Question

Read the passage from "By the Waters of Babylon.”

My knowledge made me happy—it was like a fire in my heart. Most of all, I liked to hear of the Old Days and the stories of the gods. I asked myself many questions that I could not answer, but it was good to ask them. At night, I would lie awake and listen to the wind—it seemed to me that it was the voice of the gods as they flew through the air.

We are not ignorant like the Forest People—our women spin wool on the wheel, our priests wear a white robe. We do not eat grubs from the trees, we have not forgotten the old writings, although they are hard to understand. Nevertheless, my knowledge and my lack of knowledge burned in me—I wished to know more. When I was a man at last, I came to my father and said, "It is time for me to go on my journey. Give me your leave."

Which themes are supported by the resolution of the narrator’s internal conflicts in this passage? Select two options.

Being content does not always lead to growth.

Gaining new skills is critical to survival.

Following traditions leads to new awareness.

Learning about the past can bring wisdom.

Studying the past requires great courage.

Answer 1

The guy with long answered said the answers are A and D

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

The correct answer is “Being content does not always lead to growth” and “Learning about the past can bring wisdom.”

Indeed, the participant first person narrator begins his recollection by stating how happy his knowledge of the “Old Books” made him back then. However, he immediately states that he still had “questions he could not answer”. Then he uses a very interesting metaphor for knowledge: “fire”. It is interesting because fire has both a positive and a negative property, it gives both light and warmth but also it burns and consumes. Thus, knowledge is positive because it helps a person understand himself and his world, to “light” the way and it also improves life as the inventorial description of the technological and educational advances show (the spin wool wheel, the Old books). However, fire also consumes wood, so to keep it burning more wood is required just like knowledge shows a person that although he knows many things there are a lot more things the he does not know (lack of knowledge) and that new knowledge will light the way of humanity and make it grow. The fact that he decides to leave his family after such reflection shows that he is leaving to get more wood for his inner, sacred fire, to get more knowledge for his mind.