Growth And Change In Octavia Butler's The Parable Of The Sower

The Parable of the Sower maintains themes of growth and change. Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler is a masterwork in worldbuilding; it crafts a narrative in which fantasy and religion are employed as means of bringing to life a yet unimagined universe. The growth and change of the main character throughout the novel are very noticeable. Because the past and present are not ideal, the characters, led by Lauren Olamina, struggle with constructing an ideal future. The ideas of development and transformation throughout the text are made clear by Lauren's invented religion, "Earthseed." I can relate to growth and change in the world I live in today. Growing up and getting older is a big part of the change because I was able to learn and

were more likely to be charged with capital murder or to get a death sentence. Black and Hispanic persons are disproportionately affected by these racial and ethnic prejudices in justice and enforcement, as we observed as recently as 2017. The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler is especially unusual because it was written by a Black woman who sought to "write herself in" to American literature and her stories. Lauren Olamina, the main character, and narrator of this book is a young Black lady. Race is definitely a factor in who can live in Lauren's environment and how Lauren cannot afford to disregard this. For instance “Determined to create a better world beyond her walled‐off cul‐de‐sac, Lauren eventually leads several characters of diverse races, genders, and ages on a quest to establish a community in the spirit of Earthseed—a religion Lauren crafts in the wake of a world literally on fire” (Hill). Butler demonstrates how Lauren is uniquely qualified to lead Earthseed to become a widespread religious movement due to the convergence of her gender, race, and disability. In many ways, Lauren's position as a Black woman in such a violent world makes her extremely vulnerable. ’’Earthseed deifies the cosmic pervasiveness of change with a simple statement: “God is Change” (Morris). However, because of this vulnerability, Lauren is better able to understand the value of interdependence and community, which improves her ability to reach out to others and convert them to Earthseed. Due to her gender and race, many people underestimate her ability to play the role she would like in the community, which is to keep watch at night and have her own weapon to protect her and her family. Even though her family had died, and she will never see them again