Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon.” It was close and dry and dusty in the house of the gods. I have said the magic was gone but that is not true—it had gone from the magic things but it had not gone from the place. I felt the spirits about me, weighing upon me. Nor had I ever slept in a Dead Place before—and yet, tonight, I must sleep there. When I thought of it, my tongue felt dry in my throat, in spite of my wish for knowledge. Almost I would have gone down again and faced the dogs, but I did not. Which text evidence from the passage supports the theme that even nonliving things contain a life force? Choose two correct answers.
Answer
A
“I have said the magic was gone but that is not true—it had gone from the magic things but it had not gone from the place.”
B
“I felt the spirits about me, weighing upon me.”
C
“Nor had I ever slept in a Dead Place before—and yet, tonight, I must sleep there.”
D
“When I thought of it, my tongue felt dry in my throat, in spite of my wish for knowledge.”
E
“Almost I would have gone down again and faced the dogs, but I did not.”
Explanation
The narrator says the magic had left the “magic things” but not the place, suggesting that the place itself still holds a force or presence. He also says he felt spirits around him, which directly suggests life or energy within the nonliving place. These details support the theme that even nonliving things contain a life force.
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