Babylon Revisited

by

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Babylon Revisited makes teaching easy.

Charlie Wales Character Analysis

Charlie Wales, 35, is the protagonist of “Babylon Revisited,” who has returned to Paris to regain custody of his daughter, Honoria. Charlie, Honoria, and Charlie’s wife, Helen, lived in Paris for two years in the late 1920s. During that time, Charlie was very wealthy and didn’t have to work, instead spending his time partying, travelling, and drinking heavily. However, Charlie’s alcoholism eventually led to his collapse and the destruction of his marriage, after which Helen died. In returning to Paris, Charlie seems to be a changed man. He got sober after a stint in the sanatorium, began working again and recovered some of his wealth, and he now desires, above all else, to have a proper family and home in Prague, where he presently lives. To do so, he hopes to bring Honoria back with him, though he must win approval from Honoria’s custodial parent, his wife’s sister, Marion. In trying to prove himself to Marion—who mistrusts and even dislikes him—Charlie puts forward the best version of himself, but it’s unclear whether he will remain sober or whether he has changed enough since his time in Paris to be entrusted with his daughter’s care. His strong sense of remorse for his past actions, along with his desire to rebuild a family and a home, motivate him to behave with humility in the face of Marion’s consistently cruel treatment of him, though at times he missteps, bragging about his wealth or becoming defensive. The murky details of Charlie’s past—including the questions of whether he was responsible for Helen’s death and whether he had an affair with Lorraine Quarrles—point to a potentially cruel side of Charlie that suggest Marion may be right to regard him with such suspicion, and that perhaps he shouldn’t be relied upon to look after his daughter. Because the narrative follows Charlie’s point of view so closely, it’s difficult to clearly judge his marriage to Helen, his alcoholism, or whether he has truly changed, so he remains a morally complex—and even somewhat ambiguous—character.

Charlie Wales Quotes in Babylon Revisited

The Babylon Revisited quotes below are all either spoken by Charlie Wales or refer to Charlie Wales. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Wealth and Poverty Theme Icon
).
Section 1 Quotes

“My income last year was bigger than it was when I had money. You see, the Czechs—”
His boasting was for a specific purpose; but after a moment, seeing a faint restiveness in Lincoln’s eyes, he changed the subject:
“Those are fine children of yours, well brought up, good manners.”

Related Characters: Charlie Wales (speaker)
Page Number: 618
Explanation and Analysis:

A great wave of protectiveness went over him. He thought he knew what to do for her. He believed in character; he wanted to jump back a whole generation and trust in character again as the eternally valuable element. Everything wore out.

Related Characters: Charlie Wales, Honoria Wales
Page Number: 619
Explanation and Analysis:

He remembered thousand-franc notes given to an orchestra for playing a single number, hundred-franc notes tossed to a doorman for calling a cab.
But it hadn't been given for nothing.
It had been given, even the most wildly squandered sum, as an offering to destiny that he might not remember the things most worth remembering, the things that now he would always remember—his child taken from his control, his wife escaped to a grave in Vermont.

Related Characters: Charlie Wales, Honoria Wales , Helen Wales
Page Number: 620
Explanation and Analysis:
Section 2 Quotes

"First, we're going to that toy store in the Rue Saint-Honoré and buy you anything you like. And then we're going to the vaudeville at the Empire."
She hesitated. "I like it about the vaudeville, but not the toy store."
"Why not?"
"Well, you brought me this doll." She had it with her. "And I've got lots of things. And we're not rich any more, are we?"
"We never were. But today you are to have anything you want."
"All right," she agreed resignedly.

Related Characters: Charlie Wales (speaker), Honoria Wales (speaker)
Page Number: 621
Explanation and Analysis:

Somehow, an unwelcome encounter. They liked him because he was functioning, because he was serious; they wanted to see him, because he was stronger than they were now, because they wanted to draw a certain sustenance from his strength.

Related Characters: Charlie Wales, Duncan Schaeffer , Lorraine Quarrles
Page Number: 623
Explanation and Analysis:

"Daddy, I want to come and live with you," she said suddenly.
His heart leaped; he had wanted it to come like this.
"Aren't you perfectly happy?"
"Yes, but I love you better than anybody. And you love me better than anybody, don't you, now that mummy's dead?"
"Of course I do. But you won't always like me best, honey. You'll grow up and meet somebody your own age and go marry him and forget you ever had a daddy."
"Yes, that's true," she agreed tranquilly.

Related Characters: Charlie Wales (speaker), Honoria Wales (speaker), Helen Wales
Page Number: 623
Explanation and Analysis:
Section 3 Quotes

As I told you, I haven't had more than a drink a day for over a year, and I take that drink deliberately, so that the idea of alcohol won't get too big in my imagination. You see the idea?"
"No," said Marion succinctly.
"It's a sort of stunt I set myself. It keeps the matter in proportion."
"I get you," said Lincoln. "You don't want to admit it's got any attraction for you."
"Something like that. Sometimes I forget and don't take it. But I try to take it.”

