“By the Waters of Babylon” is a post-apocalyptic story about humanity’s relationship with technology. The remnants of humanity have gathered into tribes and cling to superstitions for survival. Newly-initiated priest John travels to the Dead Lands, a wasteland that only priests are allowed to visit.
What is the meaning of By the Waters of Babylon?
The title of this selection is an allusion, or reference, to Psalm 137 in the Bible. The psalm expresses the sorrow of the Jews over their enslavement in Babylon and the destruction of Zion, their homeland. The psalm begins: “By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered thee, O Zion.”
What event happened in By the Waters of Babylon?
Someone dropped a giant bomb around World War II. They left New York City in a catastrophic disaster and that began the great burning where millions died from burns from radiation and building were destroyed.
What does John discover in By the Waters of Babylon?
John discovered that he could handle the metal without being harmed, and his father took this as a sign that John would become a priest one day. Though the tribe’s beliefs about metal are superstitious, collecting the metal represents John’s first steps towards adulthood and priesthood.
What is the ending of By the Waters of Babylon?
The story ends with John stating his conviction that, once he becomes the head priest, “We must build again.”
What is the great burning in By the Waters of Babylon?
In “By the Waters of Babylon,” the Great Burning refers to an apparent nuclear holocaust.
What is the conflict of By the Waters of Babylon?
The main character, John, struggles against his own fears (internal conflict) and against real or imagined outside threats (external conflict), such as a pack of wild dogs and the Hudson River (which almost sweeps him away).
What does John discover on his journey what happened to the place of the gods?
What does John discover to be untrue about the Place of the Gods? He discovers that there is only water magic and no fire magic in the Place of the Gods. He discovers that the Place of the Gods was never truly destroyed.
What are the dead places in By the Waters of Babylon?
What are the dead places and the place of the Gods? The dead places are the homes before the last war and the place of the Gods is New York City.
What is the moral of By the Waters of Babylon?
The main theme of ”By the Waters of Babylon” is that knowledge can be attained too fast. The narrator and his father discuss this idea as the older man warns about revealing everything he has seen in the Place of the Gods.
What is the bitter water in by the waters of Babylon?
The “bitter water” named “Ou-dis-sun” is the Hudson River, bitter because of its salt water. “Ou-dis-sun” would be a futuristic corruption of “Hudson.”
Is By the Waters of Babylon optimistic?
The “Waters Of Babylon” is an optimistic story. The story revolves around the protagonist John as he makes his way to the forbidden “Place of the Gods”.
Who is the protagonist in By the Waters of Babylon?
John is the narrator, protagonist, and archetypal, “everyman” hero of the story. A young man about to come of age within his tribe (known as the Hill People), John is the son of a priest and is preparing to become a priest himself.
How does the narrator arrive at his insight about who the gods of the dead places were By the Waters of Babylon?
How does the narrator arrive at his insight about who the gods of the Dead Places were? He discovers a clothed body of a dead man sitting in his apartment. He looks at his skin and into his face and realizes that he is human not god.
What advice about sharing knowledge does John’s father give him at the end of the story?
John’s father advises him to share his new knowledge with the people a little at a time, so that they aren’t overwhelmed; John follows this advice, and believes that eventually, he and his people can rebuild society.
