In a dystopian era, what contributed to Lauren’s flourishing and healing in the face of such adversity? What happens in Parable of the Sower, both positive and negative, when people try to build their own community out in the real world?
Positivity: Earth seed/ religion/ uniting force, trust/ relationships,
Negativity: gender roles, death,
Hyper empathy syndrome? Both positive and negative.
Some quotes:
“…manhood and femaleness in herself, in a way that difference is incorporated into the self, and it can be taught to the community in the process of relating, in order to downplay the legal fictions of gender and race which distort the growth of a community and its individuals.” (Augusti)
- Lauren’s capability to transform herself for the safety and betterment of the group is one of the many ways she can flourish in such adversity.
“Lauren achieves this blurring and fragmentation of previously unitary and unconnected gender categories particularly through cross-dressing. Indeed, in order to protect herself from rape and violence inflicted on women, in her escape to the North Olamina decides she will dress as a man. By doing this she does not surrender to the invisibility or vulnerability of her sex, but she demonstrates her ability to understand gender not as essential, but as performative, and her eagerness to play with gender categories as well as with her own body.” (Augusti)
- Lauren knew the consequences of appearing as a woman– this is a new world that was created, and there will never be a world again as Lauren and the group remembers but accepting change such as this one is how Lauren and the group were able to positively continue building their communities.
“…Butler emphasizes that the embracing of difference does not only enhance the quality of human interactions, but that it is an act of survival and of necessity if humankind wants to end conditions of hate and violence…
Embrace diversity.
Unite —
Or be divided
robbed,
ruled,
killed
By those who see you as prey.
Embrace diversity
Or be destroyed. (Sower 181)” (Melzer)
“In Butler’s narratives, children represent the treasure of the community, the foundation of any future and shared identity as a group passed down from generation to generation.” (Melzer)
- Lauren’s ability to trust and accept children into the group knowing the hardship it brings as a whole is another way she was able to flourish in dystopian times. How can she build a community if she is not accepting of all? Lauren is taking part in a new ground– a maturing route, fulfilling its purpose.
“Relevant to this discussion on affect and place is Lauren’s hyperempathy syndrome, which makes her vulnerable and subject to manipulation and abuse. Lauren is taught to hide her symptoms and feel ashamed of her condition. She struggles to hide her reactions to other people’s pain and succeeds in keeping the secret inside Robledo. This changes the minute she is outside, though, for she is vulnerable to everyone’s pain in a space defined by misery. In Sower, emotional address is presented as a disease, which pathologizes vulnerability and empathy and comments on society’s neglect and disregard for those in precarious circumstances.” (Guerrero)
- Lauren’s ability to share her hyper-empathy connected her more to the group– she showed her vulnerability– showed trust. This is something we also see with Bankole.
“I’m trying to learn whatever I can that might help me survive out there… I think we should bury money and other necessities in the ground where thieves won’t find them… Money, food, clothing, matches, a blanket… we should fix places outside where we can meet in case we get separated” (Chapter 5)
- Once Lauren came to the realization she did not know anything about living outside the walls and how to survive it, she knew she had to plan– she was the only one who gave it a thought. This is one of Lauren’s abilities to flourish– Lauren compared to the others in her community learned to adapt effortlessly– she handled the transition better than her peers and this is how she was positively able to build her community.
“We can build a community here,” I repeated. It’s dangerous, sure, but, hell, it’s dangerous everywhere, and the more people there are packed together in cities, the more danger there is. This is a ridiculous place to build a community. It’s isolated, miles from everywhere with no decent road leading here, but for us, for now, it’s perfect.” (Chapter 25)
- Lauren encourages this ideology which she uses to guide her and the others through this chaotic moment in their lives. This community is healing for Lauren because she was able to develop a community based not on fear or exploitation but on shared respect and values- we do not have to agree but we must regard and protect each other.
Some sources:
Agusti. (2005). The relationship between community and subjectivity in Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower. Extrapolation, 46(3), 351–359. https://doi.org/10.3828/extr.2005.46.3.7
Butler, Octavia E. Parable of the Sower. Grand Central Publishing.
Guerrero. (2021). Post-Apocalyptic Memory Sites: Damaged Space, Nostalgia, and Refuge in Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower. Science-Fiction Studies, 48(1), 29–. https://doi.org/10.5621/sciefictstud.48.1.0029
Melzer. (2002). “All That You Touch You Change”: Utopian Desire and the Concept of Change in Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents. Femspec (Cleveland, Ohio), 3(2), 31–.
