Parable of the Sower Discussion Questions (part 2)

May 7th class

Earthseed and Healing Justice: On page 224, Lauren outlines a vision for Earthseed that emphasizes mutual aid, security, education, and growth, both agricultural and interpersonal. How do her goals align with contemporary healing justice frameworks that center communal care, trauma recovery, and transformative justice? In what ways does Earthseed serve as both a spiritual practice and a political strategy? What lessons might we draw about faith, futurity, and resistance from Lauren’s leadership

Migration as Liberation: Migration is a recurring motif in African American history, often functioning as both a literal and symbolic pursuit of freedom in the face of systemic restriction. In Parable of the Sower, what historical parallels can we draw from the characters’ compelled movement? Consider how Butler uses migration for survival, rebirth, and resistance. What role does gender play in determining who moves, leads, and follows? How and why does Lauren become the central figure in this movement?

The Fire Next Time: Fire is a consistent and layered symbol in the novel, raging outside the walls, reducing homes to ash, and providing necessary warmth and protection. What is Butler suggesting through this recurring image? Beyond destruction, how might fire also represent renewal, purification, or warning? How does fire allegorize the sociopolitical volatility of the world Lauren navigates?

Diversity and Communal Survival: Though Lauren’s original neighborhood was racially and ideologically diverse, many still clung to regressive views about gender, class, and power. As Lauren travels, she forms a radically inclusive Earthseed community composed of individuals with varying identities and life experiences. How does Butler depict diversity as essential, not optional, for survival? In what ways does the novel warn against monocultural thinking, and how might Earthseed function as a blueprint for coalition-building in real-world social movements?

Walls, Borders, and the Illusion of Safety: Physical and metaphorical barriers frame Lauren’s world. The wall around her community promises safety, but it cannot withstand violence. Later, she reflects on the dangers of being enclosed and exposed. Analyze Butler’s use of boundaries as a critique of isolationist ideologies. How do walls operate in the text and our current society as expressions of fear, power, or exclusion? What are the psychological and political consequences of boundary-based thinking?

The Power of Naming as Black Resistance: When Lauren meets Bankole and recognizes their shared lineage through Yoruba surnames, she reveals that their families reclaimed African names during the Black Power movement. How might this act of renaming be understood as a radical refusal of erasure? In what ways does reclaiming an African identity through naming function as political and cultural reclamation? How does Butler use this moment to gesture toward the ongoing work of Black autonomy and historical repair?