By The Waters of Babylon-- this short story is supposed to represent New York, right? What's the sweet food in jars? Is everything symbolic or more literal? (This isn't a homework question, I'm just confused on the story.)
Ahh -- one of my favorite stories.
Yes, the city is New York. The sweet food in jars could be several things. I've always thought of honey or jelly.
This story is set in the future, presumably long after a nuclear war has devastated everything. The narrator of the story is descended from survivors of this war who essentially began civilization all over again. They are highly religious and superstitious. They've been warned away from New York because of the radioactivity that appeared to have been present for generations after the war.
Everything is real, but the narrator's interpretations of what he sees is often symbolic. He didn't know whether the statue of Washington represented a man or a god, but he prayed anyway -- just to be on the safe side.
This site may give you a little more information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/By_the_Waters_of_Babylon
Yes, New York City. Sweet food in the Jars? Does it remind you of Eve and the Tree of knowledge? Could it be the sweet food is knowledge?
Yes, everything is symbolic.
The theme is that man can destroy himself with knowledge, and that man's destiny is in his own hands.
As you can see, different people interpret this story (and other pieces of literature) in different ways. I'm sure Bobpursley is right that there is a lot of symbolism in "By the Waters of Babylon."
As Writeacher told me, "There are no 'right' answers" to some literature questions.
What do YOU think?
In "By the Waters of Babylon," a short story by American writer Stephen Vincent Benét, the setting is a post-apocalyptic world where a young man named John, who is from a tribe known as the "People of the Hills," ventures into the forbidden place where the gods (our modern-day cities) used to dwell. The story takes place in a future version of North America after some catastrophic event has devastated civilization.
Regarding your question, "Is the story supposed to represent New York?" It is not explicitly stated in the story that the setting represents New York specifically. However, there are some elements in the story that can draw parallels to a once-great city like New York due to the mentions of tall buildings, crumbling monuments, and references to a bygone civilization. While the story does not explicitly mention New York City, you could interpret it as representing any once-great city that has fallen into ruin.
In the story, John tells of finding the remnants of a grand structure, which he and his people refer to as the "Place of the Gods." Inside, he discovers various artifacts and objects that have survived the catastrophe. One of the items he discovers is a sweet food in jars, which he describes as "crystal, hard to the touch but melting sweet when it is eaten." This food serves as a treasure for John and symbolizes the luxuries of the past civilization that are now lost to his people.
As for the overall symbolism in the story, it can be interpreted in different ways. While some elements are more literal, such as the physical remnants of the past civilization, other aspects can be understood as symbolic. For example, John's journey can be seen as a coming-of-age quest or a search for knowledge and understanding. The story also explores themes of the dangers of knowledge, the cycle of civilization, and the fallibility of human pride.
Remember, literary analysis can often be subjective, and different readers may have different interpretations of the story's symbolism. It's always interesting to analyze the story and draw your own conclusions based on the text.