Parable of the Sower- 86-125 (Shelby Gallant)

In this section of the Parable of the Sower I think the most obvious conclusion we can make is that as Lauren and her family's life starts getting harder, life in the neighborhood does as well. I think a lot of issues from the past are also brought up in these chapters signifying that perhaps Butler believes our past is doomed to repeat itself. For instance: the issues with interracial couples and the way women are supposed to act in society. It's also hard for me to grasp the concept that as a fifteen year old Lauren is so mature(and perhaps this is because she is forced to be). As Keith's relationship with his family starts to deteriorate we continue to see just how empathetic Lauren is. "I sat on the steps in the warm darkness and let my body shake and hurt and vomit in helpless empathy with Keith." Keith's behavior in chapter 8, to me, is a foreshadowing of his death. When he finally achieves what he wants- to be a part of the outside world, it ends up killing him. Right after his death we see that as Lauren's life starts falling apart, so does everything else. After reading these chapters I am inspired by the person Lauren is and it makes me wonder if Butler was an amazing person too.