Babylon+OPE+Insun


 * The Purpose of Hidden Truth **
 * By. Insun Choi **
 * E - block **
 * At the end of Stephen Vincent Benet's By the Waters of Babylon, John's father wants him to conceal the truth that he learned in the Place of Gods to others, not to conceal truth as a control of power but to protect and help others by concealing the truth. ** John knew the truth about why it led to Dead Places and why the Place of Gods was destroyed; it is because "in the old days, they ate knowledge too fast". However, he decides with his father to conceal the truth and reveal it little by little when their people are ready for it. In other words, Benet believes that truth (knowledge) is bad if you chuck it all at once, it should be wondered, and observed little by little until you get it within yourselves and that will the truth of knowledge. Also, he explains what resulted for "[eating] knowledge too fast", it led to ruins of Places of Gods. Therefore, John's father came up with his decision based on his belief that "Truth is a hard deer to hunt. If you eat too much truth at once, you may die of the truth." In other words, his father was worried about his people that if the truth is revealed all at once, it would do a same negative damage as John saw in the Places of Gods, and they might all die. He wants to protect and help his people by concealing the truth and decides to reveal it when they are ready. Concealing the truth, not only protects us but it also leads us to our cycle; "we must build again".