Money and the American Character in Fitzgerald's Babylon Revisited

In the short story “Babylon Revisited,” writer F. Scott Fitzgerald generally centers on a theme of defining American character. Fitzgerald emphasizes that a large part of the American character has to do with money. Essentially, the main point he makes is that money is a very important aspect of the American character and therefore has a large effect on the consciousness and decision-making processes of average Americans. He uses Charlie, the Peters, and Lorraine as different examples of these effects. 

The central figure in Babylon Revisited, Charlie Wales, is one example of American character. Charlie is a person who has been in possession of large amounts of money in the past, but squandered it away in a year-and-a-half long partying phase in which he also lost much of his earnings in the stock market crash. In the past, money was a source for Charlie—a source ofsocial betterment, good times, and lots of drinking. However, now that he has lost so much money in the stock market game, he has a better appreciation of money and now uses it for such things as buying his daughter Honoria “anything [she] want[s]” and “presents for all the Peters,” the family which has taken Honoria in. Charlie is a character who has lost everything because of money and now seeks to gain back only those things which are important, one of which is the wise use and appreciation of money. Charlie also shows determination of making a good life for himself and his family, which are quite important aspects of the American system of values. In these ways, Fitzgerald demonstrates the definition of American character through Charlie Wales.