ENG3705
Assignment 3 2025
Unique Number: 723610
Due Date: 1 September 2025
CHАРTЕR 32 ОF BАBЕL,
In Chapter 32 of Babel (2022: 516–526), Letty Price cries out in despair, “I just want things
to go back to the way they were. We had a future together, all of us.” Her plea captures the
tragic tension between longing for a lost order and recognising that history cannot be
reversed. The events of Chapter 32 place the characters at an irreparable breaking point:
Robin, Ramy, Victoire, and Letty confront the devastating consequences of their rebellion
against colonial power and against one another. The question of whether things can go back
to how they were is not only Letty’s desperate wish but also the thematic core of the novel.
The answer is ultimately no; once violence, betrayal, and political awakening occur, the old
order cannot return. This essay will argue that things cannot go back to the way they were
because betrayal has destroyed trust, because the colonial structures that shaped their
friendships are irreversibly exposed, and because revolutionary struggle transforms
individuals in ways that cannot be undone. At the same time, the chapter reveals the tragic
human longing for reconciliation and stability, showing why Letty’s words resonate despite
their impossibility.
Terms of use
By making use of this document you agree to:
Use this document as a guide for learning, comparison and reference purpose,
Terms of use
Not to duplicate, reproduce and/or misrepresent the contents of this document as your own work,
By making use of this document you agree to:
Use this document
Fully accept the consequences
solely as a guide forshould you plagiarise
learning, reference,or and
misuse this document.
comparison purposes,
Ensure originality of your own work, and fully accept the consequences should you plagiarise or misuse this document.
Comply with all relevant standards, guidelines, regulations, and legislation governing academic and written work.
Disclaimer
Great care has been taken in the preparation of this document; however, the contents are provided "as is" without any express or
implied representations or warranties. The author accepts no responsibility or liability for any actions taken based on the
information contained within this document. This document is intended solely for comparison, research, and reference purposes.
Reproduction, resale, or transmission of any part of this document, in any form or by any means, is strictly prohibited.
, +27 67 171 1739
CHАРTЕR 32 ОF BАBЕL,
In Chapter 32 of Babel (2022: 516–526), Letty Price cries out in despair, “I just want
things to go back to the way they were. We had a future together, all of us.” Her plea
captures the tragic tension between longing for a lost order and recognising that
history cannot be reversed. The events of Chapter 32 place the characters at an
irreparable breaking point: Robin, Ramy, Victoire, and Letty confront the devastating
consequences of their rebellion against colonial power and against one another. The
question of whether things can go back to how they were is not only Letty’s
desperate wish but also the thematic core of the novel. The answer is ultimately no;
once violence, betrayal, and political awakening occur, the old order cannot return.
This essay will argue that things cannot go back to the way they were because
betrayal has destroyed trust, because the colonial structures that shaped their
friendships are irreversibly exposed, and because revolutionary struggle transforms
individuals in ways that cannot be undone. At the same time, the chapter reveals the
tragic human longing for reconciliation and stability, showing why Letty’s words
resonate despite their impossibility.
The Irreversibility of Betrayal
Letty’s outburst comes immediately after her betrayal of Robin and the others. She
alerts the authorities, leading to the confrontation that escalates fatally. This act
severs the trust that once bound the four students together at Babel. Before this,
their friendship was fragile but intact; they shared meals, studies, and moments of
solidarity. After her betrayal, however, nothing remains of that earlier intimacy. Letty
insists she did what she did out of fear and loyalty to her own survival, but Robin and
Victoire see it as an unforgivable act. Trust, once broken in such a profound way,
cannot be restored.
The dialogue in Chapter 32 makes this finality clear. Robin accuses Letty of
cowardice, of clinging to privilege while pretending to value friendship. Victoire also
rejects Letty’s plea, recognising that her actions were motivated not by
misunderstanding but by a refusal to confront her complicity in colonial violence.
Letty’s longing for things to return to normal ignores the reality that betrayal creates a
rupture. Once trust is destroyed, there is no path back to innocence. The very act of
Disclaimer
Great care has been taken in the preparation of this document; however, the contents are provided "as is"
without any express or implied representations or warranties. The author accepts no responsibility or
liability for any actions taken based on the information contained within this document. This document is
intended solely for comparison, research, and reference purposes. Reproduction, resale, or transmission
of any part of this document, in any form or by any means, is strictly prohibited.
