Summary: I read Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler.

It’s about a teenage, African-American

girl named Lauren, who lives in California in the future. This is not a pleasant future – gasoline is in

shortage; water is in shortage due to global warming; many people have become addicted to a drug that

cause them to be violent and create fires; there is a growing gap between the rich and the poor; and

large, private companies have taken over cities and outlawed unions. Therefore, if you want to survive

in this society, you have to work for these companies and live in gated communities.

Lauren’s family lives in one of the last gated communities. The neighbors help and protect

each other from the lawlessness outside of the walls. However, one day, a group of poor, drug

addicted thieves come in and destroy the entire community and kill most of Lauren’s family and

neighbors. Since the protection of the wall and the community is gone, Lauren decides to travel up

North where she hears there are jobs and safety. She begins to travel and meets many interesting

individuals along the way and comes across many adventures.

Evaluation:

Reading Parable of the Sower was like peeling back the layers of an onion. At first, an onion is

nothing but a crusty peel. As one peels back the layers, one begins to get at the heart and realizes the

true value and beauty of an onion – the texture and aroma add to food. Similarly, Parable of the Sower

by Octavia Butler begins a little slow, but the more I think about Parable of the Sower, the more I see

the important message and the beauty of the story. Octavia Butler is able to take social trends that

were happening in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when the book was written, and comment on how

society would be if humans continued to act the way they did. She gives readers a warning about big

business, global warming, wasting of resources, and drug use through thrilling plot and descriptive

images. The theme is a strong message to society and adds thought and perspective to life. Butler then

shows the humane side of human beings and gives hope by providing the reader with a character who,

despite all of the horror around her, is able to see the good in others and create bonds with others. The

character development was complete and readers may often find themselves wondering what Lauren,
the main character, is doing. Finally, readers are able to connect to the story because the issues

addressed are still issues today and the diction used is diction a teenager would use. Overall, Parable

of the Sower is a great book because the theme, characters, plot, and diction mix together in a perfect

blend and add to life.