Everyone makes mistakes in their lives, and whether they are big or small, the mistakes people make and how they atone for them define who they really are. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story "Babylon Revisited," Fitzgerald proves, through symbolism, point of view, and tone, that no matter how hard one tries to hide them, the mistakes one makes in the past stays with them forever, setting the tone for the future. The past is symbolized by several elements of history, mainly people, places and things. At the beginning of the story, Charlie mentions an old acquaintance, Claude Fessenden, while chatting with Alix the bartender. According to Alix, Claude Fessenden racked up a bill for more than thirty thousand francs at the Ritz, wrote a bad check to pay his debt and is no longer welcome to return to the bar. Charlie knew Claude from his turbulent days during the bull market, but now he's "all pumped up" (BABYLON), deprived by the crash. The next day, during lunch with his daughter Honoria, two more characters from Charlie's past come into play: Lorraine and Duncan, who are old friends "from a crowd that had helped them turn months into days in the glorious times from three years ago. » (BABYLON). They are instantly drawn to Charlie and force him to remember the years he so vehemently tries to forget; questioning in astonishment the sober man who stood before them. Charlie pushes them as best he can without insulting, because he knows these people are not good for him or his daughter. They are the living embodiment of the events of his past, and in order to become a new person, his old friends cannot be a part of his life. Honoria, Charlie's daughter, is nine years old, practically an adult in Charlie's eyes. He missed o...... middle of paper...... money” (BABYLON). Fitzgerald wanted the reader to come away with the idea that everything we do has an impact on the future, not to taunt life, because everything we do can and will have a negative effect on events future. There are countless ways to analyze F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story "Babylon Revisited", but what Fitzgerald wanted the reader to understand after reading this story through his use of symbolism, his point of view and his tone is that the mistakes one makes in the past stay with them forever, so one should live their life well, and without regrets. Works Cited “BABYLON REVISITED”. BABYLON REVISITED. Np, and Web. February 24, 2014. “A Brief Life of Fitzgerald.” A Brief Life of Fitzgerald. Np, and Web. March 1. 2014. .