Assignment 3 2025
Unique Number: 723610
Due Date: 1 September 2025
CHАРTЕR 32 ОF BАBЕL,
In Chapter 32 of Babel (2022: 516–526), Letty Price cries out in despair, “I just want things
to go back to the way they were. We had a future together, all of us.” Her plea captures the
tragic tension between longing for a lost order and recognising that history cannot be
reversed. The events of Chapter 32 place the characters at an irreparable breaking point:
Robin, Ramy, Victoire, and Letty confront the devastating consequences of their rebellion
against colonial power and against one another. The question of whether things can go back
to how they were is not only Letty’s desperate wish but also the thematic core of the novel.
The answer is ultimately no; once violence, betrayal, and political awakening occur, the old
order cannot return. This essay will argue that things cannot go back to the way they were
because betrayal has destroyed trust, because the colonial structures that shaped their
friendships are irreversibly exposed, and because revolutionary struggle transforms
individuals in ways that cannot be undone. At the same time, the chapter reveals the tragic
human longing for reconciliation and stability, showing why Letty’s words resonate despite
their impossibility.
Terms of use
By making use of this document you agree to:
Use this document as a guide for learning, comparison and reference purpose,
Terms of use
Not to duplicate, reproduce and/or misrepresent the contents of this document as your own work,
By making use of this document you agree to:
Use this document
Fully accept the consequences
solely as a guide forshould you plagiarise
learning, reference,or and
misuse this document.
comparison purposes,
Ensure originality of your own work, and fully accept the consequences should you plagiarise or misuse this document.
Comply with all relevant standards, guidelines, regulations, and legislation governing academic and written work.
Disclaimer
Great care has been taken in the preparation of this document; however, the contents are provided "as is" without any express or
implied representations or warranties. The author accepts no responsibility or liability for any actions taken based on the
information contained within this document. This document is intended solely for comparison, research, and reference purposes.
Reproduction, resale, or transmission of any part of this document, in any form or by any means, is strictly prohibited.
, +27 67 171 1739
CHАРTЕR 32 ОF BАBЕL,
In Chapter 32 of Babel (2022: 516–526), Letty Price cries out in despair, “I just want
things to go back to the way they were. We had a future together, all of us.” Her plea
captures the tragic tension between longing for a lost order and recognising that
history cannot be reversed. The events of Chapter 32 place the characters at an
irreparable breaking point: Robin, Ramy, Victoire, and Letty confront the devastating
consequences of their rebellion against colonial power and against one another. The
question of whether things can go back to how they were is not only Letty’s
desperate wish but also the thematic core of the novel. The answer is ultimately no;
once violence, betrayal, and political awakening occur, the old order cannot return.
This essay will argue that things cannot go back to the way they were because
betrayal has destroyed trust, because the colonial structures that shaped their
friendships are irreversibly exposed, and because revolutionary struggle transforms
individuals in ways that cannot be undone. At the same time, the chapter reveals the
tragic human longing for reconciliation and stability, showing why Letty’s words
resonate despite their impossibility.
The Irreversibility of Betrayal
Letty’s outburst comes immediately after her betrayal of Robin and the others. She
alerts the authorities, leading to the confrontation that escalates fatally. This act
severs the trust that once bound the four students together at Babel. Before this,
their friendship was fragile but intact; they shared meals, studies, and moments of
solidarity. After her betrayal, however, nothing remains of that earlier intimacy. Letty
insists she did what she did out of fear and loyalty to her own survival, but Robin and
Victoire see it as an unforgivable act. Trust, once broken in such a profound way,
cannot be restored.
The dialogue in Chapter 32 makes this finality clear. Robin accuses Letty of
cowardice, of clinging to privilege while pretending to value friendship. Victoire also
rejects Letty’s plea, recognising that her actions were motivated not by
misunderstanding but by a refusal to confront her complicity in colonial violence.
Letty’s longing for things to return to normal ignores the reality that betrayal creates a
rupture. Once trust is destroyed, there is no path back to innocence. The very act of
Disclaimer
Great care has been taken in the preparation of this document; however, the contents are provided "as is"
without any express or implied representations or warranties. The author accepts no responsibility or
liability for any actions taken based on the information contained within this document. This document is
intended solely for comparison, research, and reference purposes. Reproduction, resale, or transmission
of any part of this document, in any form or by any means, is strictly prohibited.
