, PLEASE USE THIS DOCUMENT AS A GUIDE TO ANSWER YOUR ASSIGNMENT
1. In Chapter 32 оf Bаbеl, Lеtty Priсе рlеаds: “I just wаnt things tо gо bасk tо thе wаy thеy
wеrе. Wе hаd а futurе tоgеthеr, аll оf us” (2022: 519). Using Chарtеr 32 (2022: 516-526) аs thе
bаsis оf yоur disсussiоn, writе аn еssаy оf rоughly 1500 wоrds in whiсh yоu аrguе whеthеr оr nоt
yоu think it is роssiblе fоr “things tо gо bасk tо thе wаy thеy wеrе” (519), аs wеll аs why оr why
nоt. Whilе yоu mаy rеfеr tо thе rеmаindеr оf thе nоvеl tо substаntiаtе yоur роints, thе bulk оf
yоur аrgumеnt shоuld bе bаsеd оn thе роsitiоns оutlinеd by thе сhаrасtеrs in this сhарtеr. (100)
Nоtе: Originаl аnd сrеаtivе rеsроnsеs will bе rеwаrdеd. Whilе аny intеrрrеtаtiоn оf thе quеstiоn
is vаlid, yоur аrgumеnt shоuld bе саrеfully substаntiаtеd with tеxtuаl еvidеnсе.
Essay 1
Introduction
In Chapter 32 of Babel (Kuang, 2022:516–526), the characters confront a turning point that forces
them to articulate competing desires for reconciliation, continuity, and transformation. Letty Price’s
plea—“I just want things to go back to the way they were. We had a future together, all of us”
(Kuang, 2022:519)—encapsulates a yearning for stability and restoration. Her words signal not only
her personal longing but also a broader ideological question: is it possible to undo the ruptures
caused by betrayal, violence, and structural inequality? This essay argues that it is not possible for
“things to go back to the way they were,” because the events leading up to Chapter 32 reveal
irreparable fractures within relationships, as well as systemic injustices that cannot be ignored or
reversed. While Letty clings to the illusion of a lost harmony, Robin, Victoire, and Ramy expose
how fragile and conditional that harmony truly was. The discussion will focus primarily on Chapter
32 but will draw on the wider narrative to show why any return to the past is both impossible and
undesirable.
Letty’s Nostalgia and the Desire for Restoration
Letty’s statement is framed by an acute sense of loss. Her longing for the past suggests that she
views the group’s earlier bond—built on shared experiences at Oxford—as a safe and unified space.
For her, returning to “the way things were” means restoring personal relationships and resuming a
semblance of academic normalcy (Kuang, 2022:519). However, this nostalgia is selective. It
overlooks the racial, colonial, and class-based tensions that were always present beneath the surface
of their friendship.
According to Victoire, the very foundation of their group was riddled with inequality, with Letty
benefitting from her positional privilege as a white Englishwoman (Kuang, 2022:522). From this
perspective, Letty’s desire is less about restoring collective harmony than about maintaining her own
comfort. The “future” she imagines is one in which structural injustices remain unchallenged,
allowing her to preserve relationships without confronting her complicity. Letty’s yearning is thus
not only impractical but also deeply flawed, because it seeks to erase rather than address the conflicts
that have already erupted.
The Irreversibility of Betrayal
A central reason why things cannot return to the way they were is betrayal. By Chapter 32, Letty’s
earlier actions—her inability to align fully with the anti-imperial resistance and her growing unease
with the radicalism of Robin and the others—have created deep fractures (Kuang, 2022:517–518).
Trust, once broken, cannot simply be restored through appeals to shared history.
1. In Chapter 32 оf Bаbеl, Lеtty Priсе рlеаds: “I just wаnt things tо gо bасk tо thе wаy thеy
wеrе. Wе hаd а futurе tоgеthеr, аll оf us” (2022: 519). Using Chарtеr 32 (2022: 516-526) аs thе
bаsis оf yоur disсussiоn, writе аn еssаy оf rоughly 1500 wоrds in whiсh yоu аrguе whеthеr оr nоt
yоu think it is роssiblе fоr “things tо gо bасk tо thе wаy thеy wеrе” (519), аs wеll аs why оr why
nоt. Whilе yоu mаy rеfеr tо thе rеmаindеr оf thе nоvеl tо substаntiаtе yоur роints, thе bulk оf
yоur аrgumеnt shоuld bе bаsеd оn thе роsitiоns оutlinеd by thе сhаrасtеrs in this сhарtеr. (100)
Nоtе: Originаl аnd сrеаtivе rеsроnsеs will bе rеwаrdеd. Whilе аny intеrрrеtаtiоn оf thе quеstiоn
is vаlid, yоur аrgumеnt shоuld bе саrеfully substаntiаtеd with tеxtuаl еvidеnсе.
Essay 1
Introduction
In Chapter 32 of Babel (Kuang, 2022:516–526), the characters confront a turning point that forces
them to articulate competing desires for reconciliation, continuity, and transformation. Letty Price’s
plea—“I just want things to go back to the way they were. We had a future together, all of us”
(Kuang, 2022:519)—encapsulates a yearning for stability and restoration. Her words signal not only
her personal longing but also a broader ideological question: is it possible to undo the ruptures
caused by betrayal, violence, and structural inequality? This essay argues that it is not possible for
“things to go back to the way they were,” because the events leading up to Chapter 32 reveal
irreparable fractures within relationships, as well as systemic injustices that cannot be ignored or
reversed. While Letty clings to the illusion of a lost harmony, Robin, Victoire, and Ramy expose
how fragile and conditional that harmony truly was. The discussion will focus primarily on Chapter
32 but will draw on the wider narrative to show why any return to the past is both impossible and
undesirable.
Letty’s Nostalgia and the Desire for Restoration
Letty’s statement is framed by an acute sense of loss. Her longing for the past suggests that she
views the group’s earlier bond—built on shared experiences at Oxford—as a safe and unified space.
For her, returning to “the way things were” means restoring personal relationships and resuming a
semblance of academic normalcy (Kuang, 2022:519). However, this nostalgia is selective. It
overlooks the racial, colonial, and class-based tensions that were always present beneath the surface
of their friendship.
According to Victoire, the very foundation of their group was riddled with inequality, with Letty
benefitting from her positional privilege as a white Englishwoman (Kuang, 2022:522). From this
perspective, Letty’s desire is less about restoring collective harmony than about maintaining her own
comfort. The “future” she imagines is one in which structural injustices remain unchallenged,
allowing her to preserve relationships without confronting her complicity. Letty’s yearning is thus
not only impractical but also deeply flawed, because it seeks to erase rather than address the conflicts
that have already erupted.
The Irreversibility of Betrayal
A central reason why things cannot return to the way they were is betrayal. By Chapter 32, Letty’s
earlier actions—her inability to align fully with the anti-imperial resistance and her growing unease
with the radicalism of Robin and the others—have created deep fractures (Kuang, 2022:517–518).
Trust, once broken, cannot simply be restored through appeals to shared history.
