In "Babylon Revisited," in what way could economic and domestic elements be considered the heart of the story?

The heart of a short story lies in its central conflict.
The central conflict in "Babylon Revisited" exists between Charlie Wales, Fitzgerald's
protagonist, and Marion Peters, his former sister-in-law. The nature of their conflict
is both domestic and economic, much of it rooted in the story's antecedent
action.

In previous years, Marion, her husband Lincoln,
Charlie, and his wife Helen [Marion's sister] had all lived in Paris, Americans far from
home. Charlie and Helen had been drawn into the decadence of Parisian life, while Marion
and Lincoln had maintained a conventional lifestyle in keeping with American values and
tradition. Theirs had been a stable marriage, while Charlie and Helen's marriage had
been turbulent, fueled by Charlie's alcoholism and Helen's infidelity. Marion felt great
contempt for Charlie's behavior in Paris during those days and her feelings remain
unchanged throughout the story. Furthermore, she continues to blame Charlie for her
sister's tragic death. The contrast between Charlie's former wild Parisian lifestyle and
the stable serenity of the Peters' home plays an essential role in the story's
developing plot.

When Marion has decided to return custody
of Honoria to her father, two of Charlie's friends from his old days in Paris appear at
the Peters' apartment. Their drunken state reminds Marion of the life Charlie had once
lived, and their physical presence in her peaceful home emphasizes the contrast between
that lifestyle and the Peters' stable, conventional way of life. Convinced that Charlie
has not reformed, she changes her mind; she will keep
Honoria.

The conflict between Charlie and Marion is also
rooted in the economic differences between them. As a wealthy American in Paris, Charlie
had been profligate, reckless and wasteful with money. As he and Helen had enjoyed the
comforts of wealth, Marion and Lincoln had lived within very limited means. Marion's
resentment has remained very much a part of her relationship with
Charlie:

When
you were throwing away money we were living along watching every ten
francs.

To further exacerbate
this conflict, when Charlie returns to Paris to reclaim his daughter, he has regained
his lost wealth. Once again he is a rich man, and Marion's continuing bitterness is
evident:

I
suppose you can give [Honoria] more luxuries than we can . . . I suppose you'll start
[throwing away money]
again.

Charlie's response is
significant as he makes an attempt to defend himself:

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Oh, no . . . I've learned. I worked hard for ten
years, you know--until I got lucky in the market, like so many people. Terribly
lucky.

Charlie reminds Marion
that at one time he had worked hard, thus aligning himself with the American values she
and Lincoln have lived by; there is some decency in his character, Charlie suggests. His
great wealth, he reminds her, came from simply being lucky. The unspoken message is that
Charlie did not become wealthy because he is superior to Marion and Lincoln. In effect,
Charlie is asking Marion not to blame him because he had money and she did
not.

The sharp contrast between Charlie and Marion in terms
of domestic and economic elements lies at the heart of the conflict between them and
leads to the story's resolution. Charlie will leave Paris, once again, without his
daughter.