Jan 30 2008
Fire as a character – Parable of the Sower
When talking about Parable of the Sower words like poverty, crime, and disparity come to mind. However I think a more important term that might be overlooked is fire. It’s a simple character in nature however Butler uses it to shape her scenes and, more importantly, Lauren. Fire is a part of Laurens life, past and present. Even before she was born, her mother’s need to take the drug Paraceto (the most significant ingredient in the pyro drug) became the source for her ability to hyperempathize with the pain and pleasure of others. As she grew up the fire surrounded her home and family, terrorizing those who avoided going outside at all costs. Now, as we have found ourselves in the middle of the novel, the fire has challenged Lauren to shed her old life and venture out into the jungle of the real world.
Fire, by itself, is an interesting concept. When discussing the dawn of man we may say that was marked by the discovery of fire. The source of our planet’s power and life is the sun, a big ball of flame. In mythology the phoenix is a bird that dies by way of flame and then is reborn from its ashes. Lauren actually uses the phoenix as part of her earthseed when she says “In order to rise from its own ashes a phoenix first must burn.” (153). In a lot of ways Lauren is just like this phoenix. She is a being who is beautiful and strong and yet her life as she knows it is about to come to an end. By way of fire (both arson and gunfire), her entire family is killed. Her home is burned and most of her friends are missing or dead. Fire has dessimated her former life, and from those ashes she is reborn. Although always mature she is now far beyond her years in both wisdom and bravery.
As with the never ending discussion of duality, the fire is both good and bad. While it allows Lauren to gain a new sense of being that is helpful for her survival, it comes at quite a cost. In this future world, there are those who see fire as a way to gain control. Butler acknowledges this by saying that “People are setting fires because they’re frustrated, angry hopeless. They have no power to improve their lives but they have the power to make others even more miserable. And the only way to prove to yourself that you have power is to use it” (143). In essence fire is being used as a tool. It is a tool of dominance, pain, and even pleasure for those who choose to take the drug pyro.
Along with Lauren’s growth we see development in Earthseed. With each experience there comes a new piece of wisdom that adds to the complexity of her vision. Interestingly enough, if we take Earthseed and divide the word, we have two very common nouns, earth and seed. Seeds are planted in the earth and one of the more important parts of agriculture is the annual burning of the fields that allows for the removal of dead crop and weeds (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_burn#Agricultural_use). So as destructive as fire seems to be in her life, it is still an integral concept in her future.
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I think this is a fantastic way to look at fire as a character of the story. Sometimes it’s easy to just pass up non-human characters, however prevalent they might be. I think you’re right, fire might be the only character that does not change throughout the novel, and like you pointed out – causes death and birth at the same time. All in all, this was definitely a refreshing post to read!