IndexIntroductionThe Parable of the Sower: Religious MotifConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionThe novel, The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, is set in a post-apocalyptic society where there is little to no hope it remained for the survivors left on Earth. Many people have given up on saving the world and now end up taking what's left of it. However, the few people who believe in a better life, including the protagonist Lauren Olamina, all share a common ideology, religion. Illustrating religion as the last hope against the looming darkness of the dying world, Octavia Butler highlights the character development of religious believers and non-believers in the Parable of the Sower to represent the differences in lifestyles and choices between them; ultimately arguing that religion is the driving force that gives us humans purpose and reason to thrive, or in this case rebuild the world. Lauren's relationship with religion began at an early age. Her father, a local reverend, instilled his Christian beliefs in her, as many parents do to develop good morals in their children. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The Parable of the Sower: Religious Motive However, Lauren has since abandoned her father's beliefs and is now dedicated to her personal religion, Earthseed. Earthseed, a work-in-progress, is founded on the belief that “God is change”. Earthseed says that God shapes us as we change, but we are also able to return the favor and change God directly. Furthermore, Earthseed states that God exists to change the universe, and paradoxically the universe exists to change God. Earthseed is a religion in the novel, although almost no one in the world knows or recognizes it. A religion does not need a minimum number of followers, but simply a person who practices it and shares it with the world. The reason why Lauren renounced Christianity is not clearly stated. He seems to have no hard feelings towards this, he simply prefers to focus more on reality as he knows it rather than placing false hope in unforeseen entities. Lauren never denies religion or shows any sign of being an atheist, she certainly believes there is something more going on in the universe and the novel as a whole seems to be a coming of age story for Lauren and her development of Earthseed. Octavia Butler does not always portray religion in the best way and often challenges it throughout the novel. However, in the characters who care about religion one can see that their faith is the much-needed foundation for rebuilding the destroyed world. It seems that almost every character who believes in some sort of religion is also the only person left on Earth actively making it a better place, or at least trying. To show how each believer will achieve their common goal of strengthening the world, the main characters' goals, which they will strive for, are revealed through their religions and actions. Lauren's father's goal is to become a teacher. He works tirelessly as a full-time professor, dean, pastor, and leader in their community. He not only teaches young people to read and write in the local school, but is also a teacher of morality. He teaches those around him through words and actions how to maintain a strong community and relationships with others. It is safe to say that most of his actions are religiously motivated, and it is no coincidence that his actions are altruistic and driven by love forhis family, community and the overall good of the world around him. He is the epitome of a leader in times like these, and without him Lauren wouldn't have the role model and friend she needed as a child. Similar to her father, Lauren is also a believer trying to pick up the pieces of a broken world. However, instead of using Christianity as her primary source of reasoning, Lauren makes decisions based on what is best for Earthseed. Lauren treats Earthseed as if he were her own child and will do anything to protect him because she believes that Earthseed could be humanity's savior. Lauren can be seen as a sort of prophet in her new religion. Similar to many other prophets of different types of religions, Lauren is the leader of a group walking into the unknown with the desire to share and grow her faith with the world. Lauren strives to find "good soil" to create Earthseed communities like Acorn and develop a population that will join her in creating a better life and ultimately "take root among the stars." In contrast, the characters in the novel who do not belong to any type of religion seem to have accepted the fate of the Earth and do not strive to improve the overall quality of life. Arsonists embody this personality and have no respect for anything or anyone beyond taking short-term pleasure in burning the world to the ground. Additionally, Keith Olamina, Lauren's brother, believes that "God is adults' way of trying to scare you into doing what they want," and it certainly fits the theme of non-believers who don't care about the well-being of others. society. Keith's role in the novel is brief, but significant. Keith, with money as an incentive, chooses to constantly sneak out of the gated town and get involved in dangerous activities against his father's wishes. While trying to do what he believed was best for his family, Keith was unable to realize that he was putting his entire community at risk and had ultimately brought about its demise. Characters like these are narrow-minded and seem to have no sense of responsibility for the greater good of society, but prefer to take advantage of the broken world and deprive it of its last chance to recover from such a situation. Octavia Butler continues to prove that religion is the only thing that holds society together, and those who approach life with religion by their side understand that it is up to people like them to save humanity. In a dystopian world, religion is the hope that people need and desperately cling to to survive. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion While religion appears to be the reason for Bringing the World Together, it is also possible that religion may hinder society's ability to progress. Missing days at Sunday masses or using resources and money for baptisms are some examples of how religion can seem to have a negative effect on the vision of society. The time and energy that Lauren's community spends organizing and carrying out religious events could very well be used to help each other thrive and grow their community. Religion forces them to work towards their ultimate goal of gaining access to heaven, but is it really worth spending their lives working for something that may not even be true when the people around them are struggling to survive in this life? Although religion may seem like a false hope and a waste of precious resources, losing it would leave humans alone, 9(1), 120-138.