Summary Of By The Waters Of Babylon

The main character in “By the Waters of Babylon” is John, he is the protagonist of the story. He has shown audacity and ambition in his character. John 's father is a priest and a minor character in the story. As a father, he made his son a priest and independent on what he wants to do. He let John know of the dangers that anticipate him to the forbidden area, which proves that he is a good father. Clearly, John was successfully arrived in the Place of Gods because of his bravery and boldness.

The theme of the story is to seek knowledge. Benét builds the central narrative, which takes him east to The Place of the Gods. Too much knowledge can lead to too much power, and it can therefore destroy. Rather than strengthen people, society, because humans, by nature, will always be in conflict with each other. As John reaches new “levels” of knowledge with each step of his journey, he learns enough to recognize that there is even more to know, which pushes him ever further in his quest. This theme plays out in flashbacks to his childhood where he ate the fruit, to when he crosses the river, and finally in his discoveries in the village.

The title "By the Waters of Babylon" is a clear allusion to Psalm 137 of the Bible, which begins "By the Waters of Babylon I sat down and wept." This Psalm is a lament of the Israelites for their lost "promised land" of Israel from which they have been exiled. John, who is training to be a priest, decides he must go on a journey to the "Dead