As the book, Parable
of the Sower, progresses, the community Lauren lives in seems to be
unraveling and slowly falling apart. The death of her brother Keith causes an
outbreak in murder and robbery within her community. It’s as if the thieves
become more confident in their skills of stealing because they murdered a boy
like Keith. People are finally realizing that there is barely an ounce of
safety within the gate. I believe the death of Keith was a wakeup call that the
world truly is crazy. Another community called Olivar becomes known and
everyone jumps at the opportunity to live in a safer area. Personally, I would
go. I would want to get as far away from Robledo, the murderers, and thieves as
quickly as I could. Lauren’s father thinks differently. He believes it is just
a set up and that they will become slaves due to their skin color. I wonder, is
Lauren’s father correct? Is Olivar just a ruse to get more people to do jobs at
a very low salary? Is it worth leaving their home in Robledo?
The
community’s beliefs and way of life are very different than our beliefs are
now. According to Octavia E. Butler, the future brings back interracial
problems. It is frowned upon for African Americans and Hispanics or any two
different races to have children together and get married. Marriage isn’t a
beautiful ceremony to profess ones love anymore. It seems more to be a waste
and a necessary thing to do when one becomes pregnant. Women are supposed to
begin having children around the age of eighteen. It is like a job for them to
become pregnant and be a mother. It would be like if every female here at West
Chester University were already having babies and getting ready to wed to
another. The children in Robledo grow up and mature at a much faster pace than
we do nowadays. For example, Keith starts leaving home at the age of thirteen
and continues on until he is killed around the age of fourteen. A fourteen year
old today would just be getting ready to attend freshman year of high school.
They have barely experienced life yet in Robledo they are already practically
adults. At the age of fifteen they learn how to use a gun and defend themselves
and others. It is weird to think that if things were that way now, I would have
become an “adult” over three years ago. I don’t think at the age of fifteen I would
have been capable of defending myself and others in my community. Is the way of
life in Robledo morally correct? Should children have to mature as quickly as
they do and waste their childhood?
I like how you connected the book to your life, I never thought about what it would be like if I was in this situation and treated like an adult. I would not want to have a child and the complete responsibilities of an adult so early either
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