The Parable of the Sower by Octavia E Butler describes a futuristic American society that has been impoverished greatly and is a shell of its former self. Butler describes rampant poverty, violence, and disease that infests the streets of California. Some of the descriptions throughout the book hint at the causes of American decline. For example, Butler describes at length the lack of rain. She says that “it only rains every six or seven years” (pg 48). As a result, clean drinking water is incredibly expensive and hardly anyone can afford it. Furthermore, she describes natural disasters, such as tornadoes, blizzards, and fires that are raging all across the United States and are killing people in droves (pg 54). Another impact that she talks about is disease. She observes disease in her own community but also touches on the fact that diseases that were previously almost wiped out have begun to make a recurrence. The main example talked about is the measles epidemic in the northern states (pg 54). All of these descriptions, rain pattern alteration, increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters, and renewed prevalence of disease spread, can be considered effects of climate change. In a world where climate change has been allowed to get to a crisis level, we would anticipate seeing these same environmental disasters that Butler is depicting in her book. Therefore, from the examples Butler depicts, I draw the conclusion that climate change resulted in the American disaster and impoverishment described throughout Butler’s book. Is this a reasonable conclusion? If not, what do you think is most likely to contribute to the decline of the American society (i.e. capitalism, climate change, political disaster, etc…)? Furthermore, how accurate do you think the descriptions Butler gives about the grisly future of American society are? Is it possible for our American society to look like Butler describes?
America’s decline is caused by climate change, capitalism, and political disaster but all these events are caused by neoliberalism. Neoliberalism relies on exploitations so it can achieve its mission of providing cheap goods for an excessive price. Its focused on vertical integration and thus more control and profit. Neoliberalism degrades cultures, natural environments, economies, and governments by exploiting natural resources and people; so, it can only result in environmental destruction, climate change, and hostile environments like those described in Parable of the Sower. It appears neoliberalism and trickle-down economics are the core issues at hand. What might a democratic socialist nation provide for fighting climate change, saving endangered species, implementing sustainability, investing in renewables, and improving the state of the global south by their standards? Is socialism an alternative framework that America will accept? Why might it be difficult to implement it in the U.S.? Examples like Denmark, Norway, and New Zealand are great examples of socialism benefiting a nation; what do these countries have in common and how are they different?
In the beginning chapters of the novel The Parable of the Sower the 2024 election is occurring in the midst of the surrounding chaos that is taking place. With the citizens facing various unsafe and unhealthy conditions (including the lack of water resources and distribution, a lack of transportation, the need for walls to protect neighborhoods due to looting and violence, along with a plethora of other disparities) voting is not a major priority in their lives. The main character explains that her father is “the only person” they “know who is going to vote at all”, which conveys the distinct decrease in voter turnout that has resulted from the deterioration of the nation at the hands of neglectful governmental powers (39). Along with the various distractions that encompass the existence of people within the novel, it is evident that the lack of aid from the government has evolved citizens to lose faith in politicians. It is stated that “politicians have been promising to return us to the glory, wealth, and order of the twentieth century” for as long as they could remember, which is extremely evident, for example in President Trump’s campaign to “make America great again” (40). In what ways does the reading convey reasons as to why citizens are unable to (or lack the courage or drive to) vote, even though it is their right? Why do politicians focus on returning the nation to its previous state of “glory” rather than creating a new path? Is it even possible to return to what was with the depletion of resources and environmental degradation that has occurred from the industrialization process?
I think these are really interesting questions especially in light of the political situation of our country right now. It seems like politicians strive to build upon the way the country works now and the systems that are in place now, trying to make them better. But what if the systems themselves are flawed? If we work within flawed systems, does that mean that any progress is inherently flawed too? I think that what Lauren is trying to do in Parable of the Sower is to create a new system where they can build upon government and life in a better way that is less flawed. When we stay in systems that are perpetuating injustice, it sends people that message that things can never get better, especially for marginalized and oppressed groups. This is seen in the book when people don’t even want to vote because they don’t feel that it will affect their lives. In our country today, a lot of marginalized groups are disenchanted with the state of their treatment and don’t feel there is any hope for change. What hope is there for a change to the systems we have in place? Is it possible to change the system, or will things fall apart like they do in the book before any change is possible?
This is kind of going to be scatterbrained but I just wanted to get my thoughts down on a couple of things from the book. In Parable of the Sower, there are major Religious themes at play. Lauren, the narrator talks in chapter 4 about Richard Moss and how he has created his own religion and how “He claims God wants men to be patriarchs, rulers and protectors of women (pg. 36).” and having “a lot of beautiful, disposable young servant girls (pg. 37).” The point I wanted to make is about how people like this often seem to pop up in apocalyptic sci-fi fiction. You can see it around all kinds of sci-fi media. Some groups of people take the opportunity to create their own self-serving cults, while some people like Lauren’s father cling to established religions. I just find this interesting and wanted to ask why you think that is? What does it say about both groups of people? What does it say about humanity and society as a whole?
My second question is about how Lauren, Keith, and most of the other young characters in the book are so mature and know so much about survival and things like that. They have kind of been forced into a role that is beyond what kids their age should be doing. Lauren is one of the smartest, most mature protagonists I have encountered in a while and she is 15 years old. Keith left the camp and found ways to survive and he was only 13. All the other kids know how to shoot guns, grow food, navigate the outside world, and many more mature things. I wanted to pose the question if anyone sees any similarities to younger generations today and how we have kind of been forced into a role of political, social, and economic maturity due to the state of the world? I might be a reach by comparing current conditions to a complete apocalypse, but I think there is something there. Young people are on the front lines and leading a lot of movements right now and it has been like that for a while, but I feel the leaders keep getting younger. With the current leadership and the desire to go back to the glory days, combined with an ever-changing world and many imminent social and environmental threats, young generations have been forced into roles that are typically beyond their maturity level. I believe there are some comparisons to be made and just wanted to ask if you do as well?
Throughout Parable of the Sower, we learn that Lauren is constantly thinking of the future and the disasters that can come with it. However, a lot of people around her, like Joanne and Cory, believe she is too pessimistic and knows nothing of the world. Like when they talked about applying for jobs in Olivar and Lauren talks about the risks and being worse off, Cory tells her “you know nothing about the world. You think you have all the answers but you know nothin!” (122). Joanne also seems to have opposing ideologies about the world and future than Lauren, as she tells her “oh, God, there you go again. You’ve always got a disaster up your sleeve” and she replies with “I see what’s out there. You see it too. You just deny it” (129). Lauren seems to believe that those around her are in denial of the harsh reality around them. Are Lauren’s views of the world valid or she is too pessimistic, like the others think? Is she too young and naïve about the world or do her ideas have some truth and validity to them? Why do others so quick to shut down her views of the world? Why is Lauren so quick to shut down others’ views of the world and the hope they show? How do Lauren and Joanne’s different beliefs play a larger role in the story and the world they live in? Is either of them right or wrong?
In Neidjie’s poems and Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower, we see descriptions of god, spirituality, and different philosophies regarding the laws and lawlessness of natural and human ecology. Neidjie’s poems are a glimpse into aboriginal ecological thought. His philosophies are derived from the flawless systems of nature. There is a common theme in each poem: the only law that governs the world is life, death, and decay. Nature is not governed by laws outside of physics, chemistry, and biology; ethics are a waste of time if there is not a universal currency or desirable status to be had. In the Parable of the Sower, Butler asks “how many people has [religion] hurt? How many are going to starve later because of destroyed crops? That’s nature. Is it God?” (15). In a climate apocalypse, God, to some, is still something to have faith in but we find that God left the chat. The majority of humans have abandoned whatever concepts of morality they once had and have now turned on one another to preserve themselves or their group. It is, as they say, a dog eat dog world that modern perceptions of God would not permit. Ecological thinking tells us that this is the constant state of the universe: life/death, peace/chaos, and purity/impurity. Is it better to exist in a reality formed by ecological thinking or by a religious perspective? What are some pros and cons to both? What harm have we seen done from both ideologies?
In chapter 3 of Parable of the Sower, Mrs. Sims, a christian woman in Lauren’s neighborhood, committed suicide. This is shocking to Lauren because Mrs. Sims believed that suicide was a sin, punishable by hell. A lot of events led up to Mrs. Sims’ suicide. She was robbed, tied up, and raped, and then her son and his family were killed in an arson attack. I feel like this event shows the limits of Christianity when it comes to the immense suffering on earth. What role does God play in a post-apocalyptic world like the one in Parable of the Sower? Think about this with consideration to the fact that Mrs. Sims believed life on earth to be so unbearable that hell seemed to be a less sufferable, better option.
In Parable of The Sower, Lauren doubts the religion of her father but is afraid to tell him she is not Christian. Lauren is in a way, writing her own Bible, Earthseed. Lauren’s hyper empathy allows her to experience the world in a different way than most. She says that if more people had her condition, then the world might be a better place. People would not want to cause others harm, because they would feel it themselves too. Laurens’s unique connection with people and animals and the duality of her experience with pain and suffering reminds us of how much we, as humans, are connected to each other, animals, the earth, the universe, God. Lauren thinks that, with this perception of interconnectedness, it is possible for humans to change the world and change God. In Earthseed, Lauren conveys the malleability of the universe, world, God, everything when she writes:
All that you touch
You Change.
