“By the Waters of Babylon” Paper In the short story, “By the Waters of Babylon” by Stephen Vincent Benet, the setting is post-apocalyptic and is about what Benet thought the world would be after the events of WWII. In this story the world was destroyed and people forgot the important knowledge that was known at that time. The simple knowledge they know now is how to hunt, and that there is a place where the gods live. But when the main character, John, goes to the Place of the Gods, which was forbidden, he discovers the truth of what happened during the Great Burning. John’s journey of discoverance shows that the people of the village and the priests have knowledge, but do not have the total truth. The people only have the foundation of the
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In his vision, John saw how when it was dark outside there was light because of light bulbs, he saw people flying in the air because of airplanes. “It should have been dark, for it was night, but it was not dark. Everywhere there were lights--lines of light--circles and blurs of light--ten thousand torches would not have been the same. The sky itself was alight-- you could barely see the stars for the glow in the sky. I thought to myself “This is strong magic” and trembled.”(Benet, Page 8) This segment from the story shows how John did not know the knowledge that was known back before the Great Burning. In the short story, “By the Waters of Babylon” by Stephen Vincent Benet a recurring theme is presented throughout the story. The recurring theme is that John’s journey of discoverance shows that the people of his village and the priests have basic knowledge, but do not have the total truth of what happened at the time of the Great Burning. This is shown throughout the story by John discovering things the priest and the people did not know. It shows his reactions to the knowledge he has learned while traveling to the Place of the
In his vision, John saw how when it was dark outside there was light because of light bulbs, he saw people flying in the air because of airplanes. “It should have been dark, for it was night, but it was not dark. Everywhere there were lights--lines of light--circles and blurs of light--ten thousand torches would not have been the same. The sky itself was alight-- you could barely see the stars for the glow in the sky. I thought to myself “This is strong magic” and trembled.”(Benet, Page 8) This segment from the story shows how John did not know the knowledge that was known back before the Great Burning. In the short story, “By the Waters of Babylon” by Stephen Vincent Benet a recurring theme is presented throughout the story. The recurring theme is that John’s journey of discoverance shows that the people of his village and the priests have basic knowledge, but do not have the total truth of what happened at the time of the Great Burning. This is shown throughout the story by John discovering things the priest and the people did not know. It shows his reactions to the knowledge he has learned while traveling to the Place of the