions burst in as final arrangements are being made, and at the end it is clear that Charlie will have to wait a while longer before he recovers Honoria and his honor.
             This story becomes clearer when we see how Fitzgerald's own life experiences provided material for his fiction. Fitzgerald's unsteady financial situation paralleled Charlie's. Even in 1931, two years after the stock market cra...