Babylon revisited is a story about life after the stock market crash of 1929 during the great depression. Charlie the main character visits Paris and reminisces about the good times they had during the years they were rich. This indicates that a major theme in the story is wealth and poverty. After the stock market crash people had learned to live moderate lives and had become more focused on family. Babylon revisited presents a picture of a city that used to host lavish parties that attracted a lot of people. However, due to the great depression, Fitzgerald depicts a different city that is deserted and which has no lavish parties. “He was not disappointed to find Paris was so empty” (Fitzgerald, 1). The great depression was a monumental part of the history of the United States as it shaped generations of people.
The love song of J. Alfred Prufrock is a poem that presents the interior life of the speaker. The speaker presents himself as anxious and indecisive. “In a minute there is time For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse” (Eliot, 47-48). The speaker is seeking love and affection but is unable to fulfill this desire. Desire as a theme is present in the text as the speaker displays how he is indecisive when it comes to taking action to find a romantic connection. The speaker had always desired a romantic connection but throughout the poem, the hopes remain largely empty. He has a problem creating and maintaining relationships which makes him anxious. The author uses unfinished sentences to indicate the inability to put his feelings into words. This is essential as it helps the reader understand the exact situation the speaker is in. Throughout the poem, the speaker enters the world of fantasy to escape what is happening in reality.
Works Cited
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. Babylon Revisited. BoD E-Short, 2015
Eliot, Thomas Stearns. “The love song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” Poetry 6.3 (1915): 130-135.