Introduction: Parable of the Sower
In fictional works such as Parable of the Sower set in the future, there’s often a tendency to depict a bright and optimistic picture of future. This world is portrayed as bleak, dark, and crime-ridden. The story unfolds in 2024 in Robledo, a town located about twenty miles from Los Angeles. In this dystopian setting, misery, hunger, diseases, and numerous societal problems prevail. Due to widespread insecurity and corruption, communities have erected walls around themselves for protection against criminals and miscreants.
Depleted natural resources have led to scarcity in essential items such as food, fuel, and water. Many impoverished individuals cannot afford sufficient water for washing clothes or taking showers. The struggle for survival has intensified, with people now fighting and killing each other not for money, but for basic necessities like water and food. As the protagonist of the novel, Lauren Oya Olamina, reflects: “The police,” my father told them, “may be able to avenge you, but they canʼt protect you. Things are getting worse. And as for your children… Well, yes, there is risk. But you can put your guns out of their reach while theyʼre very young, and train them as they grow older. Thatʼs what I mean to do. I believe theyʼll have a better chance of growing up if you can protect them.”
Bad Conditions in Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
The reader experiences these harsh conditions through the perspective of Lauren Oya Olamina, who embarks on a journey with her father, a Baptist preacher and teacher, in search of a church. However, Lauren does not adhere to the traditional beliefs of her father; instead, she begins composing poems about her own imagined concept of God. In her newly formed religious ideology known as “EARTHSEED,” God transcends the conventional human or supernatural form and is instead depicted as a force embodying change. As she articulates in one of her poems:
All that you touch,
You Change.
All that you Change,
Changes you.
The only lasting truth
Is Change.
God
Is Change
Her disbelieve in her father’s God is because that she see in streets that many male, female and children are dying because of hunger and
All struggles
Are essentially
power struggles.
Who will rule,
Who will lead,
Who will define,
refine,
confine,
design,
Who will dominate.
All struggles
Are essentially power struggles,
And most are no more intellectual
than two rams
knocking their heads together.
Money and Power in Parable of the Sower
In “Parable of the Sower,” we witness the segregation of society, with wealthy and powerful individuals distancing themselves from those who have less power and money. Through Lauren’s poems, we uncover the struggles faced by people as the rich seek to control increasingly scarce resources. The book offers insight into human nature, revealing how our desires and selfish motivations drive our actions. Through its exploration of societal dynamics and human psychology, readers gain a deeper understanding of human behavior in various circumstances.
Works Cited: Parable of the Sower
- Butler, Octavia E. Parable of the Sower. Grand Central Publishing, 2023.
Relevant Questions about Power in Parable of the Sower
- How does Octavia Butler explore the concept of power in “Parable of the Sower,” particularly in terms of individual empowerment and societal control?
- What role do power dynamics play in shaping the relationships between characters in “Parable of the Sower,” and how do these dynamics evolve throughout the story?
- In what ways does the protagonist, Lauren Olamina, navigate power structures within her community and beyond as she develops her own belief system and gathers followers?