By the Waters of Babylon

"By the Waters of Babylon"
By: Stephen Vincent Benet

"By the Waters of Babylon" is a short story about John, the son of a priest, who makes his way to the "Place of the Gods" - which is New York City - years after being destroyed by a nuclear bomb.

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​A narrative about a disaster...

​Think about past civilizations that have been destroyed or no longer exist...

• Babylonian Empire

• Greek/Roman Empire

Multiple Choice

Who is the main character and narrator in the story?

• John

• the head priest

• the forest people

​Plot - the events in a story/narrative

Match

Match the following.

• John discusses his role as the son of a priest. He describes the laws and background of his tribe.

• John decides to go on a long journey in pursuit of knowledge.

• 
  

  John kills a panther with a single arrow. John crosses a great river toward the Place of the Gods, asking for guidance in his journey. John observes the Place of the Gods. He examines buildings and roads, and eventually comes across a dead god looking out over the city.

Exposition

Conflict

Rising Action

• Exposition

• Conflict

• Rising Action

Match

Match the following

• 
  

  John comes to realize that the gods are not gods at all, but are ordinary men of the past.

• 
  

  John realizes he must reveal to his father and his tribe what he has seen and learned.

• 
  

  John decides that all within his tribe deserve to know the truth of the Place of the Gods – New York – and learn about the past, so he will tell them.

Climax

Falling Action

Resolution

• Climax

• Falling Action

• Resolution

Multiple Choice

What is the most likely way in which water would be purified?

• by drinking it

• 
  by removing impurities from it

• by sealing it in a large container

Multiple Choice

What would stern parents most likely do if their child misbehaved?

• 
  laugh about the child's behavior

• overlook the child's behavior

• punish the child's behavior

Multiple Choice

What must happen when a person is fasting?

• The person must not eat.

• 
  The person must rush off.

• 
  The person must speak loudly.

Multiple Choice

Why does John decide to go to the Place of the Gods?

• to gain knowledge

• to gain power

• to escape his tribe

Multiple Choice

What do John's references to gods and magic most clearly suggest?

• 
  The People of the Hills are social outcasts.

• John is young and lacks experience.

• 
  John's people lack knowledge about technology.

Multiple Choice

What is one central idea of "By the Waters of Babylon"?

• Love can change the world.

• 
  True wisdom may require knowledge of painful truths.

• If you do what is forbidden, you will always pay the price.

Multiple Choice

After which of these events does "By the Waters of Babylon" take place?

• a destructive war

• a great flood

• a bank robbery

Multiple Choice

In the story, John sees the city "as it had been when the gods were alive." What is he seeing?

• 
  a view of another planet

• 
  New York City in the past

• the future

What is the point of view of "By the Waters of Babylon?" How do you know?

​Point of View - Third Person - Flocabulary

Multiple Choice

From what point of view is "By the Waters of Babylon" narrated?

• 
  first person, by John's father

• 
  first person, by John

• 
  third person, limited to John's thoughts and experiences

Dramatic Irony

Benét's use of first-person point of view in this story contributes to the development of dramatic irony, a literary device that involves a contrast between what a character thinks to be true and what the reader knows to be true.

In the story, readers can see the meaning in certain details, such as the name of the river John crosses, but John himself cannot (myPerspectives workbook page 708, paragraph 21—"Ou-dis-sun" or Hudson). The first-person point of view allows the reader to connect textual clues to build an understanding of events that John only realizes later.

WATCH VIDEO: In on a secret? That's dramatic irony - Christopher Warner (youtube.com)

Multiple Choice

How does "By the Waters of Babylon" offer a strong example of dramatic irony?

• 
  John finally learns the truth about the gods.

• The narrator knows more about the Place of the Gods than the reader does.

• The reader understands more about the Place of the Gods than John does.

Multiple Choice

How does the use of dramatic irony in the story affect the reader?

• 
  It creates a feeling of calm.

• It creates a feeling of humor.

• 
  It creates a feeling of suspense.