Multiethnic Literatures in the U.S.

Octavia Butler leaves off in a very solemn, almost pessimistic mood in Parable of the Sower.  It is somewhat disappointing, because we want to see some good happen to the Acorn community.  Parable of the Talents starts off five flourishing years into Acorn.  Compared to other nearby towns, Acorn has the most diverse groups of people.  There is a mixture—Black, White, Latino, and Asian—kind of like how it is in the city.  Interracial families are a norm in Acorn.

Jarret is the new president.  He wants sameness—everyone believing in the same God and worshipping in the same way—anyone who was different would be stomped on.  Jarret’s followers are burning people and cutting off women’s tongues, because that is how much women should be obedient and submissive to men.  Word on the streets is that Earthseed has been viewed as some sort of ‘cult’.  Will President Jarret be a threat to the Acorn community because they’re ‘different’? 

Bankole insists on moving to an already established community because it’s safer than Acorn.  He knows his age; therefore, he just wants to provide a future for Lauren and their daughter.  But his cynicism angers Lauren, and a lot of their arguments stem from this.  Their disagreement becomes worse when Bankole actually receives an offer to be Halstead’s doctor.  Do you think Lauren is being stubborn by not moving to Halstead?  I think it is very difficult to leave a community behind, especially one that you helped build and organize yourself.  Lauren’s leaving is like their leader abandoning them.  Will Acorn be as thriving as it is now, even if Lauren leaves?  There is more pressure on Lauren to stay strong, because there are so many people in Acorn that she sometimes loses sight of what she stands for.

In a happier note, Lauren finds her brother Marcus, who was thought to be dead for five years.  Initially, Marcus is unresponsive to his sister.  He’s been through so much that we can’t really blame him.  Lauren finally learns of how her family died, and it was a miracle that Marcus has lived through it.  Marcus was adopted by the Duran family, who took care of him since the massacre in Robledo.  He also preached to the poor and his ‘other family’.  It is sort of ironic how both Marcus and Lauren were ‘preaching’ to others around the same time but in different places.  Their father must have been alive and strong within them.  To fill their father’s shoes, do you think they felt responsible to take the role as a leader?  We also learn of a new device, the Collar.  This was just another way for people to stay in control and to control their ‘property’ (aka boys and girls).  This is such a frightening thought—to inflict pain on to others by just a press of a button.

During Gatherings, there is still a lot of discussion about Earthseed.  The newcomers, especially, question its meaning or simply ask, “Do we have to join your cult?”  I think it’s harder for people to grasp the idea of Earthseed, because there is no ‘physical God’.  God is change, and only the individuals can mold and shape change.  That is why everyone in Acorn helps each other out, whether it’s planting, harvesting, salvaging, building, repairing, educating, keeping watch, and helping the sick and wounded.  Education seems like the key to survival, besides Earthseed.  According to Lauren, the more they learn and educate one another, the more likely they are to survive. 

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