BY THE WATERS OF BABYLON
PLANET OF THE APES
COMPARITIVE ESSAY
The short story by the water
s of Babylon and the movie planet of the apes were both futuristic stories. They also both showed t
he evil sides of today’s man and the chaos and mass destruction that we are capable of acc
omplishing. They portrayed today’s man as selfish, violent, and full of hate and rage. B
y the waters of Babylon was written from the point of view of a boy close to becoming a man who knew
nothing of his past civilization. Whereas in the movie planet of the apes it was from the point of
view of a man that had come nearly directly from that past civilization. The main people in charge
keep knowledge from the public so they do not know the evils that they are capable of as to protect
them from making the same mistake.
In both stories our present civilization had destroyed the ea
rth, as we now know it and had killed most of the humans. The cause of these catastrophes in both s
tories was suspected to be from nuclear war. These places were the nuclear bombs had supposably hit
could not grow food and had no signs of life and were called the forbidden zones. The main people
in charge did not allow people to go into these so-called forbidden places. In the story by the wat
ers of Babylon the people in charge were called the high priests. In the movie the planet of the ap
es the main people in charge were the elder apes and Dr. Zayus. In both stories their reasons for h
aving the forbidden zones were similar they wanted to hide the past from them so they do not do it a
gain. One last strange similarity is that they both took place in New York City or in that area.
In by the waters of Babylon the main character and narrator was a boy on the verge of manhood. He
was in a culture that resembled that of medieval times. Their culture had many tales, stories, goo
d spirits, evil spirits, and magic. He was the son of a high priest, he called himself John. High
priests made up the rules, purified evil objects and knew everything about everything.
As the hi
gh priest’s son he himself wanted to become a good priest but to become one he had to look
at the place of gods with his own eyes. To do this he had to take a journey through the dead place
s that were forbidden. After a long journey he reached the waters before the place of the gods. Jo
hn could not just look at the place of the gods from far. He felt like if his soul would not rest u
nless he got a good look. So he built a raft and went to the forbidden place of gods. When he reac
hed the place of gods he saw no gods. Then he realizes the truth when he finds a dead body that tur
ned out to be human.
When he returns home to his father and tells his father what he saw his fat
her tells him the truth. He tells John about the civilization before theirs and their machines and
how they destroyed themselves. He tells his son that he can not go out and tell everyone about what
he saw, because they would not be able to handle it. They have to learn the truth piece by piece b
ecause the truth is hard to swallow.
In the movie planet of the apes the main character is an ast
ronaut named Taylor. He left earth on a far journey with three others, around the same time as our
present time. The ship that he travels in goes faster than the speed of light. In the movie becaus
e of the speed the ship is going time outside the ship goes faster than inside the ship. Therefore
inside the ship he made a six-month journey, but outside the ship and on earth two thousand years ha
s passed.
At the end of their trip they crash landed on what he thought was a foreign, alien pla
net but eventually found out was actually earth. The first animal life he saw was what seemed to be
a primitive type of human that could not talk. Upon approaching them they were ambushed and taken
captive by apes with guns on horses. These apes strangely could talk and reason. These apes captur
ed the humans and locked them in cages like violent, dumb, dirty animals.
At first Taylor could
not talk because upon capture he had been shot in the neck. Two ape doctors recognized that he was
not like the other and was actually smart. When the two apes told the elder apes and Dr. Zayus abou
t the smart human they thought it was ridiculous and was going to charge the two doctors for the foo
lish idea. So they helped Taylor escape and went into the forbidden zone for evidence and fossils.
Dr. Zayus went after them and they showed him the fossils and a talking baby doll. Dr. Zayus had a
lready known of this evidence but wanted to keep it secret form the other apes supposably for their
own safety. After all this Dr. Zayus still charged the two apes but let Taylor go to find his desti
ny. After a long travel he finally finds something. Taylor finds the half of the Statue of Liberty
at that moment he realizes that he is home and he curses his people for ruining earth.
In both of
these stories knowledge of their past has been withheld from the people so that they would not do i
t again. Personally I think that knowledge is the key to preventing the people from making the same
mistake twice. If they know what has been done wrong, they should not be dumb enough to do it awat
ers babylon planet apes comparitive essay short story waters babylon movie planet apes were both fut
uristic stories they also both showed evil sides today chaos mass destruction that capable accomplis
hing they portrayed today selfish violent full hate rage waters babylon written from point view clos
e becoming knew nothing past civilization whereas movie planet apes from point view that come nearly
directly from that past civilization main people charge keep knowledge public they know evils capab
le protect them making same mistake both stories present civilization destroyed earth know killed mo
st humans cause these catastrophes stories suspected nuclear these places were nuclear bombs supposa
bly could grow food signs life were called forbidden zones main people charge allow people into thes
e called forbidden places story charge called high priests movie main elder zayus their reasons havi
ng forbidden zones similar wanted hide past them again last strange similarity took place york city
area character narrator verge manhood culture resembled medieval times their culture many tales good
spirits evil spirits magic high priest himself john high priests made rules purified evil objects k
new everything about everything priest himself wanted become good priest become look place gods with
eyes this take journey through dead places after long journey reached before place gods john could
just look gods felt like soul would rest unless good look built raft went when reached then realizes
truth when finds dead body turned human when returns home father tells father what father tells tru
th tells john about before theirs their machines destroyed themselves tell everyone about what becau
se would able handle have learn truth piece piece because hard swallow character astronaut named tay
lor left earth journey with three others around same time present time ship travels goes faster than
speed light because speed ship going time outside ship goes faster than inside therefore inside mad
e month outside earth thousand years passed trip crash landed what thought foreign alien eventually
found actually first animal life seemed primitive type human could talk upon approaching them ambush
ed taken captive with guns horses strangely talk reason captured humans locked cages like violent du
mb dirty animals first taylor talk upon capture been shot neck doctors recognized like other actuall
y smart told elder zayus smart human thought ridiculous going doctors foolish idea helped taylor esc
ape went into zone evidence fossils zayus went after showed fossils talking baby doll already known
this evidence wanted keep secret form other supposably safety after this still charged find destiny
long travel finally finds something finds half statue liberty moment realizes home curses ruining kn
owledge been withheld would again personally think knowledge preventing making same mistake twice kn
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