All that you Change
Changes you.
The only lasting truth
Is Change.
God
Is Change. (pg79)
In this quote, I think Lauren is saying that you can’t change any one thing without changing a series of other things as well. You can’t make change without changing yourself. God, is the action of change and the only thing that is ever stable, constant, and lasting is change. If God is change and humans have the ability to make change, then do we have the ability to make God?
Later in the book Lauren writes something which she thinks is the truest thing she thinks she’s ever written:
Why is the universe?
To shape God.
Why is God?
To shape the universe. (pg78)
In this quote, I think that she is saying that all religion is the same interpretation of a universal truth that we’re all connected to the universe around us and we are all technically the universe experiencing itself in different forms. If everything and everyone are all small parts of the universe, does everyone have a small part in changing the universe/world and in shaping God?
In “Parable of the Sower”, Lauren explains how she has hyperempathy syndrome. While she and her family believe that it is in her head and she is crazy, it is something that affects her physically. She has looked at other people’s pain and started actually bleeding from it. She inflicted pain on others such as her brother Keith and breaking Michael Talcott’s arm. Why did she do this when she knew she would feel the same pain? Mental illness and some physical illnesses have been looked down upon in society and hidden from others. People are often referred to as “delusional” (11) when they are expected to have a mental illness. However, this has become more of a normality as more people are diagnosed with a type of mental illness. Some mental illnesses do not affect people’s daily lives. Why does Lauren feel she must hide this from everyone else? Additionally, many people often “feel each other’s pain” when they are injured or sick. Could her disorder be just an extreme version of sympathy pain because so many around the community are struggling and in pain? If so, why does this affect her so much in comparison to others who may feel sympathy pain as well?
The “Parable of the Sower” is told primarily from the perspective of a young teenager, Lauren Oya Olamina. The story is told in a journalistic form, from Lauren’s daily journals and letters, and is set outside of LA, when there is a shortage of water and many residents are desperate and resort to violence and crime to survive. Lauren’s father is a pastor, and their family lives in a working-class neighborhood built with a gate and a wall around it to keep thieves and street people out, as well as dangerous dogs and animals. Due to the high rates of violence and crime in the area Lauren is growing up within the context of the book, her father, who is the community pastor, arms their family and encourages other families in their community to do so as well. Once the children of the community become a certain age, they receive gun training. One particular instance of this gun training was discussed on pages 38-46 of the book. In this passage, Lauren’s father takes several other families and their children out to the hills to practice shooting. They go riding bikes, because it is cheaper, and on the way they encounter many people who Lauren hypothesizes would hurt them if they were not armed and in a large group. As the group was shooting, Lauren saw a dog appear from the bushes, panting. Feral dogs are dangerous in the area, as depicted in the book, but Lauren did not feel threatened by it, and told another person in the group about her age, Aura. When Aura saw the dog, she shot at it, almost hitting another member of the group. After this occured, Lauren’s father went to see if Aura had hit the dog, but discovered something much more gruesome -a dead family that was half-eaten by dogs. Without telling any of the teenagers, Lauren’s father whispered to another adult, and they promptly decided to leave, shooting any dog that gets too close. One dog did get close, and was shot three times. As Lauren walked by it, she realized the dog was still alive, raising her pistol, she killed it with a single shot. Lauren states: “I walked, then rode in a daze, still not quite free of the dog I had killed. I had felt it die, and yet I had not died. I had felt its pain as though it were a human being, I had felt its life flare and go out, and I was still alive.. Pow.” (Butler, 46). In this story, the dog was not depicted as looking feral and threatening, but rather as beautiful and silvery-gray. What is the significance of the dog in this story and what does it represent, if anything? Where does Lauren’s family get their weapons and is this significant? Why do they obtain them in this way? Is Lauren’s fear throughout these sections of the book justified, or is it caused by unnecessary fear mongering coming from peers and other people?
Lauren confides in her friend Joanne about her thoughts of the future. She believes that their community will be overtaken by devastation and violence. It is only a matter of time before outsiders take control of the community and force families out of their homes. Lauren insists that she and Joanne should take action. Joanne refuses these claims and does not believe that either of them could do anything about it because of their young age. Lauren responds: “We can get ready. That’s what we’ve got to do now. Get ready for what’s going to happen, get ready to survive it, get ready to make a life afterward” (94). Many argue that children should not be able to make decisions regarding the future of their community or a larger entity. Those decisions must be made by adults as they have a better understanding of the events that are taking place. Is Joanne right when she says that they are too young to be making these kinds of decisions? Is age truly of importance when making such decisions, especially when it impacts individuals directly? How is this reflective of what is occurring in our society today?
In Parable of the Sower, do you think there is a significance of having the main character Lauren have Hyperempathy? Is there a hidden theme or message that Butler is trying to convey by giving Lauren this ability? Does Lauren’s ability help visualize the events in the book?
On Page 44-45 I think Butler does a great job in exemplifying Lauren’s Hyperempathy when she feels the pain of the dogs that her father kills. Lauren felt the pain of the dog to be so extreme that she described it as if she was the dog and experiencing its pain. The pain was so unbearable to Lauren that if she did not have her bike with her should would have collapsed and fallen onto the ground. I think this portion of the book provides a good understanding of Lauren’s Hyperempathy to the reader and how she reacts to it.
When discussing the “Parable of the Sower”, it became clear that seeds are a representation of the word of God and how it affects and grows in each person. However, the scene that stuck out to me the most was when Lauren interacted with the dog. More specifically, we constantly see the interconnection between humans and animals within literature. In this specific scene, Lauren decided to kill a dog. I found this rather hard to read, yet we can still see the pain that it put Lauren through. Butler writes, “I had felt its pain as though it were a human being,” (Butler, 46). With this, we are able to see that Lauren, although killing the dog, was still affected by its death.
Because of this, my question is, what themes does this event depict in regard to the interconnectedness between humans and animals? Was Butler trying to portray a different image? With Lauren now knowing the pain of the dog, do you think she would do it again?
In Parable of the Sower, Octavia Butler offers a radical representation of hope. Butler illustrates a hope that isn’t seen and isn’t always tangible and only a possibility post-apocalypse: “There has to be more that we can do, a better destiny that we can shape. Another place. Another way. Something!” (133) This hope is also presented through the idea that nothing is permanent, but rather “All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you” (138). Tangible representations of hope are seen through the “rebuilding, fortifying, doing whatever we can…” (143). I think hope is also presented through Butler’s analysis of power and social relations. Butler reasons that all struggles are power struggles (164) and that “civilization is to groups what intelligence is to individuals” (173). I think these observations also represent hope because by better understanding the world around us we can better move through it, change it, improve. Through understanding, few things remain permanent. Once we understand the possibilities, we might have confidence to try and “any change may bear seeds of benefit. Seek them out. Any Change may bear seeds of harm. Beware” (199). Butler creates a world where one can move forward with confidence and caution. Butler also creates a world of we: “we are earthseed. WE are flesh—self aware, questing, problem-solving flesh” (257). By pulling the reader into the story it reads as science fiction and reality. How can I apply the lessons to the present? One lesson from Butler that I want to carry with me: “we help each other” (60). What lessons from Butler do you want to carry with you?
Amy Dunn’s death in Chapter 4 is used to explain Lauren’s fear of those who live outside the gate of her neighborhood. They leave “gifts of envy and hate: A maggoty, dead animal, a bag of shit, even an occasional severed human limb or a dead child” (50). While Amy was accidentally killed by a stray bullet which was fired at the gate itself, it reminds Lauren of the people who envy her community’s supposed prosperity. She later discusses her fears about what will happen to the rest of the members of her community, as she is afraid of those outside the gates. What parallels does this have with fear in our own society? Do those who ‘have’ fear those who ‘have not’? Should those who ‘have’ fear those without?
Throughout the Parable of the Sower Lauren is struggling to understand why things are the way they are, she is trying to help out her community by offering martial art classes to fight off thieves as well as set up a night watch to protect her neighbors. Early in the book Lauren asks a question that relates to society today, “Is it a sin against God to be poor? We’re almost poor ourselves… we’ll all be poor someday” (15). The significance of this quote is that her father is the community’s pastor, he always talking about how it will get better but it has not, things have only gotten worse as the book goes on. Today we see that poor people are always at the bottom they, they are one of the most oppressed groups in the world. My question is why is this? Is it because someone has to be exploited for the wealthy to make a profit? Why is it that in America there is so much poverty even though we have so many millionaires and billionaires?
I think this is a very interesting and relevant question to SD! I think through capitalism exploitation is necessary. I have also been thinking a lot lately about some false hope that people have in trickle-down economics, and judging by the nearly disgusting amount of income inequality in the world, it is obvious that trickle-down is not working. I think capitalism expects millionaires and billionaires to be charitable, but that is hardly the case. I remember in “Hind Swaraj” Gandhi wrote that millions will always be poor. It is a devastating idea, but perhaps true if we are never able to leave capitalism behind. It is fascinating to wonder how we can redistribute wealth while we are still stuck in a capitalist society? Is that a potential option for moving forward while also taking action to change policies?
