In Another Country And Babylon Revisited: Masterpieces Of Short Fiction Essay, Research Paper

On the surface In Another Country and Babylon Revisited seem to be very different stories, however under closer inspection they have deep-rooted similarities. Differences occur in the social class of the characters and style used by the authors, including point of view. In spite of the differences several recurring themes resound throughout these stories. In Another country and Babylon Revisited are both great stories. The differences are as obvious as the night and day.

There are stark contrasts between In Another Country and Babylon Revisited. One being the class of peoples the author is writing about. Hemingway writes about a middle class people, the average Joe. Hemingway chooses not to give the person through witch the story is told a name. Fitzgerald on the other hand is not content to write about this class of people. Fitzgerald’s narrator lives an extravagant life. The biggest difference between these stories lies in the author’s style.

This style difference has often been referred to as “the Dandy vs. the Brute.” For example compare, “Outside, the fire-red, gas-blue, ghost-green signs shone smokily through the tranquil rain.” To, “My knee did not bend and the leg dropped straight from the knee to the ankle without a calf, and the machine was to bend the knee and make it move as in riding a tricycle.” Note the emphasis on description and detail in the fist sentence compared to the lack of description and detail in the second. The second could be likened to a photograph. Fitzgerald’s sentences are long and graceful. While Hemingway’s often are short and telegraphic. Also the point of view in Babylon Revisited is much more subjective than In Another Country, which adds to the difference in style. Fitzgerald describes to the reader in such detail he or she and visualizes him or her self in any scene. Hemingway leaves most of the story to the reader’s own imagination. While there may be major style differences between these stories they both are very effective in conveying their message.

On the surface In Another Country and Babylon Revisited are very different. After several readings a handful of common themes emerge. It turns out that both stories have an autobiographical quality. Each author had experiences similar to their narrator. Hemingway had been an ambulance driver in World War I and suffered a severe injury that hospitalized him for a significant amount of time. Fitzgerald had lived a lavish life in the twenties and had seen his lifestyle disappear with the economic downturn following the stock market crash. The endings of these stories are also similar. Both stories end as quickly as they started. The endings are unresolved, Charlie does not get his daughter back and the man in Hemingway’s story doesn’t seem to resolve anything. Another neat similarity is both stories contain football reference. The American played football before the war, and Charlie “woke up on a fine fall day -football weather.” The part of these stories to examine closely is the relationships between the characters.

A look into the relationships between characters in these stories results in finding of several recurring themes. Two very similar items in these stories are the money Charlie makes in the stock market and the medals the American soldier receives. Neither item was earned. The money came from the stock market boom and came in such quantity that Charlie quit his job and lived off of this new income. He didn’t work for it. Just as the American’s medals where not earned. The most striking similarity is in what can be said about the most important issue in both stories. The characters issue of loss, and dealing with that loss. In Another Country involves not only the loss of normal function of the narrators leg but the more important loss illustrated by Hemingway. Signor Maggiore’s loss of his wife, this is the main reason In Another Country was written. Charlie has also suffered great loss, being the death of his wife and loss of his daughter. The grieving of Signor Maggiore is very similar to that of Charlie’s sister in-law. Both parties seem to digress from their grief to anger very quickly. Signor Maggiore angrily states, “He cannot marry. He cannot marry.” When confronted with the memory of his recently deceased wife. Marion suddenly cries out, “How much you were responsible for Helen’s death.” Both pain and anger is evident these passages.

In Another Country and Babylon Revisited are both great stories that are very enjoyable to read. Despite the differences in style both are masterfully written. The similarities can be attributed to the time and emphasis on relationships, and the subsequent loss that occur. The deeper you look into In Another Country and Babylon Revisited the more similarities can be uncovered.