Multiethnic Literatures in the U.S.

“I know what I’ve done.”—It is the end of the novel but it is just the beginning of questions. Like other novels, Parable of the Talents, by Octavia Butler, left the readers a bunch of questions. One of those questions which deeply impress me was ideal and reality.  Lauren’s town of Acorn was invaded, and she failed her people. But it did not change her mind to continue to be the person of Earthseed. She tried to reach more people, bring purpose to them, and spread the seeds anywhere she had passed. She wanted people to understand what they could be, and what they could do. She wanted people to be like her mentally so that they could send the information to more and more people. Those are all right. And she did the right things—touched the people, tried to make them change the world, and make better lives. Her purpose was that children would be educated, towns would be built, and country would be developed, no wars, no hunger, and no disease spread. Everything sounds so beautiful.  Back to the real world, the things Lauren talked about sounds just like a dream, a joke. Look at our country, look at the world! “Those kids are the future. But if they manage to grow up, what kind of men will they be?” “That’s what Earthseed was about.” That is right, but in the real world, it looks like we do not really have Earthseed. The only thing she said was true is that people get a job, eat, and find a place to live. “They had no purpose beyond survival.” That will be it. That will be all! Most of the people are just enjoying their lives right now. They are numb and still optimistic. They do not really care about the politics, and what happened to our country and the world. And they would tell you “Do we have to care about them? Then what should we do? It will change nothing.” That is also true.  The politicians are still canvassing the people on the stage. No one knows it is true or not. Then, we will be involved in another war. Some people think that is the way to keep our country strong and the world steady. But they did not see that so many people were suffered in the war. People lost their jobs, their families, even their lives. They actually could find a better way to survive the world but they just ignored and forgot ideal that ancestors have left for us, and put our country in a very difficult situation. Earthseed is just a piece of beautiful ideal. It may influence some of the people, but just a small part of them. Right now, reality is too far away from ideal that we can not even reach it. I don’t think that is the main point of the book that Octavia Butler wanted to show us. It is also not a question for us to answer but a problem to solve. Who will be our Earthseed? Who will save our country?

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