In class we discussed one of the Parables of Jesus in the Bible called Parable of the Sower, of which the novel’s title is obviously based upon. The Parable of the Sower is an allegory for the kingdom of God. A farmer in the story, who represents Jesus, goes out to sow. The sowing represents God’s message being spread. Some seed fall on good soil and produces crops, representing people who hear and accept God’s message. Other seeds fall among thorn bushes, and the message of God is heard, but “choked” out of them. Other seeds fall on rocky ground where there is poor soil, and so the message of God does not “sink in deep” to these people.
In Octavia E. Butler’s “Parable of the Sower,” the main character Lauren Oya Olamina is allegorically similar to the farmer in the biblical story. She must work to spread her message of Earthseed, just as the famer sowing was him “spreading the message of God.” Since the farmer represents Jesus in the biblical parable, Lauren Oya Olamina represents a higher power similar to Jesus, being that she is the founder of this new belief system. I think it’s also worth noting that she experiences the ability to share pain with others-called hyperempathy in the book, which is similar to how in the bible Jesus possesses unique, supernatural abilities. What other comparisons can be made between the biblical Parable of the Sower, and the novel version? Are there any other ways in which Lauren’s hyperempathy and her overall Earthseed movement reflect that of the story of Jesus?
In class we discussed one of the Parables of Jesus in the Bible called Parable of the Sower, of which the novel’s title is obviously based upon. The Parable of the Sower is an allegory for the kingdom of God. A farmer in the story, who represents Jesus, goes out to sow. The sowing represents God’s message being spread. Some seed fall on good soil and produces crops, representing people who hear and accept God’s message. Other seeds fall among thorn bushes, and the message of God is heard, but “choked” out of them. Other seeds fall on rocky ground where there is poor soil, and so the message of God does not “sink in deep” to these people.
In Octavia E. Butler’s “Parable of the Sower,” the main character Lauren Oya Olamina is allegorically similar to the farmer in the biblical story. She must work to spread her message of Earthseed, just as the famer sowing was him “spreading the message of God.” Since the farmer represents Jesus in the biblical parable, Lauren Oya Olamina represents a higher power similar to Jesus, being that she is the founder of this new belief system. I think it’s also worth noting that she experiences the ability to share pain with others-called hyperempathy in the book, which is similar to how in the bible Jesus possesses unique, supernatural abilities. What other comparisons can be made between the biblical Parable of the Sower, and the novel version? Are there any other ways in which Lauren’s hyperempathy and her overall Earthseed movement reflect that of the story of Jesus?
In the Parable of the Sower, Octavia Butler simplifies and unifies all religion, while emphasizing the fragility of it. Just as all religion accounts for the actions of its followers, Lauren’s God (change) also holds all people and actions as significant, ” All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you. The only lasting truth is change. God is change.” (Butler, 79) She says all actions shape God and the reactions of God. On page 86, Butler says, “To get along with God, consider the consequences of your behavior”. Throughout the book the reader is constantly warned about the dangers of resisting change, “without adaptability, what remains may be channeled into destructive fanaticism.” (Butler, 1). However, she also warns the reader about the dangers of adhering to change and redirecting it into bad and exclusive outcomes, “Adaptions that an intelligent species may make in a single generation, other species make over many generations of selective breeding and selective dying. Yet intelligence is demanding. If it is misdirected by accident or by intent, it can foster its own orgies of breeding and dying.” (Butler, 29) What is the missing variable that is the balance between resisting change and fostering a dangerous change? What kind of change does Lauren want to foster with her religion? What does this say about the destructive vs. the healing properties of religion? From Lauren’s point of view how can religion become a healing force over a destructive one?
Pages 52-60 genuinely blew my mind at their relevancy to today. It talks about rising costs of living, being unable to afford college, disease spreading, a president who says he’ll “take things back to normal” (and the overall inaction of the government), and the ways in which adults wish for the old days whereas kids push for new ways. “‘The changes.” I thought for a moment. “They were slow changes compared to anything that might happen here, but it took a plague to make some of the people realize that things COULD change… Things are changing now, too. Our adults haven’t been wiped out by a plague so they’re still anchored to the past, waiting for the good old days to come back… People have changed the climate of the world. Now they’re just waiting for the old days to come back” (56-57). Wow. I mean, if Butler wasn’t a visionary, then I don’t know who ever was. It’s terrifyingly accurate to today. So I was wondering, what other connections have you all made to current events? What do you think that Butler is attempting to say/warn us about?
Octavia Butler’s book, “Parable of the Sower,” feels almost like a prophecy about what’s to come in the United States. When the transnational corporation KSF purchases and takes over the small coastal town of Olivar, some flock to work for the company in exchange for food and employment while others see the process as a reinvention of debt slavery. Lauren worries that if Olivar succeeds, “this country is going to be parceled out as a source of cheap labor and cheap land. When people like those in Olivar begin to sell themselves, our surviving cities are bound to wind up the economic colonies of whoever can afford to buy them” (Butler, 129). I wonder if this process has already started in the United States. Do places like Seattle, home to Amazon, Starbucks, and Microsoft, already represent this sort of future for America?
The quote “A tree cannot grow in its parents’ shadows” resonated with me a good bit (82). I really wanted to ask what everyone thought of this quote? Does the root of its meaning extend past the simplicity of the Child journey to be their own person? How can we look at society and development in term of this quote? When I read this quote, I really though about changes in society overtime, as it relates to the theme of change which to book capitalizes on. This is no a new construct. Every generation has fought for change and seen changes within their society. I think it’s ironic if you look at culture and society as a forest. Successional changes with bring one forest species, representing a cultural movement, only to have it replaced by the next generations. As practitioners of Sustainable Development, and active citizens, I think its important for us to understand this constant changes will life will always transition through. The Goals which we are fighting today for will one day be the past that next generation is trying to move away from or grow past. This Transitional phase is where I believe we see a lot of our cultural term oil, because we see the older generations society changing to meet younger generations needs. The book represents this well with the interactions between Lauren and her father. Lauren speaks about respecting her father and what he has done to help her, her family, and their community, but she still believe that something is coming. Change destroys solitude and Lauren wants to help other by preparing them for this coming change.
I related so much to the sense of panic held by Lauren when she was talking with Joanne on pages 52-60. I felt a sense of comradeship with her almost, I feel like I have had versions of these conversations over and over with people in my life, trying to get them to understand the crises we as a species are in. The specific quote where Lauren says, “Tornadoes are smashing hell out of Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, and two or three other states. Three hundred people dead so far. And there’s a blizzard freezing the northern midwest, killing even more people. In New York and New Jersey, a measles epidemic is killing people. Measles!” (page 54) This as well as the rest of Lauren’s cautions were met with fear and a sense of denial. In light of our current times and circumstances, how is this fear damaging to a community? More-so, when considering their conversation about a potentially new president being able to mitigate these issues, Joanne says on page 54, “Things are bad. My mother is hoping this new guy, President Donner, will start to get us back to normal.” following it up with “No. Donner hasn’t got a chance. I think he would fix things if he could, but Harry says his ideas are scary. Harry says he’ll set the country back a hundred years.” (page 54) Why do you think people would believe regression might actually be progress?
In Parable of the Sower, communities are built upon either proximity (Lauren’s neighborhood) or intimidation (gangs). Neither of these principles proves very lasting, we see in the case of the neighborhood, proximity does not translate to friendliness or even the ability to work together well and for the drug addicts, intimidation is only useful to keep people in line. Lauren helps people at times when they need her most. Lauren’s generosity encourages generosity in the people around her, which puts them on their best behavior and helps them trust each other. It seems that Lauren’s community has been built upon this trust. What do you think the significance of this is and what do you think it is that helps the people in her group develop trust with each other?
Parable of the Sower speaks a lot of truths to our current times. On page 16, Lauren talks about their favorite book of the Bible, Job. Lauren says “God says he made everything and he knows everything so no one has any right to question what he does with any of it.” I think this statement is not only referring to a mythical God but also alluding to the leadership that has led to this apocalyptic society. Is God meant to represent the destruction of human well-being?
I think that God in this book may represent “higher powers” in general and how problematic it is to follow our political powers, or anything, blindly. Not questioning the “creators” of law and science can lead us down a path that only follows the interests of those at the top, therefore leading to the downfall of those at the bottom. By sitting back and entrusting the sovereign powers to make decisions for those whom they cannot relate to is nonsensical. How could they possibly know what’s in our best interest when they are so disillusioned and detached from the commoner’s everyday struggles? I think that this is important to point out in current times- The need for active citizenship that checks/balances those in power to work for the People and not Goverment/Corporal interests. Those at the top will continue to follow their own narrative or their donor’s narratives until we stand up and speak for ourselves. In order to reduce the degradation of society, we must transform politics to work for the people by demanding structural reform. Only then will society be able to entrust their faith in a sovereign power.
In Parable of the Sower, what do you think the significance of Lauren’s hyper empathy syndrome is and why does her family reject it and see it as delusional? Do you think that her father, a respected minister, is ashamed of the syndrome because his wife and Lauren’s mother was addicted to drugs during her pregnancy, which ultimately affected their unborn child? Which is then just a reminder that his wife died in childbirth. Do you believe that Lauren’s hyper empathy syndrome formed her conflicting views about Christianity or do you think she always had these feelings to begin with despite her syndrome? She then finds a new religion, Earthseed, and starts to contrast the religion against Christianity. This is especially the case when comparing how each of the religions compares hope and change. She believes Christianity provides a false sense of hope against this brutal and chaotic reality of this time whereas Earthseed’s principle is “God is change.” This essentially means that change is inevitable and that it can often be very destructive but they have the power to “shape God”, therefore Earthseed seems to provide a more positive and realistic sense of hope than Christianity. Another example of how Earthseed differs is that instead of praying to God for mercy and justice, people who follow Earthseed work more individually to change the world.
Perhaps there is an irony to an Afro-futurist, feminist novel such as Parable of the Sower being embraced by the (often right wing oriented) “prepper” movement, yet it does fit rather well with the post-societal collapse trajectory assumed by many adherents to such ideology. It is safe to say that such a sequence of events would in no way usher in an Edenic age of harmony among men and nature, and Butler envisions small communities having to defend themselves and their food at every turn, often awkwardly and timidly. In Chapter Six, this is illustrated in journal entries only days apart:
Wednesday, March, 12, 2025 – “Garden thieves got in last night. They stripped citrus trees of fruit in the Hsu yard and the Talcott yard” (68)
Saturday, March 15, 2025 – “It’s official. Now we have a regular neighborhood watch — a roster of people from every household who are over eighteen, good with guns — their own and others — and considered responsible by my father and by the people who have already been patrolling the neighborhood. … They’ll meet once a week to read, discuss and practice martial arts and shoot-out techniques.” (72)
Reading the Parable of the Sower from the viewpoint of those who find themselves perhaps on the precipice of facing a similar situation in the coming years and decades, how might one prepare for such eventualities with an eye toward using the power vacuum and newly opened up political and societal landscapes to advance ideas of equity and environmental sustainability? Is there any path that does not include the knowledge of and use of arms? Is it completely beyond the pale for sustainable development programs, which talk at length about movements such as the EZLN (Zapatistas) and other armed autonomous groups, to consider including defense strategies in their curriculum? Does the total exclusion of such strategies only perpetuate the systems, based on the monopoly of violence, that have led us to this point and the need for sustainable development in the first place?
What larger message are the creators of Pumzi attempting to communicate through their ending and theme of personal sacrifice for the environment? At the end of the film, the main character sacrificed her last remaining drops of water saved in her bottle to water the plant they had saved. This (based on my interpretation) killed her as she was in the desert, already dehydrated, without water. What might the creators be trying to communicate about this type of personal sacrifice for the environment in this dystopian context? Will we be faced with the decision to ensure our own survival or the environment in the future? What are the moral/ethical decisions surrounding personal sacrifice for the life of a plant?
The short film Pumzi quite clearly has a lot of parallels between itself and Parable of the Sower. The film seems to similarly take place in a futuristic dystopia where resources, especially water, are extremely scarce. Both the film and the novel have this paradoxical aspect of there being continual technological growth, e.g. Mars mission and space programs discussed in Parable of the Sower, and the advanced technology we can clearly see in Pumzi-yet there is a lack of basic human resources and much of the world has been destroyed due to environmental degradation. The main character in Pumzi braves the outside world in order to plant a seed in the now barren landscape, and this start growing life outside of the compound again. This is of course comparable to Lauren’s vision of Earthseed in Parable of the Sower, in which she believes humanity needs to travel to other planets, spreading out and “planting” like seeds. What are some other similarities between the novel and the short film Pumzi, especially ones that aren’t so obvious at first glance? How do the dystopias that are presented compare and contrast?
Parable of the Sower is an interesting dystopian take and writing that makes you think about how these ideas could be applicable to todays society. At the beginning of chapter five she wrote the quote, “Belief, Initiates and guides action – or it does nothing.” (47). She then went on to talk about the only rain that they had had for six years and that it only rains every six or seven years. I think that this scenario could possibly applicable to our future lives, we currently don’t believe that there is a possibility for a lack of rain/water so without that belief we have done nothing. If we did believe that climate change was imminent and a lack of water is a high possibility we would initiate and guide action in order to hault these future struggles. Is belief the only way to get things done in society? Is belief the driving force for change?
Personally, I found Parable of the Sower to be frightening in the sense that America is seemingly very close to making fiction reality. I believe that the society we live in now is on the verge of, if not already a dystopian society. In the section of the book where Spencer talks about the lack of rain, where it only rains once every six or so years. This is a scenario that could be very close to a reality for us in America, for instance look at the West Coast and the lack rain in places like southern California. Spencer also mentions how belief is a very powerful thing and that it can guide actions. When we look at scientific research, are we accepting at truth because of the numbers/figures or do we accept it because it is what we believe in? Do the people who deny climate change do so because of their “beliefs” or to go against the grain of society? How do we make science believable for all?
In chapter 6, Lauren’s community is grappling with thievery and a new patrol program to prevent continued theft. Lauren’s dad is a big advocate for the program, but Lauren and Cory are worried that there could be casualties if thieves shoot at the patrol people. At the end of the chapter, Butler wrote “It isn’t enough to for us to just survive, limping along, playing business as usual while things get worse and worse” (76). As we’ve discussed in class, this book is eerily similar to things that we are currently experiencing. Does is often feel like we are limping along? And playing business as usual? There are a myriad of crises coinciding, the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, raging income inequality, racial injustice, blatant violations of human rights in the US and abroad. There are many who are spending their lives dedicated to changing the dire conditions that many people live in, yet far more who are apathetic to injustices. How can we lift the veil? How can we get people to stop limping along?
On page 118, we learn about Olivar, where a multinational company, KSF came and privatized the town. Olivar was faced with an encroaching ocean, desperate refugees, and a crumbling economy. Olivar realized that they couldn’t protect themselves. People had limited options to work, so having the stability of a reliable employer was too good to pass up. Once established, KSF began hiring people for room and board, and Lauren notes that with any children, that type of salary would just leave them in debt. Lauren called this “an old company-town trick — get people into debt, hand on to them, and work them harder. Debt Slavery”
Meanwhile, KSF is trying to dominate the economy by buying huge tracts of land from hopeless people all over the nation. It feels as if these sort of business practices – neoliberalism, capitalism, extraction. These are the types of things that likely led to the U.S’s state of disrepair. Theres something dreadfully ironic about this, and I feel like this is happening currently though in less drastic ways in the US. I am wondering how to really articulate this better and see some examples in the real world – in what ways is this happening now? While there are obvious historical examples, what practices are ongoing that mirror this situation?
In “The Parable of the Sower” we see a possible fast-forward of what could happen to American Society if we continue to live the way we do. This depicted world is encompassed in an economic collapse, full of environmental degradation, crime and poverty, and the only source of survival are walled-in communities that too, end up in collapse. In this story, I couldn’t choose a quote; I was more interested in the symbolization throughout. I found that the neighborhood wall symbolized so much more than just a wall, blockade or barrier. I believe that yes, it did symbolizes a physical barrier, but it also symbolizes as a form of protection and separation. This form of protection actually ended up as a target for the privileged. It separates Lauren and her community from those on the outside who are struggling with this economic collapse while they, necessarily are not. This separation in a sense hints at the social classes in society today, and the privileges that come with being in a higher social class. Later in the reading you come to the conclusion that the lower of the classes see this “privilege” and eventually target the rich-class by destroying their community, killing all they can find and all out of anger and the need for survival. If society keeps running the way it does, this may not be far off of how American society will turn out. So, for this week my question is how can we bridge this gap between the poor and the rich, that was greatly depicted in “The Parable of the Sower, as well as how can we do this without causing conflict amongst the people? And, if this depiction isn’t very far off, how does it compare in relation to what is happening in American society today?
In Parable of the Sower, the relationship between the decay of society and the strong still-standing foundation of the old religion is made throughout the beginning of the book. Most people in Laurens town, including her father, have taken extra precautions in trying to remain safe within the walls of the small community that they live. Lauren mentioned that her father—a God fearing man—has a gun that he carries on his hip so people can see it when he walks around. It is obvious because of how much the environment has changed and how the government has fallen to something unrecognizable that it has warped everyone’s view of safety—especially physical safety. People in this time no longer trust the government or any institution within it to keep them safe. Laurens father even goes as far to say “The police, may be able to avenge you, but they can’t protect you. Things are getting worse. And as for your children… I believe they will have a better chance of growing up if you can protect them…I will pray for them all. I’ll also see to it that they know how to defend themselves. And for as long as I can, I will stand between my family and any intruder. Now that’s what I have to do. You all do what you have to do.” (page 39) I am curious as to when people stop trusting their government to protect them and start looking for safety and reassurance in other things—like religion? Lauren clearly stated, “My father’s God stopped being my God.”, during one of her first entry’s. She does not see his God in the same way he does. She does not seek comfort or safety in his God in any way. In fact she wonders what the true essence of God is. When does religion not become enough for even the most devout people (Lauren’s father) to cling on to? How has fear played into the church still standing despite the decay of the community that lives around it?
