6
QuizMultiple Choice

"By the Waters of Babylon," Part 2: Analyzing Theme — Quiz

Question 6 • English Language Arts 10

Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon.” I went north—I did not try to hide myself. When a god or a demon saw me, then I would die, but meanwhile I was no longer afraid. My hunger for knowledge burned in me—there was so much that I could not understand. After a while, I knew that my belly was hungry. I could have hunted for my meat, but I did not hunt. It is known that the gods did not hunt as we do—they got their food from enchanted boxes and jars. Sometimes these are still found in the Dead Places—once, when I was a child and foolish, I opened such a jar and tasted it and found the food sweet. But my father found out and punished me for it strictly, for, often, that food is death. Now, though, I had long gone past what was forbidden, and I entered the likeliest towers, looking for the food of the gods. Which sentence from the passage supports the theme that breaking the rules may be necessary for growth?

Answer
A
“When a god or a demon saw me, then I would die, but meanwhile I was no longer afraid.”
B
“My hunger for knowledge burned in me—there was so much that I could not understand.”
C
“But my father found out and punished me for it strictly, for, often, that food is death.”
D
“I had long gone past what was forbidden, and I entered the likeliest towers, looking for the food of the gods.”

Explanation

The theme is that breaking rules may be necessary for growth, so look for the sentence where the narrator knowingly goes beyond what is forbidden in pursuit of something valuable. In choice D, he enters the towers to seek the gods’ food despite knowing it is forbidden. This shows him taking a risk to satisfy his need for knowledge and experience.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.

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