Multiethnic Literatures in the U.S.

“This country is going to be parceled out as a source of cheap labor and cheap land.” This passage comes from Octavia E. Butler’s novel, Parable of the Sower. This phrase shows up in the beginning of chapter 12, this chapter Joanne and the main character of the book, Lauren. They are talking about moving to a city which provides room, security, and a little money in exchange for work. This phrase is part of a passage that struck me as a reality that is going on in our world today. “This country is going to be parceled out as a source of cheap labor and cheap land. When people like those in Olivar beg to sell themselves, our surviving cities are bound to wind up the economic colonies of whoever can afford to buy them.” To me it sounds like Octavia E. Butler might be talking about the countries that we as a nation outsource to. “This country” can be any country we outsource to which has cheap labor, cheap land, and is in need of the money and economic growth. These countries get divided into business sectors depending on who or which country buys what. I get a feeling that Octavia E. Butler is trying to show that someday we, the United States of America, might end up being one of those nations that is in need of the economic support and influence of other nations. And seeing this opportunity other countries will outsource their businesses to United States. It seems like Butler just lightly touches on the subject and doesn’t develop it any further, and that made me disappointed while reading this passage, especially being a business major. I personally will have to face such difficulties as outsourcing, I think it is unethical because we are pretty much are using other countries for our benefit and giving them scrap. It might not be far from now when we might end up one of those countries.
The whole situation that happened in Robledo, the whole city was taken over by a group of outsiders called Pyro. At the end, the whole community is taken over and it seems as if almost everyone is dead. I think that Octavia E. Butler is trying to show that things can change for the better or for worse, depends whose side we take, in just seconds. This passage is very graphic and really puts one in the city while it is being raided by Pyros. The first connection to our time that comes to mind is the war in Iraq. The United States can be viewed as Pyros going into Iraq and pretty much enforcing our laws. This association might or might not be right but that is the first thought that came up after reading that passage. The people who live in Iraq, the ones that live the peaceful lives are now forced to live in the middle of the war and suffer.