SD 3800 Voices in Sustainable Development 
The Parable of the Sower by Octavia E Butler describes a futuristic American society that has been impoverished greatly and is a shell of its former self. Butler describes rampant poverty, violence, and disease that infests the streets of California. Some of the descriptions throughout the book hint at the causes of American decline. For example, Butler describes at length the lack of rain. She says that “it only rains every six or seven years” (pg 48). As a result, clean drinking water is incredibly expensive and hardly anyone can afford it. Furthermore, she describes natural disasters, such as tornadoes, blizzards, and fires that are raging all across the United States and are killing people in droves (pg 54). Another impact that she talks about is disease. She observes disease in her own community but also touches on the fact that diseases that were previously almost wiped out have begun to make a recurrence. The main example talked about is the measles epidemic in the northern states (pg 54). All of these descriptions, rain pattern alteration, increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters, and renewed prevalence of disease spread, can be considered effects of climate change. In a world where climate change has been allowed to get to a crisis level, we would anticipate seeing these same environmental disasters that Butler is depicting in her book. Therefore, from the examples Butler depicts, I draw the conclusion that climate change resulted in the American disaster and impoverishment described throughout Butler’s book. Is this a reasonable conclusion? If not, what do you think is most likely to contribute to the decline of the American society (i.e. capitalism, climate change, political disaster, etc…)? Furthermore, how accurate do you think the descriptions Butler gives about the grisly future of American society are? Is it possible for our American society to look like Butler describes?
America’s decline is caused by climate change, capitalism, and political disaster but all these events are caused by neoliberalism. Neoliberalism relies on exploitations so it can achieve its mission of providing cheap goods for an excessive price. Its focused on vertical integration and thus more control and profit. Neoliberalism degrades cultures, natural environments, economies, and governments by exploiting natural resources and people; so, it can only result in environmental destruction, climate change, and hostile environments like those described in Parable of the Sower. It appears neoliberalism and trickle-down economics are the core issues at hand. What might a democratic socialist nation provide for fighting climate change, saving endangered species, implementing sustainability, investing in renewables, and improving the state of the global south by their standards? Is socialism an alternative framework that America will accept? Why might it be difficult to implement it in the U.S.? Examples like Denmark, Norway, and New Zealand are great examples of socialism benefiting a nation; what do these countries have in common and how are they different?
In the beginning chapters of the novel The Parable of the Sower the 2024 election is occurring in the midst of the surrounding chaos that is taking place. With the citizens facing various unsafe and unhealthy conditions (including the lack of water resources and distribution, a lack of transportation, the need for walls to protect neighborhoods due to looting and violence, along with a plethora of other disparities) voting is not a major priority in their lives. The main character explains that her father is “the only person” they “know who is going to vote at all”, which conveys the distinct decrease in voter turnout that has resulted from the deterioration of the nation at the hands of neglectful governmental powers (39). Along with the various distractions that encompass the existence of people within the novel, it is evident that the lack of aid from the government has evolved citizens to lose faith in politicians. It is stated that “politicians have been promising to return us to the glory, wealth, and order of the twentieth century” for as long as they could remember, which is extremely evident, for example in President Trump’s campaign to “make America great again” (40). In what ways does the reading convey reasons as to why citizens are unable to (or lack the courage or drive to) vote, even though it is their right? Why do politicians focus on returning the nation to its previous state of “glory” rather than creating a new path? Is it even possible to return to what was with the depletion of resources and environmental degradation that has occurred from the industrialization process?
I think these are really interesting questions especially in light of the political situation of our country right now. It seems like politicians strive to build upon the way the country works now and the systems that are in place now, trying to make them better. But what if the systems themselves are flawed? If we work within flawed systems, does that mean that any progress is inherently flawed too? I think that what Lauren is trying to do in Parable of the Sower is to create a new system where they can build upon government and life in a better way that is less flawed. When we stay in systems that are perpetuating injustice, it sends people that message that things can never get better, especially for marginalized and oppressed groups. This is seen in the book when people don’t even want to vote because they don’t feel that it will affect their lives. In our country today, a lot of marginalized groups are disenchanted with the state of their treatment and don’t feel there is any hope for change. What hope is there for a change to the systems we have in place? Is it possible to change the system, or will things fall apart like they do in the book before any change is possible?
This is kind of going to be scatterbrained but I just wanted to get my thoughts down on a couple of things from the book. In Parable of the Sower, there are major Religious themes at play. Lauren, the narrator talks in chapter 4 about Richard Moss and how he has created his own religion and how “He claims God wants men to be patriarchs, rulers and protectors of women (pg. 36).” and having “a lot of beautiful, disposable young servant girls (pg. 37).” The point I wanted to make is about how people like this often seem to pop up in apocalyptic sci-fi fiction. You can see it around all kinds of sci-fi media. Some groups of people take the opportunity to create their own self-serving cults, while some people like Lauren’s father cling to established religions. I just find this interesting and wanted to ask why you think that is? What does it say about both groups of people? What does it say about humanity and society as a whole?
My second question is about how Lauren, Keith, and most of the other young characters in the book are so mature and know so much about survival and things like that. They have kind of been forced into a role that is beyond what kids their age should be doing. Lauren is one of the smartest, most mature protagonists I have encountered in a while and she is 15 years old. Keith left the camp and found ways to survive and he was only 13. All the other kids know how to shoot guns, grow food, navigate the outside world, and many more mature things. I wanted to pose the question if anyone sees any similarities to younger generations today and how we have kind of been forced into a role of political, social, and economic maturity due to the state of the world? I might be a reach by comparing current conditions to a complete apocalypse, but I think there is something there. Young people are on the front lines and leading a lot of movements right now and it has been like that for a while, but I feel the leaders keep getting younger. With the current leadership and the desire to go back to the glory days, combined with an ever-changing world and many imminent social and environmental threats, young generations have been forced into roles that are typically beyond their maturity level. I believe there are some comparisons to be made and just wanted to ask if you do as well?
Throughout Parable of the Sower, we learn that Lauren is constantly thinking of the future and the disasters that can come with it. However, a lot of people around her, like Joanne and Cory, believe she is too pessimistic and knows nothing of the world. Like when they talked about applying for jobs in Olivar and Lauren talks about the risks and being worse off, Cory tells her “you know nothing about the world. You think you have all the answers but you know nothin!” (122). Joanne also seems to have opposing ideologies about the world and future than Lauren, as she tells her “oh, God, there you go again. You’ve always got a disaster up your sleeve” and she replies with “I see what’s out there. You see it too. You just deny it” (129). Lauren seems to believe that those around her are in denial of the harsh reality around them. Are Lauren’s views of the world valid or she is too pessimistic, like the others think? Is she too young and naïve about the world or do her ideas have some truth and validity to them? Why do others so quick to shut down her views of the world? Why is Lauren so quick to shut down others’ views of the world and the hope they show? How do Lauren and Joanne’s different beliefs play a larger role in the story and the world they live in? Is either of them right or wrong?
In Neidjie’s poems and Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower, we see descriptions of god, spirituality, and different philosophies regarding the laws and lawlessness of natural and human ecology. Neidjie’s poems are a glimpse into aboriginal ecological thought. His philosophies are derived from the flawless systems of nature. There is a common theme in each poem: the only law that governs the world is life, death, and decay. Nature is not governed by laws outside of physics, chemistry, and biology; ethics are a waste of time if there is not a universal currency or desirable status to be had. In the Parable of the Sower, Butler asks “how many people has [religion] hurt? How many are going to starve later because of destroyed crops? That’s nature. Is it God?” (15). In a climate apocalypse, God, to some, is still something to have faith in but we find that God left the chat. The majority of humans have abandoned whatever concepts of morality they once had and have now turned on one another to preserve themselves or their group. It is, as they say, a dog eat dog world that modern perceptions of God would not permit. Ecological thinking tells us that this is the constant state of the universe: life/death, peace/chaos, and purity/impurity. Is it better to exist in a reality formed by ecological thinking or by a religious perspective? What are some pros and cons to both? What harm have we seen done from both ideologies?
In chapter 3 of Parable of the Sower, Mrs. Sims, a christian woman in Lauren’s neighborhood, committed suicide. This is shocking to Lauren because Mrs. Sims believed that suicide was a sin, punishable by hell. A lot of events led up to Mrs. Sims’ suicide. She was robbed, tied up, and raped, and then her son and his family were killed in an arson attack. I feel like this event shows the limits of Christianity when it comes to the immense suffering on earth. What role does God play in a post-apocalyptic world like the one in Parable of the Sower? Think about this with consideration to the fact that Mrs. Sims believed life on earth to be so unbearable that hell seemed to be a less sufferable, better option.
In Parable of The Sower, Lauren doubts the religion of her father but is afraid to tell him she is not Christian. Lauren is in a way, writing her own Bible, Earthseed. Lauren’s hyper empathy allows her to experience the world in a different way than most. She says that if more people had her condition, then the world might be a better place. People would not want to cause others harm, because they would feel it themselves too. Laurens’s unique connection with people and animals and the duality of her experience with pain and suffering reminds us of how much we, as humans, are connected to each other, animals, the earth, the universe, God. Lauren thinks that, with this perception of interconnectedness, it is possible for humans to change the world and change God. In Earthseed, Lauren conveys the malleability of the universe, world, God, everything when she writes:
All that you touch
You Change.
