Analysis Of Octavia E. Butler's Parable Of The Sower

The novel Parable of the Sower written by Octavia E. Butler is a powerful book. She looks at current issues in her society that were not being dealt with. She puts a magnifying glass on these problems and explains every aspect of the world that she knew. To show the parallel, she shows us a world where scarce water, climate change, and gender roles overshadow people’s future.

Humans need water. In a world that is overpopulated, we use a lot of water and other natural resources. Currently, in our world, clean water is getting scarce. Recently, for example, Flint, Michigan, had a water crisis. In early 2016, the water was discovered to be tainted with lead and other toxins. Long before that, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and Governor Rick Snyder along with his council, knew about the lead, but to save money for the city of Flint in early 2014 Snyder had changed the city’s water source to the Flint River which had corroded pipes, causing people of all ages to be sick from the high amounts of lead

Butler shows a gender role that men and women have in the novel. Women are shown to have to stay in the cul-de-sac, get married, and have kids. But men are shown to protect and provide for himself and his family. The traditional roles that society wants to keep a hold on. “Most predators are opportunists. They prey on old people, lone women, or women with young kids, handicapped people” (Butler 228). Society, see women as weak and vulnerable. Being a woman, alone, and outside of the wall puts her in great danger. Lauren knows that she must disguise herself as a man to survive. But she knows how to survive she has been planning for this. She is not limiting herself to what society thinks she can do. She knows how to shoot a gun, stay safe on the road, think wisely, and ration food and money. She finds danger while on the road and shows us that there’s nothing she can’t