What Landmarks Were Described In The Story Waters Of Babylon (2024)

By the Waters of Babylon is a dystopian/post-apocalyptic short story by Stephen Vincent Benét that explores themes of curiosity, forbidden knowledge, and the consequences of war on civilization. The story begins in a postapocalyptic land where the Hill People have strict rules about where it is safe to hunt and live.

The story is set in an indeterminate, postapocalyptic era, not uncommon for this genre. The protagonist, John, is the son of a priest and discovers several landmarks in New York City, including a statue of a broken God and a building with the word “ASHING” written on it. The use of terms like “god-road” suggests a religious society, with bones, broken roads, and falling buildings defining the Place of the Gods.

Benét alludes to the fact that the Place of the Gods is New York by describing famous and familiar landmarks, such as the starry ceiling of Grand Central. The “god-roads” John walks along appear to be abandoned highways, and the Ou-dis-san river may be the Hudson River in New York.

Active themes in By the Waters of Babylon include the ruins of New York City, such as high towers and a damaged statue of George. There are continual references to “the jungle”, and plants are described as “vines and creepers”. The story highlights the importance of understanding and respecting the natural world in order to survive in a post-apocalyptic world.

What symbol represents Babylon?

The Lion, a symbol of power and overcoming adversity, has been a central theme in the history of the region. In Babylon, the Lion was associated with the Goddess Ishtar, and its back has marks suggesting it was likely meant to carry a sitting goddess. The Lion, located at the northern end of the Processional Way near the Northern Palace, is 2. 6 meters long and 1. 95 meters high. It is also featured on various items, including bank logos, napkins, restaurant menus, and tourism literature.

What is the setting of the story By the Waters of Babylon?

“By the Waters of Babylon” is set in the distant future west of New York City, following the Great Burning, a disaster that is no longer a matter of historical record. The remaining city is regarded as the Place of the Gods, with no memory of its former history.

What does the river symbolize in By the Waters of Babylon?

In the narrative, the Great River symbolizes the progression of a young man from the innocence of childhood to the maturity of adulthood, encompassing the transition from a state of naiveté to one of wisdom. John characterizes the phenomenon as “magical,” noting that no member of his tribe had observed it, including his father.

What are the symbols in By the Waters of Babylon?

“By The Waters Of Babylon” is a novel that uses modern society as textual symbols, such as spirits and demons, deer, and a door with a broken lock, to create a theme of the consequences of newfound knowledge. The protagonist, John, lives in a society deeply religious and believes in a past world inhabited by Gods. The story takes the reader on a journey to uncover the truth about the Place of the Gods and how new discoveries can drastically change civilizations.

The main conflict in the novel is’man vs. society’, with Randy trying to create peace and order in Fort Repose post nuclear attacks, while the highwaymen use violence to obtain everything they need. The epic hero journey archetype allows readers to follow the protagonist on his journey and realize the power that comes with it.

Where is the Place of the Gods in the waters of Babylon?

“By the Waters of Babylon” is a short story set in the future after a massive war that completely wiped out civilization. A small human population has been surviving off the basics of the land, forgetting pre-apocalyptic life. Priests, the leaders of this society, are the only humans allowed to travel to the Dead places and scavenge for metal in the Dead places. However, they are forbidden to travel East or enter the Place of the Gods.

John, a young Priest, inherits his role from his father and embarks on his own journey to find the Place of the Gods. He realizes that the Gods were only humans whose lifestyle was destroyed by great bombs. John explains to his father the importance of learning from the dead men to rebuild.

The story warns against the catastrophic destruction of humanity due to harmful technology and the unhealthy rush for knowledge. The character John represents the message of creation rather than destruction, and John describes his quest for truth as a Priest, highlighting the dangers of a hurried rush for knowledge in war.

What are the underground caves?

A cave or cavern is a natural void beneath the Earth’s surface, often formed by rock weathering and extending deep underground. Exogene caves are smaller openings that extend a short distance underground, while endogene caves extend further underground than the opening is wide. Speleology is the science of exploring and studying caves and their environment, with caves being visited for recreation as caving, potholing, or spelunking. The formation and development of caves is known as speleogenesis, which can occur over millions of years.

Caves can range in size and are formed by various geological processes, including chemical processes, erosion by water, tectonic forces, microorganisms, pressure, and atmospheric influences. Isotopic dating techniques can be applied to cave sediments to determine the timescale of geological events that formed and shaped present-day caves.

What is the statue of Ashing in By the Waters of Babylon?

In Benet’s “By the Waters of Babylon,” the author creates an eerie and fantastical world where the protagonist, John, encounters a distorted statue of George Washington, the first president of the United States.

What is the theme in the story By the Waters of Babylon?

In By the Waters of Babylon, the theme of knowledge pursuit is examined, providing the impetus for John’s intellectual curiosity and his journey to the Place of the Gods. The narrative underscores the significance of knowledge by depicting the elite priests, including John and his father, in possession of divine artifacts.

What does the metal represent in By the Waters of Babylon?

The metal that the priests of John’s tribe gather from the Dead Places symbolizes their developing understanding of technology and their reliance on superstitions. The tribe believes that the metal can only be collected by priests and that touching it before it is ritually purified will kill anyone not a priest. This superstition highlights the dangers of acquiring new knowledge and the connection between knowledge and superstition.

The By the Waters of Babylon quotes all refer to the symbol of metal, with each theme indicated by its own dot and icon. For example, the north, west, and south are good hunting grounds, but it is forbidden to go east, go to any of the Dead Places except to search for metal, and cross the great river and look upon the Place of the Gods, which is strictly forbidden. The boundary between knowledge and superstition may not be as distinct as we often believe.

What are the hidden gardens of Babylon?

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were a fabled set of gardens built by Nebuchadnezzar II, the greatest king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, to beautify the capital. They are one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and are disputed among historians. Some scholars claim the gardens were in Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, while others believe they were a figment of the ancient imagination.

Archaeology at Babylon and ancient Babylonian texts are silent on the matter, but ancient writers describe the gardens as if they were still in existence in Hellenistic times. The exotic nature of the gardens and the mystery surrounding their location and disappearance have made the Hanging Gardens of Babylon the most captivating of all the Seven Wonders.

Babylon, located about 80 km south of modern Baghdad in Iraq, was an ancient city with a history dating back to the 3rd millennium BCE. The greatest period in the city’s history was in the 6th century BCE during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II, who built the Ishtar Gate, the largest ever built brick double wall, and possibly the extensive pleasure gardens.

What are the caves and tunnels in By the Waters of Babylon?

In “By the Waters of Babylon”, John observes the remnants of a destroyed New York City, including god roads, caves, and tunnels. These roads, which are actually paved roads and bridges, and tunnels and caves, which correspond to the subway system, represent the destruction of a once-advanced civilization. John’s journey through the Place of the Gods reveals the apocalyptic downfall of a once-advanced civilization, leading him to understand that the gods were merely humans destroyed by their own technology.

John becomes disillusioned with what he has always been taught about the gods and realizes that they were mere men who were destroyed by their own technology. This story reveals the end of the modern world, as seen through the destruction of New York City, and the rebirth of a new society. However, when John realizes that the gods he’s always heard of were men, he also realizes that his people are capable of the same fate. Therefore, he witholds the truth from his people to avoid destroying their faith.