All that you Change
Changes you.
The only lasting truth
Is Change.
God
Is Change. (pg79)
In this quote, I think Lauren is saying that you can’t change any one thing without changing a series of other things as well. You can’t make change without changing yourself. God, is the action of change and the only thing that is ever stable, constant, and lasting is change. If God is change and humans have the ability to make change, then do we have the ability to make God?
Later in the book Lauren writes something which she thinks is the truest thing she thinks she’s ever written:
Why is the universe?
To shape God.
Why is God?
To shape the universe. (pg78)
In this quote, I think that she is saying that all religion is the same interpretation of a universal truth that we’re all connected to the universe around us and we are all technically the universe experiencing itself in different forms. If everything and everyone are all small parts of the universe, does everyone have a small part in changing the universe/world and in shaping God?
In “Parable of the Sower”, Lauren explains how she has hyperempathy syndrome. While she and her family believe that it is in her head and she is crazy, it is something that affects her physically. She has looked at other people’s pain and started actually bleeding from it. She inflicted pain on others such as her brother Keith and breaking Michael Talcott’s arm. Why did she do this when she knew she would feel the same pain? Mental illness and some physical illnesses have been looked down upon in society and hidden from others. People are often referred to as “delusional” (11) when they are expected to have a mental illness. However, this has become more of a normality as more people are diagnosed with a type of mental illness. Some mental illnesses do not affect people’s daily lives. Why does Lauren feel she must hide this from everyone else? Additionally, many people often “feel each other’s pain” when they are injured or sick. Could her disorder be just an extreme version of sympathy pain because so many around the community are struggling and in pain? If so, why does this affect her so much in comparison to others who may feel sympathy pain as well?
The “Parable of the Sower” is told primarily from the perspective of a young teenager, Lauren Oya Olamina. The story is told in a journalistic form, from Lauren’s daily journals and letters, and is set outside of LA, when there is a shortage of water and many residents are desperate and resort to violence and crime to survive. Lauren’s father is a pastor, and their family lives in a working-class neighborhood built with a gate and a wall around it to keep thieves and street people out, as well as dangerous dogs and animals. Due to the high rates of violence and crime in the area Lauren is growing up within the context of the book, her father, who is the community pastor, arms their family and encourages other families in their community to do so as well. Once the children of the community become a certain age, they receive gun training. One particular instance of this gun training was discussed on pages 38-46 of the book. In this passage, Lauren’s father takes several other families and their children out to the hills to practice shooting. They go riding bikes, because it is cheaper, and on the way they encounter many people who Lauren hypothesizes would hurt them if they were not armed and in a large group. As the group was shooting, Lauren saw a dog appear from the bushes, panting. Feral dogs are dangerous in the area, as depicted in the book, but Lauren did not feel threatened by it, and told another person in the group about her age, Aura. When Aura saw the dog, she shot at it, almost hitting another member of the group. After this occured, Lauren’s father went to see if Aura had hit the dog, but discovered something much more gruesome -a dead family that was half-eaten by dogs. Without telling any of the teenagers, Lauren’s father whispered to another adult, and they promptly decided to leave, shooting any dog that gets too close. One dog did get close, and was shot three times. As Lauren walked by it, she realized the dog was still alive, raising her pistol, she killed it with a single shot. Lauren states: “I walked, then rode in a daze, still not quite free of the dog I had killed. I had felt it die, and yet I had not died. I had felt its pain as though it were a human being, I had felt its life flare and go out, and I was still alive.. Pow.” (Butler, 46). In this story, the dog was not depicted as looking feral and threatening, but rather as beautiful and silvery-gray. What is the significance of the dog in this story and what does it represent, if anything? Where does Lauren’s family get their weapons and is this significant? Why do they obtain them in this way? Is Lauren’s fear throughout these sections of the book justified, or is it caused by unnecessary fear mongering coming from peers and other people?
Lauren confides in her friend Joanne about her thoughts of the future. She believes that their community will be overtaken by devastation and violence. It is only a matter of time before outsiders take control of the community and force families out of their homes. Lauren insists that she and Joanne should take action. Joanne refuses these claims and does not believe that either of them could do anything about it because of their young age. Lauren responds: “We can get ready. That’s what we’ve got to do now. Get ready for what’s going to happen, get ready to survive it, get ready to make a life afterward” (94). Many argue that children should not be able to make decisions regarding the future of their community or a larger entity. Those decisions must be made by adults as they have a better understanding of the events that are taking place. Is Joanne right when she says that they are too young to be making these kinds of decisions? Is age truly of importance when making such decisions, especially when it impacts individuals directly? How is this reflective of what is occurring in our society today?
In Parable of the Sower, do you think there is a significance of having the main character Lauren have Hyperempathy? Is there a hidden theme or message that Butler is trying to convey by giving Lauren this ability? Does Lauren’s ability help visualize the events in the book?
On Page 44-45 I think Butler does a great job in exemplifying Lauren’s Hyperempathy when she feels the pain of the dogs that her father kills. Lauren felt the pain of the dog to be so extreme that she described it as if she was the dog and experiencing its pain. The pain was so unbearable to Lauren that if she did not have her bike with her should would have collapsed and fallen onto the ground. I think this portion of the book provides a good understanding of Lauren’s Hyperempathy to the reader and how she reacts to it.
When discussing the “Parable of the Sower”, it became clear that seeds are a representation of the word of God and how it affects and grows in each person. However, the scene that stuck out to me the most was when Lauren interacted with the dog. More specifically, we constantly see the interconnection between humans and animals within literature. In this specific scene, Lauren decided to kill a dog. I found this rather hard to read, yet we can still see the pain that it put Lauren through. Butler writes, “I had felt its pain as though it were a human being,” (Butler, 46). With this, we are able to see that Lauren, although killing the dog, was still affected by its death.
Because of this, my question is, what themes does this event depict in regard to the interconnectedness between humans and animals? Was Butler trying to portray a different image? With Lauren now knowing the pain of the dog, do you think she would do it again?
In Parable of the Sower, Octavia Butler offers a radical representation of hope. Butler illustrates a hope that isn’t seen and isn’t always tangible and only a possibility post-apocalypse: “There has to be more that we can do, a better destiny that we can shape. Another place. Another way. Something!” (133) This hope is also presented through the idea that nothing is permanent, but rather “All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you” (138). Tangible representations of hope are seen through the “rebuilding, fortifying, doing whatever we can…” (143). I think hope is also presented through Butler’s analysis of power and social relations. Butler reasons that all struggles are power struggles (164) and that “civilization is to groups what intelligence is to individuals” (173). I think these observations also represent hope because by better understanding the world around us we can better move through it, change it, improve. Through understanding, few things remain permanent. Once we understand the possibilities, we might have confidence to try and “any change may bear seeds of benefit. Seek them out. Any Change may bear seeds of harm. Beware” (199). Butler creates a world where one can move forward with confidence and caution. Butler also creates a world of we: “we are earthseed. WE are flesh—self aware, questing, problem-solving flesh” (257). By pulling the reader into the story it reads as science fiction and reality. How can I apply the lessons to the present? One lesson from Butler that I want to carry with me: “we help each other” (60). What lessons from Butler do you want to carry with you?
Amy Dunn’s death in Chapter 4 is used to explain Lauren’s fear of those who live outside the gate of her neighborhood. They leave “gifts of envy and hate: A maggoty, dead animal, a bag of shit, even an occasional severed human limb or a dead child” (50). While Amy was accidentally killed by a stray bullet which was fired at the gate itself, it reminds Lauren of the people who envy her community’s supposed prosperity. She later discusses her fears about what will happen to the rest of the members of her community, as she is afraid of those outside the gates. What parallels does this have with fear in our own society? Do those who ‘have’ fear those who ‘have not’? Should those who ‘have’ fear those without?
Throughout the Parable of the Sower Lauren is struggling to understand why things are the way they are, she is trying to help out her community by offering martial art classes to fight off thieves as well as set up a night watch to protect her neighbors. Early in the book Lauren asks a question that relates to society today, “Is it a sin against God to be poor? We’re almost poor ourselves… we’ll all be poor someday” (15). The significance of this quote is that her father is the community’s pastor, he always talking about how it will get better but it has not, things have only gotten worse as the book goes on. Today we see that poor people are always at the bottom they, they are one of the most oppressed groups in the world. My question is why is this? Is it because someone has to be exploited for the wealthy to make a profit? Why is it that in America there is so much poverty even though we have so many millionaires and billionaires?
I think this is a very interesting and relevant question to SD! I think through capitalism exploitation is necessary. I have also been thinking a lot lately about some false hope that people have in trickle-down economics, and judging by the nearly disgusting amount of income inequality in the world, it is obvious that trickle-down is not working. I think capitalism expects millionaires and billionaires to be charitable, but that is hardly the case. I remember in “Hind Swaraj” Gandhi wrote that millions will always be poor. It is a devastating idea, but perhaps true if we are never able to leave capitalism behind. It is fascinating to wonder how we can redistribute wealth while we are still stuck in a capitalist society? Is that a potential option for moving forward while also taking action to change policies?
