Question

Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon." After a time, I myself was allowed to go into the dead houses and search for metal. So I learned the ways of those houses—and if I saw bones, I was no longer afraid. The bones are light and old—sometimes they will fall into dust if you touch them. But that is a great sin. What does the narrator’s response to the setting reveal about his character? He is pessimistic due to his experiences. He gains knowledge through experience. He always does what he is told. He will always remain extremely timid.

Answer 1

What the narrator’s response to the setting reveal about his character is that He gains knowledge through experience

Step-by-step explanation:

This little excerpt from "By the Waters of Babylon." by Stephen Vincent Benét shows how the character describes his advances through experience as he uses the expression "After a time" this implies a change after a process. Similarly the expression " I was no longer afraid" talks about the personality growth in the character.

Answer 2

Answer: I would contend that the right answer is the B) He gains knowledge through experience.

Explanation: Just to elaborate a little on the answer, it can be added that in this excerpt from Stephen Vincent Benét's short story, the narrator reveals that, after being allowed into the dead houses, he "was no longer afraid" and he "learned the way of those houses," and he briefly describes some of the characteristics of the bones. This suggests that he gained knowledge through experience, by visiting those places and learning about their contents.