Gabby Maddaloni 195-244

            In this section, Lauren seems to have finally gained some followers.  Harry, Zahra and Lauren, mostly Lauren, adopt a group of three people.  A man named Travis, a woman named Natividad, and a six-month-old baby named Dominic.  Lauren only seemed to take to them because of the baby, and the sense of a family.  The family begins to trust the group more and more, and Travis becomes interested in Lauren’s Earthseed “religion.”  He asks all sorts of questions, he argues and argues with Lauren, but to her delight he does not shy away from her thoughts and beliefs.  She is relieved to find that she has converted at least one, and by doing so, Zahra also possibly.  Zahra had been listening to Travis and Lauren talk and in her own way contributed to the never-ending discussion. 

            One thing that was interesting to me was that Travis pointed out how Lauren never told her father.  He said it was because she never had the guts to tell him, but Lauren says it was because her father was the only person she worked hard not to hurt.  I wondered what she meant by that, who else had she hurt?  She had don’t nothing wrong to anyone, only tried to be helpful, honest, and real.  She hid her Earthseed because she knew her father would not approve.  I think the reason that having anyone even remotely believe what she does thrills her so much, is because she is in some way gaining the acceptance that she felt she never could from her father.  Her father would never leave his rue religion within God for her Earthseed, but Travis and Zahra accepted and believed, and that was enough for Lauren.