ipl-logo

By The Waters Of Babylon John Character Analysis

668 Words3 Pages

Is what you know all a lie or have you found the truth? In the story “By the Waters of Babylon” the narrator, John, discovers the truth about the civilization of the gods. John is the son of a priest and is being held to high expectations. John sets off on a journey that will change everything he has ever known. John finds the truth of the gods. John was very curious and wanted to learn more. Knowledge was what drove the people in his society. John said, “My knowledge made me happy--it was like a fire in my heart” (Benét 35). John saying this reveals two things about him. The reader can see he is engaging and wants to learn. This also shows knowledge is his motivation in life and is something he desires strongly. Another reason, John is the son of a priest and is going to become one eventually. John will be the teacher of all society. He controls what they see as the truth. …show more content…

This vision would become his quest and would be his passage into priesthood. Later, John was traveling the Dead Places pursuing his dream he began to learn new things. He arrived in the Place of the Gods which was forbidden to all. John said, “It is not true what some of our priests say, that it is an island covered with fogs and enchantments,” this is referring to the knowledge that old priests passed down to him and the other people in his society (Benét 175). John learned the land was not covered in fog, there were no howling spirits, and not all of the towers were

Show More
Related
2094 Words | 9 Pages

A bit of underlying melancholy can be seen in his tone. Expressing his love for Lilian. John in these lines tends to justify all his actions later on in the books. He tries to defy his nature due to the promises he made to Lilian. But in the end does what his instincts tell him to do.

Read More
979 Words | 4 Pages

“I never knew such goodness in the world.” (p. 118) The words I spoke to John in the last few moments of his life ring in my head on this mournful day. I only have little time here with you before I make my way back to Salem, but I would give anything to speak of my dear John today.

Read More
148 Words | 1 Pages

We must build again.” With John’s optimism to rebuild and learn, his passion to share his knowledge gives hope to bring back the civilization that has been lost to warfare and hate. He says on page 8, “Perhaps in the old days they ate knowledge too fast. “ With this he acknowledges that he will learn from the mistakes evident

Read More
605 Words | 3 Pages

When John was asked if he attend church he would regularly respond with “Not since i marched with the army”. Warfare was obviously another adversity he faced in his lifetime which he allowed to shape his identity tremendously. John before the war was a man who regularly attend church but he allowed the war to shape his identity by changing his religious beliefs. He also allowed this adversity turn him into an alcoholic and almost abusive father.

Read More
698 Words | 3 Pages

By definition, truth is “a verified or indisputable fact,” and knowledge is, “acquaintance or familiarity gained by sight, experience, or report.” The short story, “By the Waters of Babylon,” by Stephen Vincent Benét, is about a novice priest who travels to the “forbidden” east of his village and discovers the truth about the world he lives in. He has dreams and visions, of exploring the east throughout his incipient priesthood, which included the Place of Gods, which was full of spirits and demons from the Great Burning. In the climax of the story, the protagonist, John, discovers the truth behind the Place of Gods, and that the Great Burning was nuclear holocaust which destroyed their technology and advancements. The author’s purpose and

Read More
240 Words | 1 Pages

Third, when John is describing the city he says that “Everywhere there were ruins of the high towers of the gods.” This would be different

Read More
1312 Words | 6 Pages

Bennet's narrative compels us to consider the cost of wisdom and its transformative potential for John and his entire society. John's character in 'By the Waters of Babylon' symbolizes curiosity and determination, embodying the unquenchable thirst for knowledge that defines the human spirit. Despite the strict taboos of his society, John's innate desire to uncover the mysteries of the Place of the Gods propels him on a quest that is both forbidden and

Read More
441 Words | 2 Pages

Likewise, after John woke up from his dream, he went through the dead-house to find out why the Great Burning happened. He found a dead god in a room that seemed to still have spirit still left in him and realized, “It is a great knowledge, hard to tell and believe. They were men – they went a dark road” (Benét, 254). John ironically discovers that there were no gods or demons, they were just men like himself and he would not die. He finds the truth, that men can also be capable of such knowledge and destruction, very surprising.

Read More
1218 Words | 5 Pages

This shows that John is a merciful being and desires forgiveness from his wife and God, therefore demonstrating traits of a good man. Furthermore, John has a heated argument with his wife, due to his encounter with Abigail, alone. Although, he thinks his wife will doubt him, she states on the contrary, “I do not judge you. The magistrate sits in your heart that judges you. I never thought you but a good man, John - only somewhat bewildered” (55).

Read More
737 Words | 3 Pages

He hovers, he quietly controls, and furthermore, portrays a narrow mind, to the point of extreme. “John is a physician, and PERHAPS—(I would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind)—PERHAPS that is one reason I do not get well faster.” (376) “You see he does not believe I am sick!” (376) as her self-awareness develops she becomes mindful of yet another symbol of John’s control and narrow mindedness. He has just enough arrogance to the point of telling his wife, how she should feel based on his own merits and limited knowledge of a female’s internal workings.

Read More
1772 Words | 8 Pages

HIV and its eventual condition, AIDs, is a epidemic that has plagued America since its first discovered in 1983 by the doctors of UCLA. Its catastrophic impact and fast spread was bolstered by many attributes. The reception and incorrect host range led to misinformation that it only affected homosexual white men. The way society acted against disapproved notions allowed HIV to thrive as people kept things to themselves. The government was ineffective and unprepared to stop the virus while religion only made it worse by labeling it as God’s wrath.

Read More
504 Words | 3 Pages

In the short story "By the Waters of Babylon," author Stephen Vincent Benét explores the relationship between knowledge and truth through the journey of the narrator, a young man from a tribe in a post-apocalyptic world. The narrator embarks on a journey to seek knowledge and understanding of the past, and his journey leads him to discover unexpected truths that challenge his beliefs and change his perception of the world. Through the story, Benét reveals that knowledge and truth are interconnected and that seeking knowledge can lead to enlightenment, while truth can challenge beliefs. One way in which the relationship between knowledge and truth is shown is through the narrator's journey of seeking knowledge. From the very beginning, the narrator expresses his desire to seek knowledge and understand the world around him.

Read More
909 Words | 4 Pages

John found enjoyment from having a purpose instead of from the pointless pleasures of the civilized

Read More
1524 Words | 7 Pages

Although he doubts God in the beginning, he begins to question his doubt. In the following quotation, John is worrying about his future if he does not accept God. He begins to believe that God truly is the only way to escape the evil he was born in. ¨Only the hand of God could deliver him.

Read More
1009 Words | 5 Pages

He believed in doing the right thing and he was willing to fight for it. During the witch-hunts that affected us all, John tried with every ounce of strength he had to stop the court from going along with Abigail’s manipulations and lies, and in the process confessed to the court the truth of his lechery to make it known that Abigail was just pretending. He knew that his reputation would be ruined, but he knew that it had to be done to save the innocent people accused of trafficking with the devil. I don’t know how many other people would do the same and be able to risk their own reputations knowing that they would no longer be looked at as a respectable person. Some people doubt whether or not John is in heaven.

Read More

More about By The Waters Of Babylon John Character Analysis

Related Topics

Open Document