Related Characters: Charlie Wales (speaker), Marion Peters (speaker), Lincoln Peters (speaker)
Page Number: 624
Explanation and Analysis:

"I don't blame Marion," Charlie said slowly, "but I think she can have entire confidence in me. I had a good record up to three years ago. Of course, it's within human possibilities I might go wrong any time. But if we wait much longer I'll lose Honoria's childhood and my chance for a home." He shook his head, "I'll simply lose her, don't you see?"

Related Characters: Charlie Wales (speaker), Marion Peters (speaker), Lincoln Peters (speaker)
Page Number: 626
Explanation and Analysis:

Marion shuddered suddenly; part of her saw that Charlie's feet were planted on the earth now, and her own maternal feeling recognized the naturalness of his desire; but she had lived for a long time with a prejudice—a prejudice founded on a curious disbelief in her sister's happiness, and which, in the shock of one terrible night, had turned to hatred for him. It had all happened at a point in her life where the discouragement of ill health and adverse circumstances made it necessary for her to believe in tangible villainy and a tangible villain.
"I can't help what I think!" she cried out suddenly. "How much you were responsible for Helen's death, I don't know. It's something you'll have to square with your own conscience."

Related Characters: Marion Peters (speaker), Charlie Wales, Helen Wales
Page Number: 626-627
Explanation and Analysis:
Section 4 Quotes

"There's another thing." Lincoln hesitated. "While you and Helen were tearing around Europe throwing money away, we were just getting along. I didn't touch any of the prosperity because I never got ahead enough to carry anything but my insurance. I think Marion felt there was some kind of injustice in it—you not even working toward the end, and getting richer and richer."
"It went just as quick as it came," said Charlie.

Related Characters: Charlie Wales (speaker), Lincoln Peters (speaker)
Page Number: 629
Explanation and Analysis:

His first feeling was one of awe that he had actually, in his mature years, stolen a tricycle and pedaled Lorraine all over the Étoile between the small hours and dawn. In retrospect it was a nightmare. Locking out Helen didn't fit in with any other act of his life, but the tricycle incident did--it was one of many. How many weeks or months of dissipation to arrive at that condition of utter irresponsibility?

Related Characters: Charlie Wales, Helen Wales , Lorraine Quarrles
Page Number: 629
Explanation and Analysis:

He tried to picture how Lorraine had appeared to him then—very attractive; Helen was unhappy about it, though she said nothing. Yesterday, in the restaurant, Lorraine had seemed trite, blurred, worn away. He emphatically did not want to see her, and he was glad Alix had not given away his hotel address. It was a relief to think, instead, of Honoria, to think of Sundays spent with her and of saying good morning to her and of knowing she was there in his house at night, drawing her breath in the darkness.

Related Characters: Charlie Wales, Honoria Wales , Helen Wales , Lorraine Quarrles
Page Number: 629-630
Explanation and Analysis:
Section 5 Quotes

"I heard that you lost a lot in the crash."
"I did," and he added grimly, "but I lost everything I wanted in the boom."
"Selling short."
"Something like that."

Related Characters: Charlie Wales (speaker), Paul (speaker)
Page Number: 633
Explanation and Analysis:

There wasn't much he could do now except send Honoria some things; he would send her a lot of things tomorrow. He thought rather angrily that this was just money—he had given so many people money. . . .
"No, no more," he said to another waiter. "What do I owe you?"

Related Characters: Charlie Wales (speaker), Honoria Wales , Helen Wales
Page Number: 633
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Babylon Revisited LitChart as a printable PDF.
Babylon Revisited PDF

Charlie Wales Quotes in Babylon Revisited

The Babylon Revisited quotes below are all either spoken by Charlie Wales or refer to Charlie Wales. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Wealth and Poverty Theme Icon
).
Section 1 Quotes

“My income last year was bigger than it was when I had money. You see, the Czechs—”
His boasting was for a specific purpose; but after a moment, seeing a faint restiveness in Lincoln’s eyes, he changed the subject:
“Those are fine children of yours, well brought up, good manners.”

Related Characters: Charlie Wales (speaker)
Page Number: 618
Explanation and Analysis:

A great wave of protectiveness went over him. He thought he knew what to do for her. He believed in character; he wanted to jump back a whole generation and trust in character again as the eternally valuable element. Everything wore out.

Related Characters: Charlie Wales, Honoria Wales
Page Number: 619
Explanation and Analysis:

He remembered thousand-franc notes given to an orchestra for playing a single number, hundred-franc notes tossed to a doorman for calling a cab.
But it hadn't been given for nothing.
It had been given, even the most wildly squandered sum, as an offering to destiny that he might not remember the things most worth remembering, the things that now he would always remember—his child taken from his control, his wife escaped to a grave in Vermont.

Related Characters: Charlie Wales, Honoria Wales , Helen Wales
Page Number: 620
Explanation and Analysis:
Section 2 Quotes

"First, we're going to that toy store in the Rue Saint-Honoré and buy you anything you like. And then we're going to the vaudeville at the Empire."
She hesitated. "I like it about the vaudeville, but not the toy store."
"Why not?"
"Well, you brought me this doll." She had it with her. "And I've got lots of things. And we're not rich any more, are we?"
"We never were. But today you are to have anything you want."
"All right," she agreed resignedly.

