Which statement from "By the Waters of Babylon" provides the best example of how the physical environment shapes the character’s
actions?A. "These are the rules and the laws; they are well made."B. "It was a dead man’s house, a spirit house."C. "Sometimes signs are sent by bad spirits."D. "I tried to guide my raft with the pole but it spun around."
D. I tried to guide my raft with the pole but it spun around
Explanation:
In the story, By the Waters of Babylon by Steven Vincent Benet, the narrator says "I do not know the customs of rivers—we are the People of the Hills", yet he works hard to guide his raft with the pole. Since "the current of the great river is very strong—it gripped my raft with its hands", the narrator is afraid, "swept down the stream" , but then his heart feels strong. The narrator cries "I am a priest and the son of a priest" and he was able " to paddle with the pole on one side of the raft. The current changed itself—I drew near to the Place of the Gods". The narrator's character is shaped by the physical environment.
I'd say there are two answers here - she must obey her husband's wishes and follow his advice (he tells her not to teach Douglass how to read) and slavery strips her of her innate beliefs and benevolent nature (she used to be a kind and caring person before she got slaves).
