By The Waters of Babylon

Everyone has experienced a rite of passage in some way or another. A rite of passage is an experience that helps people grow and mature. The short story “By the Waters of Babylon” is all about John’s rite of passage.  John’s journey to The Place of the Gods is his rite of passage in many ways. This adventure makes him worthy of being a chief priest, mature, and more faithful.

            John’s adventure to The Place of the Gods makes him more mature because he took his life into his own hands and knew exactly what the outcome could be. John made a trip to The Place of the Gods, expecting that he would die.  He was able to make executive decisions that risked his own life for the sake of his mind and spirit. This shows great maturity because he is responsible for his own life and blames no one other than himself for the outcome. This is different than at the start of the story because he showed he did not take everything in stride. “When I boasted or wept without reason…” John says when he is describing his life before the trip. This shows he used to cry and freak out about nothing, but now he does not even flinch when he believes he is about to die. This is a characteristic that can only be found in a mature individual. John learns that there are more important matters other than his life, which is knowledge that he gains from the maturity he gets from his adventure.

            John also puts his life in his faith and follows it blindly. When John is trying to find the way for his trip, he sits on a rock and waits for a sign. He sees an eagle fly east and, eventually, a white faun going east. He takes this as a sign and goes east despite his fears of what may happen to him. He takes the animals as signs from the gods and follows their way no matter what. He sees the gods’ signs as better and over-ruling judgment, therefore he blindly follows them with the idea that the gods will protect him and that if he dies; it was meant to be so. This shows a complete and utter trust in his faith, a trust that can only be founded by a mission of faith. He also ignores the danger of the Forest People, wild animals, and raging rivers on this journey because he believes the gods will protect him. He has complete faith in the gods looking over him that he will go against common sense. He raffs down the dangerous river, shoots at a wild panther, and miraculously doesn’t get caught by the Forest People. This shows his faith grows even stronger throughout the journey, so much so that he no longer fears death. By journeying to and surviving the Place of the Gods by pure faith alone is John’s rite of passage of faith and spirituality.

            The Place of the Gods also made John worthy of being a chief priest because of his knowledge, which was his main goal and therefore his main rite of passage. When John was a little kid, his dad told him “A priest must know many secrets…” and one of these secrets was the truth about the gods. The reader learns this is the main secret a priest has to know because it is their job to prevent the people from destroying themselves again. With the knowledge that the gods were not gods but men, John can lead a tribe and prevent them from advancing too far with technology. The knowledge of the past of the Old People is a vital rite of passage that John gets from his journey. The knowledge he gains and his secrecy about it also shows his responsibility. Originally, John wanted to tell everyone about his discovery, but was told by his father to keep it unknown. Not only does the knowledge make him worthy of being a priest, but his devotion to keeping the people safe, even from themselves, is needed as well. The journey brings out his devotion for the people and proves that he is, indeed, worthy of being a priest.

            “By the Waters of Babylon” takes the reader through John’s rite of passage in many ways. It is not only John proving something to himself, but also proving to everyone that he is worthy of leading a tribe. His responsibility, maturity, and devotion to the people’s safety become apparent through his adventure and prove he is a responsible man. The journey is John’s rite of passage because it proves he is an adult worthy of respect and power.