Related Characters: Charlie Wales (speaker), Honoria Wales (speaker)
Page Number: 621
Explanation and Analysis:

Somehow, an unwelcome encounter. They liked him because he was functioning, because he was serious; they wanted to see him, because he was stronger than they were now, because they wanted to draw a certain sustenance from his strength.

Related Characters: Charlie Wales, Duncan Schaeffer , Lorraine Quarrles
Page Number: 623
Explanation and Analysis:

"Daddy, I want to come and live with you," she said suddenly.
His heart leaped; he had wanted it to come like this.
"Aren't you perfectly happy?"
"Yes, but I love you better than anybody. And you love me better than anybody, don't you, now that mummy's dead?"
"Of course I do. But you won't always like me best, honey. You'll grow up and meet somebody your own age and go marry him and forget you ever had a daddy."
"Yes, that's true," she agreed tranquilly.

Related Characters: Charlie Wales (speaker), Honoria Wales (speaker), Helen Wales
Page Number: 623
Explanation and Analysis:
Section 3 Quotes

As I told you, I haven't had more than a drink a day for over a year, and I take that drink deliberately, so that the idea of alcohol won't get too big in my imagination. You see the idea?"
"No," said Marion succinctly.
"It's a sort of stunt I set myself. It keeps the matter in proportion."
"I get you," said Lincoln. "You don't want to admit it's got any attraction for you."
"Something like that. Sometimes I forget and don't take it. But I try to take it.”

Related Characters: Charlie Wales (speaker), Marion Peters (speaker), Lincoln Peters (speaker)
Page Number: 624
Explanation and Analysis:

"I don't blame Marion," Charlie said slowly, "but I think she can have entire confidence in me. I had a good record up to three years ago. Of course, it's within human possibilities I might go wrong any time. But if we wait much longer I'll lose Honoria's childhood and my chance for a home." He shook his head, "I'll simply lose her, don't you see?"

Related Characters: Charlie Wales (speaker), Marion Peters (speaker), Lincoln Peters (speaker)
Page Number: 626
Explanation and Analysis:

Marion shuddered suddenly; part of her saw that Charlie's feet were planted on the earth now, and her own maternal feeling recognized the naturalness of his desire; but she had lived for a long time with a prejudice—a prejudice founded on a curious disbelief in her sister's happiness, and which, in the shock of one terrible night, had turned to hatred for him. It had all happened at a point in her life where the discouragement of ill health and adverse circumstances made it necessary for her to believe in tangible villainy and a tangible villain.
"I can't help what I think!" she cried out suddenly. "How much you were responsible for Helen's death, I don't know. It's something you'll have to square with your own conscience."

Related Characters: Marion Peters (speaker), Charlie Wales, Helen Wales
Page Number: 626-627
Explanation and Analysis:
Section 4 Quotes

"There's another thing." Lincoln hesitated. "While you and Helen were tearing around Europe throwing money away, we were just getting along. I didn't touch any of the prosperity because I never got ahead enough to carry anything but my insurance. I think Marion felt there was some kind of injustice in it—you not even working toward the end, and getting richer and richer."
"It went just as quick as it came," said Charlie.

Related Characters: Charlie Wales (speaker), Lincoln Peters (speaker)
Page Number: 629
Explanation and Analysis:

His first feeling was one of awe that he had actually, in his mature years, stolen a tricycle and pedaled Lorraine all over the Étoile between the small hours and dawn. In retrospect it was a nightmare. Locking out Helen didn't fit in with any other act of his life, but the tricycle incident did--it was one of many. How many weeks or months of dissipation to arrive at that condition of utter irresponsibility?

Related Characters: Charlie Wales, Helen Wales , Lorraine Quarrles
Page Number: 629
Explanation and Analysis:

He tried to picture how Lorraine had appeared to him then—very attractive; Helen was unhappy about it, though she said nothing. Yesterday, in the restaurant, Lorraine had seemed trite, blurred, worn away. He emphatically did not want to see her, and he was glad Alix had not given away his hotel address. It was a relief to think, instead, of Honoria, to think of Sundays spent with her and of saying good morning to her and of knowing she was there in his house at night, drawing her breath in the darkness.

Related Characters: Charlie Wales, Honoria Wales , Helen Wales , Lorraine Quarrles
Page Number: 629-630
Explanation and Analysis:
Section 5 Quotes

"I heard that you lost a lot in the crash."
"I did," and he added grimly, "but I lost everything I wanted in the boom."
"Selling short."
"Something like that."

Related Characters: Charlie Wales (speaker), Paul (speaker)
Page Number: 633
Explanation and Analysis:

There wasn't much he could do now except send Honoria some things; he would send her a lot of things tomorrow. He thought rather angrily that this was just money—he had given so many people money. . . .
"No, no more," he said to another waiter. "What do I owe you?"

Related Characters: Charlie Wales (speaker), Honoria Wales , Helen Wales
Page Number: 633
Explanation and Analysis: