Babylon Revisited Essay Research Paper An Analysis — страница 2

  • Просмотров 235
  • Скачиваний 9
  • Размер файла 15
    Кб

also realizing how little time there is before he will no longer has any influence on what kind of person his daughter will become. The writer uses a simile when Charlie is discussing family problems with his sister-in-law, Marion. "Family quarrels are bitter things. They don’t go according to any rules. They’re not like aches or wounds; they’re more like splits in the skin that won’t heal because there’s not enough material. I wish you and I could be on better terms." Charlie compares family quarrels to aches, wounds, and splits in the skin that won’t heal. He says that family quarrels are not like aches or wounds but they are like splits in the skin. When he talks about splits that won’t heal because there is not enough material, he means that he

understands that some quarrels cannot be resolved because too many things have happened and the feelings between the family member are too bitter and run too deep. The reader could feel sympathy for Charlie since he claims to be a recovering alcoholic who has lost his wife, daughter, and money during the stock market crash. He realizes that he once had a problem but that he has finally turned his life around. To regain custody of Honoria, all he has to do is prove to Marion that he is a changed man and that he deserves a second chance. One can only wonder whether Charlie is really any different than before. When Marion asks Charlie how long his drinking will remain at one a day, his response is not one of confidence. While reminiscing about the past, he recalls the days of living

in luxury and the way he threw money around. He seems to find those memories as joyful ones and not one of regret. When Charlie states that he lost money during the crash, but everything during the boom, he realizes that what he lost was his family and that they are important to him. Possibly this is why he dwells in the past, where Helen lives, and has not yet gone on with his life.