PotS - Christian

Community

For me, at its heart, the book is a comparison and contrast of being alone vs. community. There are numerous examples of Lauren when she was alone. Right after her home was destroyed, her thoughts turned dark. Her fears were magnified. She was not able to do more then put the next foot forward and do what she needed to in order to survive. As the book progresses and more and more people join her, her thoughts and outlook grew more and more optimistic. I’m referring to her general overall thoughts, not her crisis-mode thinking. You can also see the personalities of the others in her party shift over time as their trust in the group grows.

For this to happen, they have to connect. They have to extend trust – with an open eye of course. Just pragmatism, not distrust. However, the greatest internal strength comes from vulnerability, from opening yourself in order to connect with another individual. This connection with another human being gives comfort, strength, a feeling of not being alone.

There is safety in numbers. Just what does that mean? Is it having extra people in your party to stand watch, carry supplies and weapons? I believe it is more than that. If you have no true community, you have no trust. You wouldn’t feel or be safe. When you are alone, all of your energy and resources are poured into survival. When you are with someone are not connected to, there is a duplication of efforts and a waste of effort always watching the other person. With community, there is a pooling effect, leaving resources and energy available for growth, contemplation and even fun. 

However, it isn’t a good idea to open up and trust just anyone. It is also counter-productive to stay closed and trust no one. Lauren is not stupid. Before she lets anyone actually into her ‘community,’ she watches them. Actions speak louder than words. She sees how they act, how they treat others in and out of her group. She gets the opinions of the rest of her group. When she is reasonably sure that a person is worth the risk, she opens up and lets them in. Only partially though. She keeps an eye on them to determine their true character. Thus the Earthseed community, operative word being community, is born.
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