Babel
Babel is a symbol of England's silver industrial revolution in the 1830s. Babel hosts millions of silver bars with different languages. Oxford translators are tasked with inscribing the silver bars and transforming them into vital components that run the England economy. The author refers to Babel as a magical place because its acts as the engine that drives England. Therefore, Babel is the most guarded place because of its significance to the nation.
Symbolism of Humanity
The author uses the character Lovell, an English professor, as a symbol of humanity. While in India, Lovell comes across a young boy, Robin, on the verge of death from the cholera outbreak. Professor Lovell rescues Robin and takes him to England. While in England, Lovell employs a private tutor who teaches Robin linguistics. Later, Robin works in Babel, a prestigious job mostly preserved for the elite male British citizens graduates of Oxford. Professor Lovell also fights for the rights of foreigners and women to work in Babel. Therefore, Professor Babel is an symbol of humankind.
The symbol of death
Death is symbolized by the cholera outbreak in Canton, China. Robin comes face to face with death when all his family members die of the deadly cholera disease. Most poor people die during this outbreak because they do not have the financial resources to enable them to access quality medical services. Robin's parents were poor, and they all died during the outbreak alongside his siblings. Robin escapes death by a whisker when Professor Lovell rescued him.
