Theme Analysis

Illiteracy was a major theme in "Parable of the Sower" it was the deciding factor on whether or not Lauren would be able to survive outside of the wall.

• Only Lauren and people in her community knew how to read the people outside the wall did not know how to read or write.
• Bankole knew how to read but he was a doctor and had money proves the point of only wealthy people being able to read
• Butlet emphasizes the importance of literacy if Lauren had not been able to read she would not have been able to have survived. She would not have been able to travel as easily because she would not know the map and been able to successfully navigate through California. 
• Historically it connects to the Parable of the sower. It was a major issues in the early 1990s. Many Americans could not read or write and if they could they could not read well. It was shown that those who lived in poverty of who .were in the lower class had literacy issues.

Writing Style

The writing Style of Octavia E. Butler in Parable of the Sower is simple and direct. Majority of the novel comes from journal entries, and has a laid back flow and approachable. A reader will not get confused while reading the novel and will be able to easily understand Ms. Butler's point. Butler creates a dystopia in her novel.Back in the 1990s mind altering drugs were being made such as ecstasy and it was popular in California to be inside a gated community and then in Parable of the Sower there was mind altering drugs that created the pyros and the wall that was supposed to protect the families. She used the same problems that were going on in her day and time and transferred them into her novel. 

Plot

Exposition:
 The novel begins with Lauren as a 15 year old girl living inside of a gated community protected form the outside forces. She already has a mind of her own since notices that her small community will not always have the wall to protect her. Outside of the wall there is utter chaos, poverty, and crime is a natural part of life. However, inside civilization has been able to be maintained and a strong community formed. Lauren at that young age is able to figure out that their small community will not be protected for long. Since she is able to see past the superficial sense of protection the wall provides she creates Earthseed as way to understand the reason behind the struggles that arise in her modern day.

Middle:
Conflict between Keith and Lauren's father arises along with burglaries and trouble inside the community. All of the troubles are foreshadowing that Lauren's prediction that they will not be protected by the wall for forever are coming true. They allude that bigger trouble is coming as the issues continuously get worse, until the wall finally comes down and the community is destroyed. From that point on Lauren must tackle upcoming issues,such as, not know who she can trust, finding a new place to live, and avoid trouble from the pyros. Her main goal is to recreate a new community but surrounded by Earthseed.

Denouement:
The novel ends with Lauren and her new found community on Bankole's property to start over and build again.

Personal Reaction

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the "Parable of the Sower". Buttler has done an excellent job of creating twists and conflict throughout the novel so the reader does not get too bored in the middle of the story. She details her novel appropriately so that the reader can fully grasp the scenes it takes place in. I was able to better appreciate her work after analyzing it further because it gave me a better understanding of what was going on in the story and to make accurate connections throughout. The value of literacy that was displayed in "Parable of the Sower" was high and I agreed with its importance in the daily lives of people.  "Parable of the Sower" was an overall good read.

Setting

Butler changes the religion of the characters based upon the setting. 

• Inside the walled community the religion of the people is Baptist, but outside it becomes Earthseed.
• The community is very traditional. People were getting married and having children; creating stable family homes together. They were united as a whole by their Baptist religion which gave them hope.
• Outside of the wall it is a whole new world there are families broken up, drugs, murder, and complete and total chaos which causes Earthseed to arise. Earthseed is able to give people hope and comfort outside the wall. It does not make them question a superior force like Christianity when something goes array it is simply change that is to be blamed, an unknown force. 

Character Anaylsis

Butler presents Lauren as an independent character to ensure her survival. Lauren is an independent person from the beginning of the novel.

• When she is having a conversation with Joanne her best friend she is “talking about the day a big gang of those hungry desperate people outside decide to come in….it’s going to happen someday”(Butler pg. 55). 
• She was able to look past her community's superficial sense of protection behind the wall and knows that it will come down.
• She develops Earthseed and goes against her whole entire community's religion and her father who she admires the most in the novel.

Lauren's utilization of her leadership skill is how she is able to find a safe haven.  

• Lauren possess a good sense of judgment. Early on in the novel she realizes that they will need allies.
• When they are at the beach they run into the Douglas’; Lauren wants to ask them to join the group but when Harry argues that they do not need allies she points out that “we’d be damned fools to wait and try to get them when we do need them. By then they might not be around.”(Butler pg. 207).  

Contrary to Lauren’s maturity, Butler presents Keith as an immature prideful boy whose desires to be man causes him trouble.

• He is desperate to be considered a man.
•  “He wants a gun..the way thirsty people want water. He wants to be grown up-yesterday”(Butler pg.81).  Keith desires to prove his manhood but goes about it the wrong way.
• . He thinks that if he has a gun that he has all the power in the world and that he cannot be defeated, however, it is childish to think this way. He is just like a modern boy today who thinks that because they have a weapon in hand that they are invincible.