man standing off to the side looking down at a marble bust of another man laying atop a pile of broken columns

By the Waters of Babylon

by Stephen Vincent Benét

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Discussion Topic

Mysterious objects and towers John sees in "By the Waters of Babylon"

Summary:

In "By the Waters of Babylon," John sees mysterious objects and towers that are remnants of a once-great civilization. These include towering skyscrapers, broken bridges, and abandoned machinery, which he initially perceives as magical and divine. As he explores further, he realizes these are relics of human technology from a bygone era, revealing the advanced nature of the society that preceded his own.

Expert Answers

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What mysterious objects does John see in "By the Waters of Babylon"?

I think that you are probably asking about the sorts of things that John sees when he is in the Place of the Gods.  Specifically, these are the things that he sees when he spends the night in what sounds like the apartment of someone who was relatively rich.

John mentions a few things that are particularly mysterious to him.  He mentions the pontillist painting that looks different close up than it does from farther away.  He mentions a statue of a bird made of some kind ceramic substance.  He particularly mentions all the appliances -- the thing for cooking that uses no wood, the things that looked like lamps but had no wicks, things like that.  Look in that area of the story to find more things that you could call mysterious.

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