I recently read Parable of the Sower and this was another book that told me, I need to get my life together. If we were to end up in the world that Octavia Butler envisioned, I would be out of luck. I’m planning to start using my free time to learn at least one of the useful skills mentioned in the book, such as gardening. I find it interesting that this book is set in 2024 and it was written in 1993. What foresight. I can’t say she is too far from the truth, to be honest.
Throughout the book Lauren works on her Earthseed book, but has hyperempathy which she shares with those close to her, but hides from strangers due to the high risk of her affliction being used to her detriment. I think this is such an interesting affliction to have and is one way to keep a leader from becoming completely corrupt. I also, may be revisiting this book from a different lens considering I just read Animal Farm and The Lord of the Flies. You can find those blog posts here and here, respectively.
Throughout the novel, Lauren speaks with such maturity, sometimes, it is hard to keep track of her age, but, to be fair, if I were living in a world where I had to be so guarded and on alert, I’d probably be much more mature than I was at that age.
I was so sad when Lauren’s father doesn’t come back. It seemed like such an injustice to Lauren, but within the realm of the novel, it makes sense. She ends up losing her entire family and then town to the outside societal collapse that so many other towns have since succumb.
Much like Orwell, Butler’s writing is to the point, but still weaves a realistic thread through which we come to understand the book’s characters. I like the way that Lauren brings up Earthseed, initially in a questioning manner, and is open to question and judgement, but by the end is firm in her belief. If more people took this approach, I think the world would be a much better place.
I appreciate the themes of hope and resilience spread throughout the novel and the idea that we really can reap what we sow and focus on what we can do to bring about a better tomorrow. I’ll have to continue my reading journey of her other novels.
Have you read this book? What were your thoughts?
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