John John is the main character and narrator of ‘‘By the Waters of Babylon.’’ When the story begins, he is a boy from a tribe known as the Hill People. His father is a priest who performs purifying rituals and is also responsible for traveling into the regions known as Dead Places. These are the…
Tag: Stephen Vincent Benet
By the Waters of Babylon – Summary
‘‘By the Waters of Babylon’’ begins with a brief summary of the rules of a tribe that is later identified as the People of the Hills. This group allows hunting to the west, north, and south, but no one is allowed to travel to the east. People are also forbidden from going to the Dead…