Question

read the passage from by the waters of babylon.
when i saw my father again, i prayed and was purified. he touched my lips and my breast, he said, you went away a boy. you come back a man and a priest. i said, father, they were men! i have been in the place of the gods and seen it! now slay me, if it is the law—but still i know they were men.
he looked at me out of both eyes. he said, the law is not always the same shape—you have done what you have done. i could not have done it my time, but you come after me. tell!
which excerpt from this passage best supports the theme that traditions and laws must adapt to new times?

• when i saw my father again, i prayed and was purified
• you went away a boy. you came back a man and a priest
• now slay me, if it is the law—but still i know they were men
• i could not have done it my time, but you come after me

Explanation:

The theme focuses on traditions/laws adapting to new times. The excerpt "I could not have done it my time, but you come after me" directly acknowledges that the older generation (father) could not break with old traditions, but the new generation (the narrator) can, showing adaptation of rules to changing times. Other options focus on purification, coming of age, or challenging the law without explicitly addressing adaptive change of traditions.

Answer:

D. "I could not have done it my time, but you come after me"