Shape God: Octavia Butler's "Parable of the Sower"

 

Octavia Butler was a groundbreaking science fiction writer, transcending the conventions of the genre by challenging issues such as empathy, social norms, conservation, and religion. Despite being one of the few women of color in science fiction writing, she managed to constantly push boundaries and receive unprecedented critical acclaim; she was the first science fiction writer to ever receive a MacArthur Fellowship. Butler wrote several novels and series, including Kindred (1979) and the Patternist series; however, she is most recognized for the Parable series. The Parable novels, Parable of the Sower (1993) and Parable of the Talents (1998), were the last works published by Butler and unfortunately she passed away before completing the last installment of the trilogy, Parable of the Trickster. The first in the series, Parable of the Sower, similar to many of her works, discusses topics such as human inequality, empathy, community, religion, gender, and change.  

Parable of the Sower is an extrapolative science fiction novel as Butler inferred trends from 1990s society, in order to approximate a dystopian society. The world that Butler predicted is alarmingly similar to the world we live in today as both contain issues of increasing wealth gaps, walled communities, corruption, societal distress, and environmental scarcity. During these desperate and dangerous times,the characters in the novel turn to religion as it justifies, motivates, and allows them an escape from reality. Lauren’s family, as well as the other’s in her neighbourhood, allow their faith to blind them towards the severity of their lifestyle. However, Lauren’s invention of Earthseed is unlike prior belief systems as it is explicit in their emphasis on individual change. Although Earthseed still allows for a sort of escape from reality, rather than her parent’s and old neighbourhood’s religion, Lauren, as well as the rest of Acorn, lean into the idea of it. As the website Earthseed, states, “This is not a very comforting religion. Change can be frightening. Earthseed empowers us to Shape God when we can and surrender when we cannot.” Contrastingly to other religions, Earthseed is unapologetic in the way they describe change: it can be both hopeful and catastrophic. Earthseed realizes that God is not a perfect, untouchable figure and rather portrays God as a malleable figure subject to our shaping of them. 

The main message of Parable of the Sower is that humanity needs to start acting to shape change rather than merely assuming it will happen on its own. Earthseed enacts these beliefs by exhibiting the importance of knowledge and the power of individuals and communities. Lauren, as a teenager, manages to educate herself, survive various catastrophes, and inspire others to join her and build a community. Although this is a stretch for what is possible in everybody’s lives, we still have the capability to change how we live them. Earthseed offers the reader a religion that allows you to rely on yourself (and others) and your actions in order to drive positive social change, rather than doing nothing and praising an unattainable figure that no one can confirm is even there. 

Butler’s novel is a parable in itself as it represents her interpretation of the future through a metaphorical lense. Parable of the Sower is a lesson which teaches us about the future and its possible downfalls; it is a warning from Butler to understand the importance of the Anthropocene and our effects on it. When comparing the “Parable of the Sower” passage, St Luke 8: 5-8 (the version quoted at the end of the book) to the novel, you realize the parallels Butler drew between the Bible and her writing. The sower originally represents Jesus; however in the novel, the sower is a representation of Lauren. Similar to a farmer spreading seeds, Lauren is spreading her radical new religious ideas, which some people grasp and acknowledge, while some completely reject. The parable demonstrates Lauren as an outsider, an archetype who has the capability to act as a pivotal member in the catalyzation of changing societal norms and expectations. Butler’s portrayal of Lauren urges the reader to become more like her, a person who can push boundaries, educate herself, challenge her peers, and inspire a progression in society. The novel contributes to thinking beyond religion and the Anthropocene by encouraging you to reflect on your own life and adapt to change. 

Parable of the Sower, despite being written almost 30 years ago, manages to discuss current issues of our social climate and its relation to religion. However, even Earthseed has its flaws. It claims that “God is Change,'' and that we humans are constantly changing as well, implying that we are all forms of God. This claim risks being translated into a God complex in which we all begin assuming that we ourselves can cause vast amounts of change, when in reality, most change is out of our hands. I think it’s important to constantly strive to better yourself, improve your habits, and strive for a better future, but we cannot fall into the delusion that we can manifest any reality we want. Nevertheless, I find Earthseed an unprecedented and revolutionary religion as it focuses on improving one’s self, rather than just sitting around and waiting for something to happen. After all, what is a God that does nothing while watching you suffer? Therefore, whether or not God exists, it is up to us as individuals, and as a collective society, to save ourselves. It’s pointless sitting around waiting for a God to do something while you yourself have the power to make things happen. Earthseed urges the characters and readers to imagine a new way of life in order to hope for a better future. In the Acorn community they have the capacity, just as we do, to change their ways of life, and in turn, continue to influence others to join. 

(CB) 

Image (cover of the 1995 edition): https://sites.google.com/site/disappearingnomore/parable-of-the-sower