Earthseed In Octavia Butler's Parable Of The Sower

In Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower, Lauren Olamina is the founder of a new faith she dubbed as Earthseed. Each chapter is prefaced with a verse from her religious text, “EARTHSEED: THE BOOKS OF THE LIVING.” The verses not only directly provide a guide to the world that Lauren lives in and as to what lies in the upcoming chapter, they also can be connected to each other for a comprehensive view of the growth and development of Earthseed. Her religion shows all the social psychological basis that makes up a religion. By analyzing the verses, we can see how Earthseed came to be as a coping mechanism for the ongoing morphing of Lauren’s world. As the verses progress, those who are interested in Earthseed can have a better grasp of what it entails as Lauren defines their divinity, ideology, purpose, and actions for actively practicing this faith. Her introduction of Earthseed can …show more content…
It reinforces the idea that God is Change and that is acts as a neutral force in the grand scheme of things. When asked what God they would pray to in Earthseed, Lauren has replied that Earthseeds pray to themselves. This strengthen her ideals that an Earthseed follower must actively engage in whatever Change that obstruct them rather than praying. Her religion differs from other in that she does not believe you should comply, pray to a higher being, and hope that a favorable outcome is achieved. In chapter twenty-four, the verse provide a guideline to what prayers should be given to or even more importantly, what actions should be focused on. The verse includes “Pray working”, “Pray learning”, “Pray teaching”, etc. All the things that are listed as things to pray toward are very active things. Rather than the common “Pray for ____” type prayers that other religion advice, Earthseed continues to encourage that its followers must work for what they want rather than passively hopes for