In class we discussed one of the Parables of Jesus in the Bible called Parable of the Sower, of which the novel’s title is obviously based upon. The Parable of the Sower is an allegory for the kingdom of God. A farmer in the story, who represents Jesus, goes out to sow. The sowing represents God’s message being spread. Some seed fall on good soil and produces crops, representing people who hear and accept God’s message. Other seeds fall among thorn bushes, and the message of God is heard, but “choked” out of them. Other seeds fall on rocky ground where there is poor soil, and so the message of God does not “sink in deep” to these people.
In Octavia E. Butler’s “Parable of the Sower,” the main character Lauren Oya Olamina is allegorically similar to the farmer in the biblical story. She must work to spread her message of Earthseed, just as the famer sowing was him “spreading the message of God.” Since the farmer represents Jesus in the biblical parable, Lauren Oya Olamina represents a higher power similar to Jesus, being that she is the founder of this new belief system. I think it’s also worth noting that she experiences the ability to share pain with others-called hyperempathy in the book, which is similar to how in the bible Jesus possesses unique, supernatural abilities. What other comparisons can be made between the biblical Parable of the Sower, and the novel version? Are there any other ways in which Lauren’s hyperempathy and her overall Earthseed movement reflect that of the story of Jesus?
In class we discussed one of the Parables of Jesus in the Bible called Parable of the Sower, of which the novel’s title is obviously based upon. The Parable of the Sower is an allegory for the kingdom of God. A farmer in the story, who represents Jesus, goes out to sow. The sowing represents God’s message being spread. Some seed fall on good soil and produces crops, representing people who hear and accept God’s message. Other seeds fall among thorn bushes, and the message of God is heard, but “choked” out of them. Other seeds fall on rocky ground where there is poor soil, and so the message of God does not “sink in deep” to these people.
In Octavia E. Butler’s “Parable of the Sower,” the main character Lauren Oya Olamina is allegorically similar to the farmer in the biblical story. She must work to spread her message of Earthseed, just as the famer sowing was him “spreading the message of God.” Since the farmer represents Jesus in the biblical parable, Lauren Oya Olamina represents a higher power similar to Jesus, being that she is the founder of this new belief system. I think it’s also worth noting that she experiences the ability to share pain with others-called hyperempathy in the book, which is similar to how in the bible Jesus possesses unique, supernatural abilities. What other comparisons can be made between the biblical Parable of the Sower, and the novel version? Are there any other ways in which Lauren’s hyperempathy and her overall Earthseed movement reflect that of the story of Jesus?
In the Parable of the Sower, Octavia Butler simplifies and unifies all religion, while emphasizing the fragility of it. Just as all religion accounts for the actions of its followers, Lauren’s God (change) also holds all people and actions as significant, ” All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you. The only lasting truth is change. God is change.” (Butler, 79) She says all actions shape God and the reactions of God. On page 86, Butler says, “To get along with God, consider the consequences of your behavior”. Throughout the book the reader is constantly warned about the dangers of resisting change, “without adaptability, what remains may be channeled into destructive fanaticism.” (Butler, 1). However, she also warns the reader about the dangers of adhering to change and redirecting it into bad and exclusive outcomes, “Adaptions that an intelligent species may make in a single generation, other species make over many generations of selective breeding and selective dying. Yet intelligence is demanding. If it is misdirected by accident or by intent, it can foster its own orgies of breeding and dying.” (Butler, 29) What is the missing variable that is the balance between resisting change and fostering a dangerous change? What kind of change does Lauren want to foster with her religion? What does this say about the destructive vs. the healing properties of religion? From Lauren’s point of view how can religion become a healing force over a destructive one?
Pages 52-60 genuinely blew my mind at their relevancy to today. It talks about rising costs of living, being unable to afford college, disease spreading, a president who says he’ll “take things back to normal” (and the overall inaction of the government), and the ways in which adults wish for the old days whereas kids push for new ways. “‘The changes.” I thought for a moment. “They were slow changes compared to anything that might happen here, but it took a plague to make some of the people realize that things COULD change… Things are changing now, too. Our adults haven’t been wiped out by a plague so they’re still anchored to the past, waiting for the good old days to come back… People have changed the climate of the world. Now they’re just waiting for the old days to come back” (56-57). Wow. I mean, if Butler wasn’t a visionary, then I don’t know who ever was. It’s terrifyingly accurate to today. So I was wondering, what other connections have you all made to current events? What do you think that Butler is attempting to say/warn us about?
Octavia Butler’s book, “Parable of the Sower,” feels almost like a prophecy about what’s to come in the United States. When the transnational corporation KSF purchases and takes over the small coastal town of Olivar, some flock to work for the company in exchange for food and employment while others see the process as a reinvention of debt slavery. Lauren worries that if Olivar succeeds, “this country is going to be parceled out as a source of cheap labor and cheap land. When people like those in Olivar begin to sell themselves, our surviving cities are bound to wind up the economic colonies of whoever can afford to buy them” (Butler, 129). I wonder if this process has already started in the United States. Do places like Seattle, home to Amazon, Starbucks, and Microsoft, already represent this sort of future for America?
The quote “A tree cannot grow in its parents’ shadows” resonated with me a good bit (82). I really wanted to ask what everyone thought of this quote? Does the root of its meaning extend past the simplicity of the Child journey to be their own person? How can we look at society and development in term of this quote? When I read this quote, I really though about changes in society overtime, as it relates to the theme of change which to book capitalizes on. This is no a new construct. Every generation has fought for change and seen changes within their society. I think it’s ironic if you look at culture and society as a forest. Successional changes with bring one forest species, representing a cultural movement, only to have it replaced by the next generations. As practitioners of Sustainable Development, and active citizens, I think its important for us to understand this constant changes will life will always transition through. The Goals which we are fighting today for will one day be the past that next generation is trying to move away from or grow past. This Transitional phase is where I believe we see a lot of our cultural term oil, because we see the older generations society changing to meet younger generations needs. The book represents this well with the interactions between Lauren and her father. Lauren speaks about respecting her father and what he has done to help her, her family, and their community, but she still believe that something is coming. Change destroys solitude and Lauren wants to help other by preparing them for this coming change.
I related so much to the sense of panic held by Lauren when she was talking with Joanne on pages 52-60. I felt a sense of comradeship with her almost, I feel like I have had versions of these conversations over and over with people in my life, trying to get them to understand the crises we as a species are in. The specific quote where Lauren says, “Tornadoes are smashing hell out of Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, and two or three other states. Three hundred people dead so far. And there’s a blizzard freezing the northern midwest, killing even more people. In New York and New Jersey, a measles epidemic is killing people. Measles!” (page 54) This as well as the rest of Lauren’s cautions were met with fear and a sense of denial. In light of our current times and circumstances, how is this fear damaging to a community? More-so, when considering their conversation about a potentially new president being able to mitigate these issues, Joanne says on page 54, “Things are bad. My mother is hoping this new guy, President Donner, will start to get us back to normal.” following it up with “No. Donner hasn’t got a chance. I think he would fix things if he could, but Harry says his ideas are scary. Harry says he’ll set the country back a hundred years.” (page 54) Why do you think people would believe regression might actually be progress?
In Parable of the Sower, communities are built upon either proximity (Lauren’s neighborhood) or intimidation (gangs). Neither of these principles proves very lasting, we see in the case of the neighborhood, proximity does not translate to friendliness or even the ability to work together well and for the drug addicts, intimidation is only useful to keep people in line. Lauren helps people at times when they need her most. Lauren’s generosity encourages generosity in the people around her, which puts them on their best behavior and helps them trust each other. It seems that Lauren’s community has been built upon this trust. What do you think the significance of this is and what do you think it is that helps the people in her group develop trust with each other?
Parable of the Sower speaks a lot of truths to our current times. On page 16, Lauren talks about their favorite book of the Bible, Job. Lauren says “God says he made everything and he knows everything so no one has any right to question what he does with any of it.” I think this statement is not only referring to a mythical God but also alluding to the leadership that has led to this apocalyptic society. Is God meant to represent the destruction of human well-being?
I think that God in this book may represent “higher powers” in general and how problematic it is to follow our political powers, or anything, blindly. Not questioning the “creators” of law and science can lead us down a path that only follows the interests of those at the top, therefore leading to the downfall of those at the bottom. By sitting back and entrusting the sovereign powers to make decisions for those whom they cannot relate to is nonsensical. How could they possibly know what’s in our best interest when they are so disillusioned and detached from the commoner’s everyday struggles? I think that this is important to point out in current times- The need for active citizenship that checks/balances those in power to work for the People and not Goverment/Corporal interests. Those at the top will continue to follow their own narrative or their donor’s narratives until we stand up and speak for ourselves. In order to reduce the degradation of society, we must transform politics to work for the people by demanding structural reform. Only then will society be able to entrust their faith in a sovereign power.
