Science Fiction is almost exponentially broad in terms of its definition. For the sake of my argument we will be looking at this genre for its discussions regarding the consequences and encounters with change that is poses. Throughout the majority of human history, society moved slowly. Because of this it was nearly impossible for people to visualize a future that diverged drastically from their own case. When the Scientific Revolution occurred it brought with it new discoveries of astronomy and math and possibilities of a better life. In the 20th century the genre picked up speed and now many authors find themselves using Science Fiction to influence culture and thought on current world situations. On such author is the late Octavia Butler.
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For several reasons, Butler is influential not just in the world of Science Fiction but in personal lives too. By looking at her novels we can begin to see the ways in which she uses this genre and its studies on change to look at religion and its relation to female power. We will be looking at Parable of The Sower, and Parable of the Talents because of the main character, Lauren Olamina who uses religion to evoke change within a seemingly hopeless world. The parable of the sower is a famous Biblical parable in which a sower scatters seeds that manage to fall on four different grounds. The first ground is a hard ground, which prevents the seeds from sprouting at all. These seeds represent those who are hardened by sin. The second ground is the stony ground. Seeds that fall here are able to start growing, but ultimately cannot amount to anything because that earth lacks a specific depth. The seeds that fall on the stony ground are men who take delight in the Lord but do not fully change their heart. The third ground is a thorny ground. These seeds begin to grow but are swallowed up by thorns. These seeds represent those that are saturated with a worldly life. Lastly, some seeds fall on the good ground, which allows it …show more content…
The mission of Lauren Olamina fits this parable perfectly. In the opening of the Parable of The Sower, Lauren is living in a post-apocalyptic world inside of a gated community near Los Angeles. The wall protects her from the dangerous world of murder, drugs, and rape that has claimed more lives that possible to count. Her father is the community Baptist preacher that has raised Lauren in a strict household that
For several reasons, Butler is influential not just in the world of Science Fiction but in personal lives too. By looking at her novels we can begin to see the ways in which she uses this genre and its studies on change to look at religion and its relation to female power. We will be looking at Parable of The Sower, and Parable of the Talents because of the main character, Lauren Olamina who uses religion to evoke change within a seemingly hopeless world. The parable of the sower is a famous Biblical parable in which a sower scatters seeds that manage to fall on four different grounds. The first ground is a hard ground, which prevents the seeds from sprouting at all. These seeds represent those who are hardened by sin. The second ground is the stony ground. Seeds that fall here are able to start growing, but ultimately cannot amount to anything because that earth lacks a specific depth. The seeds that fall on the stony ground are men who take delight in the Lord but do not fully change their heart. The third ground is a thorny ground. These seeds begin to grow but are swallowed up by thorns. These seeds represent those that are saturated with a worldly life. Lastly, some seeds fall on the good ground, which allows it …show more content…
The mission of Lauren Olamina fits this parable perfectly. In the opening of the Parable of The Sower, Lauren is living in a post-apocalyptic world inside of a gated community near Los Angeles. The wall protects her from the dangerous world of murder, drugs, and rape that has claimed more lives that possible to count. Her father is the community Baptist preacher that has raised Lauren in a strict household that