You should definitely read Parable of the Talents.
Reading Parable of the Sower through the lens of Afrofuturism instead of just Sci-Fi or Speculative Fiction allows for Lauren’s voice to be more believable. Lauren’s maturity echos that of growing up within the chains of slavery. How does and how fast does a young girl mature within the confines of walls of a diverse community that is not ready to be diverse, a family that is often more toxic than not, a gift or curse depending on how you look at it, and the known violence outside of the that she sees beyond the boundaries of her community? I think Butler answers that question.
Lauren lives to survive and begins to create a religion that exists in spite of the Evangelicalism of the pretend Christian leader of the country. I say pretend because he uses the words of the Bible as a justification for his evil. She also creates her own path for survival. Her father heavily influences this, but Lauren sees firsthand, through her friend’s betrayal and her step-mother’s toxicity and everything else aforementioned, that she most likely will need to be the adult within the walls and outside of the walls if she wants herself and her siblings to survive.
I think it becomes evident when viewed through the lens of Afrofuturism, how her maturity makes sense. A world past the remnants of slavery is imagined. Who rises up in the midst of violence and dispare? What roles and understandings did a young enslaved girl have to take up before it was her time? What do people of color have to face even if this destruction isn’t there?
Also, there is a fantastic graphic novel adaptation. And you might get your wish, I read that Melina Matsoukas is directing an adaptation of ‘Parable of the Sower’ for Warner Bros. I think it was also an opera, which I’m really interested in investigating.
You should definitely read Parable of the Talents.
Reading Parable of the Sower through the lens of Afrofuturism instead of just Sci-Fi or Speculative Fiction allows for Lauren’s voice to be more believable. Lauren’s maturity echos that of growing up within the chains of slavery. How does and how fast does a young girl mature within the confines of walls of a diverse community that is not ready to be diverse, a family that is often more toxic than not, a gift or curse depending on how you look at it, and the known violence outside of the that she sees beyond the boundaries of her community? I think Butler answers that question.
Lauren lives to survive and begins to create a religion that exists in spite of the Evangelicalism of the pretend Christian leader of the country. I say pretend because he uses the words of the Bible as a justification for his evil. She also creates her own path for survival. Her father heavily influences this, but Lauren sees firsthand, through her friend’s betrayal and her step-mother’s toxicity and everything else aforementioned, that she most likely will need to be the adult within the walls and outside of the walls if she wants herself and her siblings to survive.
I think it becomes evident when viewed through the lens of Afrofuturism, how her maturity makes sense. A world past the remnants of slavery is imagined. Who rises up in the midst of violence and dispare? What roles and understandings did a young enslaved girl have to take up before it was her time? What do people of color have to face even if this destruction isn’t there?
Also, there is a fantastic graphic novel adaptation. And you might get your wish, I read that Melina Matsoukas is directing an adaptation of ‘Parable of the Sower’ for Warner Bros. I think it was also an opera, which I’m really interested in investigating.
Thanks, Michelle — I'll check it out! I also definitely want to visit Butler's papers at the Huntington Library.