In Parable of the Sower, what do you think the significance of Lauren’s hyper empathy syndrome is and why does her family reject it and see it as delusional? Do you think that her father, a respected minister, is ashamed of the syndrome because his wife and Lauren’s mother was addicted to drugs during her pregnancy, which ultimately affected their unborn child? Which is then just a reminder that his wife died in childbirth. Do you believe that Lauren’s hyper empathy syndrome formed her conflicting views about Christianity or do you think she always had these feelings to begin with despite her syndrome? She then finds a new religion, Earthseed, and starts to contrast the religion against Christianity. This is especially the case when comparing how each of the religions compares hope and change. She believes Christianity provides a false sense of hope against this brutal and chaotic reality of this time whereas Earthseed’s principle is “God is change.” This essentially means that change is inevitable and that it can often be very destructive but they have the power to “shape God”, therefore Earthseed seems to provide a more positive and realistic sense of hope than Christianity. Another example of how Earthseed differs is that instead of praying to God for mercy and justice, people who follow Earthseed work more individually to change the world.
Perhaps there is an irony to an Afro-futurist, feminist novel such as Parable of the Sower being embraced by the (often right wing oriented) “prepper” movement, yet it does fit rather well with the post-societal collapse trajectory assumed by many adherents to such ideology. It is safe to say that such a sequence of events would in no way usher in an Edenic age of harmony among men and nature, and Butler envisions small communities having to defend themselves and their food at every turn, often awkwardly and timidly. In Chapter Six, this is illustrated in journal entries only days apart:
Wednesday, March, 12, 2025 – “Garden thieves got in last night. They stripped citrus trees of fruit in the Hsu yard and the Talcott yard” (68)
Saturday, March 15, 2025 – “It’s official. Now we have a regular neighborhood watch — a roster of people from every household who are over eighteen, good with guns — their own and others — and considered responsible by my father and by the people who have already been patrolling the neighborhood. … They’ll meet once a week to read, discuss and practice martial arts and shoot-out techniques.” (72)
Reading the Parable of the Sower from the viewpoint of those who find themselves perhaps on the precipice of facing a similar situation in the coming years and decades, how might one prepare for such eventualities with an eye toward using the power vacuum and newly opened up political and societal landscapes to advance ideas of equity and environmental sustainability? Is there any path that does not include the knowledge of and use of arms? Is it completely beyond the pale for sustainable development programs, which talk at length about movements such as the EZLN (Zapatistas) and other armed autonomous groups, to consider including defense strategies in their curriculum? Does the total exclusion of such strategies only perpetuate the systems, based on the monopoly of violence, that have led us to this point and the need for sustainable development in the first place?
What larger message are the creators of Pumzi attempting to communicate through their ending and theme of personal sacrifice for the environment? At the end of the film, the main character sacrificed her last remaining drops of water saved in her bottle to water the plant they had saved. This (based on my interpretation) killed her as she was in the desert, already dehydrated, without water. What might the creators be trying to communicate about this type of personal sacrifice for the environment in this dystopian context? Will we be faced with the decision to ensure our own survival or the environment in the future? What are the moral/ethical decisions surrounding personal sacrifice for the life of a plant?
The short film Pumzi quite clearly has a lot of parallels between itself and Parable of the Sower. The film seems to similarly take place in a futuristic dystopia where resources, especially water, are extremely scarce. Both the film and the novel have this paradoxical aspect of there being continual technological growth, e.g. Mars mission and space programs discussed in Parable of the Sower, and the advanced technology we can clearly see in Pumzi-yet there is a lack of basic human resources and much of the world has been destroyed due to environmental degradation. The main character in Pumzi braves the outside world in order to plant a seed in the now barren landscape, and this start growing life outside of the compound again. This is of course comparable to Lauren’s vision of Earthseed in Parable of the Sower, in which she believes humanity needs to travel to other planets, spreading out and “planting” like seeds. What are some other similarities between the novel and the short film Pumzi, especially ones that aren’t so obvious at first glance? How do the dystopias that are presented compare and contrast?
Parable of the Sower is an interesting dystopian take and writing that makes you think about how these ideas could be applicable to todays society. At the beginning of chapter five she wrote the quote, “Belief, Initiates and guides action – or it does nothing.” (47). She then went on to talk about the only rain that they had had for six years and that it only rains every six or seven years. I think that this scenario could possibly applicable to our future lives, we currently don’t believe that there is a possibility for a lack of rain/water so without that belief we have done nothing. If we did believe that climate change was imminent and a lack of water is a high possibility we would initiate and guide action in order to hault these future struggles. Is belief the only way to get things done in society? Is belief the driving force for change?
Personally, I found Parable of the Sower to be frightening in the sense that America is seemingly very close to making fiction reality. I believe that the society we live in now is on the verge of, if not already a dystopian society. In the section of the book where Spencer talks about the lack of rain, where it only rains once every six or so years. This is a scenario that could be very close to a reality for us in America, for instance look at the West Coast and the lack rain in places like southern California. Spencer also mentions how belief is a very powerful thing and that it can guide actions. When we look at scientific research, are we accepting at truth because of the numbers/figures or do we accept it because it is what we believe in? Do the people who deny climate change do so because of their “beliefs” or to go against the grain of society? How do we make science believable for all?
In chapter 6, Lauren’s community is grappling with thievery and a new patrol program to prevent continued theft. Lauren’s dad is a big advocate for the program, but Lauren and Cory are worried that there could be casualties if thieves shoot at the patrol people. At the end of the chapter, Butler wrote “It isn’t enough to for us to just survive, limping along, playing business as usual while things get worse and worse” (76). As we’ve discussed in class, this book is eerily similar to things that we are currently experiencing. Does is often feel like we are limping along? And playing business as usual? There are a myriad of crises coinciding, the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, raging income inequality, racial injustice, blatant violations of human rights in the US and abroad. There are many who are spending their lives dedicated to changing the dire conditions that many people live in, yet far more who are apathetic to injustices. How can we lift the veil? How can we get people to stop limping along?
On page 118, we learn about Olivar, where a multinational company, KSF came and privatized the town. Olivar was faced with an encroaching ocean, desperate refugees, and a crumbling economy. Olivar realized that they couldn’t protect themselves. People had limited options to work, so having the stability of a reliable employer was too good to pass up. Once established, KSF began hiring people for room and board, and Lauren notes that with any children, that type of salary would just leave them in debt. Lauren called this “an old company-town trick — get people into debt, hand on to them, and work them harder. Debt Slavery”
Meanwhile, KSF is trying to dominate the economy by buying huge tracts of land from hopeless people all over the nation. It feels as if these sort of business practices – neoliberalism, capitalism, extraction. These are the types of things that likely led to the U.S’s state of disrepair. Theres something dreadfully ironic about this, and I feel like this is happening currently though in less drastic ways in the US. I am wondering how to really articulate this better and see some examples in the real world – in what ways is this happening now? While there are obvious historical examples, what practices are ongoing that mirror this situation?
In “The Parable of the Sower” we see a possible fast-forward of what could happen to American Society if we continue to live the way we do. This depicted world is encompassed in an economic collapse, full of environmental degradation, crime and poverty, and the only source of survival are walled-in communities that too, end up in collapse. In this story, I couldn’t choose a quote; I was more interested in the symbolization throughout. I found that the neighborhood wall symbolized so much more than just a wall, blockade or barrier. I believe that yes, it did symbolizes a physical barrier, but it also symbolizes as a form of protection and separation. This form of protection actually ended up as a target for the privileged. It separates Lauren and her community from those on the outside who are struggling with this economic collapse while they, necessarily are not. This separation in a sense hints at the social classes in society today, and the privileges that come with being in a higher social class. Later in the reading you come to the conclusion that the lower of the classes see this “privilege” and eventually target the rich-class by destroying their community, killing all they can find and all out of anger and the need for survival. If society keeps running the way it does, this may not be far off of how American society will turn out. So, for this week my question is how can we bridge this gap between the poor and the rich, that was greatly depicted in “The Parable of the Sower, as well as how can we do this without causing conflict amongst the people? And, if this depiction isn’t very far off, how does it compare in relation to what is happening in American society today?
In Parable of the Sower, the relationship between the decay of society and the strong still-standing foundation of the old religion is made throughout the beginning of the book. Most people in Laurens town, including her father, have taken extra precautions in trying to remain safe within the walls of the small community that they live. Lauren mentioned that her father—a God fearing man—has a gun that he carries on his hip so people can see it when he walks around. It is obvious because of how much the environment has changed and how the government has fallen to something unrecognizable that it has warped everyone’s view of safety—especially physical safety. People in this time no longer trust the government or any institution within it to keep them safe. Laurens father even goes as far to say “The police, may be able to avenge you, but they can’t protect you. Things are getting worse. And as for your children… I believe they will have a better chance of growing up if you can protect them…I will pray for them all. I’ll also see to it that they know how to defend themselves. And for as long as I can, I will stand between my family and any intruder. Now that’s what I have to do. You all do what you have to do.” (page 39) I am curious as to when people stop trusting their government to protect them and start looking for safety and reassurance in other things—like religion? Lauren clearly stated, “My father’s God stopped being my God.”, during one of her first entry’s. She does not see his God in the same way he does. She does not seek comfort or safety in his God in any way. In fact she wonders what the true essence of God is. When does religion not become enough for even the most devout people (Lauren’s father) to cling on to? How has fear played into the church still standing despite the decay of the community that lives around it?