Multiethnic Literatures in the U.S.

In Parable of the Sower the religion that was the focus is Lauren’s Earthseed, which was based on the hope of people coming together to change themselves and the world into something new and great. In stark contrast, in Parable of the Talents we are brought back to a time where people have to worry about believing in a different religion, where difference leads to anger and judgment and loss of life.  We are shown that believing in Christianity is reason enough to make people afraid and reactionary.  Here, religious certainty is so frightening, with the way humans can abuse those they don’t consider important while claiming to be helping them.

 Even though in Sower Lauren develops her vision in constant exchange with people around her, Lauren’s perspective is the only narrative voice. By multiplying the perspectives on events in Talents, it problematizes the concept of a utopian vision that a single individual formulates. It becomes apparent in her narrative technique when the estranged daughter’s doubts of the validity of her mother’s vision critique the utopian dream. The second difference is the changing political strategies that Butler discusses in the novels: in Sower, the utopian idea spreads through the words of one person; the concept is to gather and protect a following within a chaotic environment without the tools of political campaigning. In Talents, her failings to enlarge and strengthen her community during the time of a fascist regime haunt Lauren after Christian fundamentalists capture Earthseed followers and destroy their homes. Once freed, she changes her political tactics. Instead of only trying to win the disempowered for Earthseed, Lauren begins to utilize the power and influence of richer people in spreading her message and gathering people.

Talents is partly about the world background and how the characters struggle to survive and partly about how a new religion can form. Earthseed becomes more than Lauren’s personal dream and starts developing as a community and a religion, which at times works quite well and at times feels a bit too easy. Particularly towards the end of the book, Lauren converts people with a suspicious ease. I did like, though, how Earthseed found its own traditions, how the religion of a small group contrasted with the religion of a growing population, and how Olamina struggled to find the best ways of spreading it.

Theresa N.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS