Babylon+OPE+Minae

Minae Kwon F Block

Question: Looking at the ideas/concepts of the story, when was the story probably written and for what purposes?

Title: Knowledge: Enemies or Friends?

word count: 224
 * The author, Stephen Vincent Benet, probably wrote **//** By the Waters of Babylon **//** in the mid 20th century in order to warn people about an overflowing amount of knowledge and innovation may lead to our destruction. ** The "Gods" in this story were modern day people, using modern technology and modern ways, until suddenly, dramatically, unfortunately, destruction came upon them . He describes the scene as, // "It was fire falling out of the sky and a mist that poisoned. It was the time of the Great Burning and the Destruction. They ran about like ants in the streets of their city—poor gods, poor gods!" // Fire falling out of the sky, presumably highly technological bombs, brought the ruin of the whole city as a result of the wrong use of knowledge and technology. Since the 20th century was a time of progressing technology at an alarmingly increasing rate, the author may have felt overwhelmed and predicted a consequence like the one in his story. He was trying to warn people of the future and of his time to not take knowledge and technology for granted, and to use it wisely, for if it gets out of control, chaos will occur. In conclusion, we should use the knowledge we have at hand more wisely, and for the right purposes in order to build a healthy, well-organized society.