Parable of the Sower
Parable of the Sower is a fictional novel of science. The book narrates a story about a girl, Lauren Olamina, a young black girl who is growing in a society that is a post-apocalyptic society that is concentrated in climate change. In this essay, a character analysis is done of Lauren. Lauren Olamina is a much loved fictional character in Octavia Butler’s parable of the sower. She is a black female teenager who is in the years of 2024- 2027 and even invents her religion, and tries her best to save the world.
Lauren is noted to have a syndrome known as hyper empathy. This is a rare condition which makes her be a sharer. This defines a person who feels what other people think when they are experiencing pain or pleasure. For instance, if a stone hit an individual who was near, she would feel the pain. She is one person who is in sync with what is around her, and this trait makes her compassionate: an individual who is concerned with improving others, not only herself. In the novel, she argues that “But if everyone could feel everyone else’s pain, who would torture? Who would cause anyone unnecessary pain? I have never thought of my problem as something that might do some good before, but the way things are, I think it would help. I wish I could give it to people” (10.136). However, on other occasions, Lauren perceives this syndrome as troublesome. This is illustrated in the last part of the novel where she communicates with Bankole and says, “Take my word for it. Bad, bad idea. Self-defense shouldn’t have to be agony or killing or both. The pain of a wounded person can cripple me. I’m a perfect shot because I’ve never felt that I could afford just to wound someone” (22.94). On this trait, it is hard to know if it is relative to situations that are experienced by Lauren. Is it a gift, a constant or both? For instance, Lauren would be right attacking a stranger who steals from her at the same time, and she would feel the pain.
Concerning having hyper empathy, it is not a surprise to conclude that Lauren is a social being. This is in addition to the fact that she has a religion and aims at saving the world. This notes that the fate of other people, though not her business, is significant for her. According to the story, Lauren grows up in California with her father, who a reverend is being the leader of the community. She does not agree with her dad on the issue of him not allowing others to open their eyes to the danger facing them. However, Lauren learns that individuals are social, and they need to work together for survival. After the disappearance of her father, Lauren then finds the significance of the community in her survival and builds the community on her own.
It is also clear that people affect Lauren. She chooses either working with people or against them. Lauren is an independent young lady since she has her ideas like the earth seed, about what life consists of and what an individual is supposed to do, and she religiously follows these ideas. To Lauren, instead of following other people’s philosophy, she creates her own, and she can get people to follow her. This is the main reason why Bankole states to Lauren, “What you are… is a very unusual young woman.” (21.35).
Works Cited
Butler, Octavia, E. Parable of the sower. New York: Warner Books, 1995.
Abby, Arguirre. Octavia Butler’s Prescient Vision of a Zealot Elected to “Make America Great Again.” The New York Times, July 26th, 2017.