By The Waters Of Babylon Summary

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The Fanciful Setting in By the Waters of Babylon
Sometimes a story is shrouded in mystery at the beginning, but context clues can help the reader piece together where these characters exist in time and space. As you read the passage “By the Waters of Babylon” by Stephen Vincent Benét, clues are revealed that help the reader deduct the location and timeline of the narrative. The interesting placement of this narrative must be carefully analyzed to gain an understanding of when the it takes place. Get ready to learn about the symbolism in each detail of the story as well as its assistance toward the puzzling plot.
At the commencement of By the Waters of Babylon, Benét introduces the laws of John’s people. Among these rules includes the mention …show more content…
In this building, John sees a big metal door, a bronze door that has no handle, a light that has no wick or oil, and several other supposedly magical objects. The objects John saw are identifiable to us as an elevator door, electric lights, microwaves, ovens, stoves, sinks, and a fireplace. While John rests by the fireplace, he has a vision of this great city before the Great Burning took place. He saw cars on the streets and freeways, electric lights and air pollution lighting the sky at night, and the downfall of these people by bombs and acid rain. After viewing such things in John’s dream, his perspective of the Place of Gods changed, and he now saw the gods as merely men that lived in New York city. John’s world would not be the same again, but they would learn from history and industrialize in a more balanced and peaceful way.
Throughout By the Waters of Babylon, subtle clues are left for the reader to analyze, which help solve the mystery of the location and time period of the piece, as well as the meaning of the narrative to be interpreted by the reader. This story was written to show us to use caution in our technology and weaponry usage , eluding that if we do not precede carefully, a Great Burning could occur to us. The perspective of learning these things through John’s experiences brings more power to this passage than if a different
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