Night Out On The Ritz :: essays research papers

In the short story â€Å"Babylon Revisited†, written by F.Scott Fitzgerald there are many different settings in the story. One of the main settings in the story is the bar at the beginning. The bar it self represents the jazz era, where everyone wore fancy clothes, partied all the time and tipped well. The bar is also a cold reminder how the Americans used to live in the 20’s, since they have almost no money in the 30’s. It also represents the old Charlie Wales and it serves as a reminder to the new Charlie Wales about his past. â€Å"We were sort of royalty, almost infallible, with a sort of magic around us†(89). The old Charlie Wales lived during the economic boom of the 20’s, or other wise known as the jazz era. He lived a good life. During that time, he spent a lot of time drinking and throwing away money: â€Å" 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†(90). Sometimes just acting childish with his friends Duncan Schaeffer and Lorraine Quarrles: â€Å"We did have such good times that crazy spring, like that night you and I stole that butcher’s tricycle†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (98). Nevertheless, he spent a lot of time in a bar called the Ritz. When he first got there, it was instinctive to give the head barman his numbers were he was staying as if it was his second home. â€Å"If you see Mr.Schaeffer, give him this†¦It’s my brother-inlaw’s address. I haven’t settled on a hotel yet†(86).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the rolling 20’s came the economic depression of the 30’s. Everyone was affected, even the high and mighty that thought they were even royalties were affected.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Charlie Wales asked the bartender â€Å" By the way, what’s become of Claude Fessenden?† Alix lowered his voice confidentially: â€Å"He’s in Paris, but he doesn’t come here any more. Paul doesn’t allow it. He ran up a bill of thirty thousand francs, charging all his drinks, his lunches, and usually his dinner, for more than a year. And when Paul finally told him he had to pay, he gave him a bad check.†(87) When Charlie Wales first came to Paris his first stop was an old bar he used to go to, the Ritz. Much had changed since he had left. â€Å"It was not an American bar any more-he felt polite in it, and not as if he owned it†(86).