Analysis Of Parable Of The Sower By Octavia Butler

Introduction

As the world’s population continues to migrate and live in urban areas, planners, engineers, and politicians have an important role to ensure that they are livable and sustainable. But what defines an urban area and what makes it so attractive? In my opinion, urban areas are places that consist of a variety of land uses and buildings, where services and amenities are easily accessible to the general public, and includes an established multimodal transportation network. Also, it should be a place where people can play, learn, work, and grow in a safe and collaborative manner. Based on that definition, the novel, “Parable of the Sower” by Octavia Butler mostly portray cities as a problem due to their lack of safety and the oppression

One of the main goals of humanity is to ensure that future generations will be able to survive, and that is a major factor, especially, when government bodies make decisions. This concept is also presented in the novel when Lauren said, “a community’s first responsibility is to protect its children-- the ones we have now and the ones we will have." (Butler 365). This idea drives the concept of change and adaptation, which is evident in Lauren and her Earthseed verses. Lauren demonstrated that besides living in the present, we have to look forward and plan ahead in order to survive. This rationality allowed Lauren to survive when Robledo fell since she had prepared an emergency kit, gained shooting experience, and read books about survival beforehand. This concept is also present in today’s society when planning new public infrastructures, passing new legislation, offering new incentives and social support. Many of these decisions are made based on whether it will benefit the community now and in the future. Therefore, whether we plan ahead like Lauren or wait for fate like Robledo, the novel proves that if we plan ahead, cities will be able to survive and thrive.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the “Parable of the Sower” portrays cities as places to avoid rather than being sanctuaries due to the lack of safety and the adverse influences of corporations. However, the novel does provide some hope by proving that if we start realizing problems and planning ahead, then, cities could change and become more livable in the future. As more people move to urban areas, the way we plan, manage and develop our cities will be fundamental in creating a fair, safe, healthy and sustainable