Babylon

Babylon as Depicted in Revelation

An allusion calls the reader's mind to a word or phrase that has cultural, historical, or literary reference. The allusion, therefore, adds to the immediate or literal meaning of the word or phrase in its new context.
In Fitzgerald's story, the title "Babylon Revisited" seems to allude to the city of Babylon as described in the last book of the Bible-Revelation. In that apocalyptical book the ancient city is characterized as a place of immorality where its citizens devoted themselves to lives of luxury and decadence. The city itself is represented symbolically as a woman, the Whore of Babylon: "a woman... [sitting]... upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."

Rev: 17:3-5.10

Here are some references to the city itself:
And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon
the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with
her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying,
Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Rev: 17:18-18:4

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