Question

multiple-choice question
what is one central idea of \by the waters of babylon\?
love can change the world.
life is not always fair.
true wisdom may require knowledge of painful truths.
if you do what is forbidden, you will always pay the price.

Explanation:

"By the Waters of Babylon" follows John, a priest's son, who discovers the "dead places" are the ruins of a post-apocalyptic New York. His journey reveals that the supposed "gods" were actually humans who destroyed their civilization, a painful truth that challenges his people's beliefs. This aligns with the idea that true wisdom comes from confronting such hard, painful realities. The other options do not match the core narrative: the story does not focus on love changing the world, general life unfairness, or consequences of forbidden actions as its central idea.

Answer:

True wisdom may require knowledge of painful truths.