By the Waters of Babylon
Character:
In By The waters of Babylon John is the main character and also a developing character. Throughout the story, John shows courage and ambition in his character. His determination and bravery also standout in the story by showing strong intent to get to the Place of Gods. He successfully arrived in the Place of Gods and obtained great knowledge that changed him and left him with a new purpose in life. John’s adventurous spirit was the sole reason why he pushed forward towards the unknown without hesitation.
Theme:
The narrative of “By the Waters of Babylon” builds around the central theme of, “the pursuit of knowledge”. John’s coming-of-age and his quest for new knowledge takes him east to The Place of the Gods, a mysterious city that members of his tribe are forbidden from setting foot on. The author presents the desire for knowledge as a key aspect of human nature and the main force behind the development of human society. Further, Benét presents knowledge as something that can lead to addiction and drives those who seek it ever onward to take an even further step. John’s pursuit of knowledge leads him to learn
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In the first part of the story, John expresses desire to go east, however he can’t follow his heart when the region he craves is forbidden. He reaches a decision and decided to follow his heart even after his father warned him of that place, the place of the gods. Additionally, another great conflict is present in this story, one that leaves the reader in wonders. When I was reading the passage, it was revealed to me that the ruined city is in fact New York and unlike today the city is being described as a place with no life. This gave me an alarming thought of the possibilities that the great city of new york would one day become the place of the