...Lauren Olamina is the main character of the novel. She is fifteen years old African-American who is very intelligent and well educated. Lauren Olamina has very strong leadership qualities despite suffering from “hyperempathy syndrome” in which she feels other peoples pain and pleasure as if it were her own. This syndrome was acquired from Laurens mothers addiction to Paracetco when she was pregnant with Lauren. Laurens mother died giving birth to Lauren. Lauren tries to keep this weakness to herself. Lauren eventually becomes more aware that her neighborhood will be destroyed and has prepared for the worse when disaster happens. Lauren eventually loses her entire family in result of the upheaval but this does not phase her in pursuit of heading north with Harry and Zahra for a better life. Lauren Is very resourceful when it comes to survival during her journey to the north. Although she has abandoned her God that once was preached by her father when she was growing up. Lauren’s so called new God is neutral force that can be shaped by humans we later find out This new religion is called Earthseed based on her entries in her journal. Laurens new way of shaping her own God allows her to decide what is morally right or wrong especially when it comes to taking ones life in effort to save her own and others. We learn several important things about Lauren right away. First, she suffers from "hyperempathy...
Words: 466 - Pages: 2
..."Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it," Luke 8:7. This passage from the gospel of Luke about the Parable of the Sower can truly relate to my relationship within my faith. Other gospel writers just as Matthew and Mark mention the same ideas and concepts, but in my opinion, Luke explains it in a way that is more understandable. He puts the parable in words that are concise and to the point. The way this gospel is written assists me in understanding how it correlates to my faith and how I hear the Word of God. In the Parable of the Sower, there are four descriptions of soil. The first one being a compressed, dense path. The second had a rocky composition. The third type of soil was scattered among thorns. And at last, there was good, fertile soil. The soil that was scattered among thorns related to me the most because when I try to pray and pursue my faith, it feels as if someone or something strangles me and keeps me from preserving my faith. I am like the seeds because I try to grow and follow the Word of God, but something, whether it be peer pressure or life's problems, seems to always stop me in my tracks, and it makes me feel as if I am being choked....
Words: 518 - Pages: 3
...GALO ORTIZ ENG :101 SPRING 2014 The parable of sower The parable of sower by Octavia Butler published in 1993 is a novel that reflects different types of problems in the society in a nearly future such as: race, religion, politics, sexuality and violence. The author uses different examples trough the novel in order to show all those problems. The parable of sower begins in Robledo few miles from California in July 2024 to 2027 in this period of time many things happened to Lauren lives’ who suffered a rarely syndrome called hyper empathy which is the ability to feel the perceived pain and other sensations of other people. There are some people involved as characters for the development of novel. Lauren the narrator describes step by step all the adversities that she suffered over the years in an apocalyptic era. The novel writing as a series of journal entries by the main character Lauren Olamina, who is fifteen when the book opens .Lauren is living in a society in the United States in the year 2024 has deteriorated into State of anarchy .The police force is corrupt and other governmental services, such as fire protection and welfare are ineffective or nonexistent, only few people are able to afford certainly services because those aren’t free. It makes this neighborhood a good place for gangs and addicts because nobody does anything against them. Even though many things are happening around...
Words: 1314 - Pages: 6
...Parable of the Sower Octavia Butler has many topics in her novel, Parable of the Sower; however she emphasized one particular one since the beginning. Parents may have your best interests in mind but they can’t dictate your future. When Lauren is going to be baptized she knows that she does not believe in the same God that her father and community believe in. She doesn’t tell her father and in result has nightmare and is forced to lie to her father to keep them happy. When Keith returns after running away her father beats him bloody because Keith did not want to tell him where he went. Butler portrays the father as a loving father however he has no problem hurting one of his kids in order to protect them. The father wants to keep Keith safe but Keith ends up leaving, angry at his father. Although her parents wanted to keep...
Words: 1459 - Pages: 6
...In 2024, near Los Angeles, Lauren Olamina begins to realize that neither governmental authority, the neighborhood vigilantes, nor her father’s God will protect her or her family from the ravages of a world gone savage. Communities must build walls to keep out the vast hordes of homeless derelicts who have nothing but what they can take. Scavenging has become a way of life, often prompted by “Paints,” addicts who shave their heads, paint their faces, and set fires which incite them to murder and rape. Lauren’s father is a minister, a leader who teaches the members of his community to defend what is theirs and to be prepared for trouble. Lauren, affected by hyperempathy syndrome, a condition that causes her to share others’ pain, senses that complete destruction is in the near future and makes plans for their escape. Sooner than she expects, the structure of her life begins to disintegrate. Her brother runs away and is later killed; her father disappears, and the walls of her neighborhood are breached during several thefts. Finally, the Paints stage a large-scale attack, and most of the residents are murdered. Lauren and Harry, another survivor, are forced to follow her plan, walking the interstate northward. They discover a substantial migration lured by the rumors of jobs and a better life, and though they must remain vigilant and suspicious, they pick up several others on their journey. As the members of the incongruous band learn to work together, Lauren has an opportunity...
Words: 279 - Pages: 2
...One would think that in a dystopian future where laws are meaningless and the police are more harmful than helpful, people would have bigger things to worry about than what color someone’s skin is or what reproductive organs that they have. That is not the case for The Parable of the Sower, as the community that the beginning of the story takes place in still has gender roles, among other traditions from the past that do not have a place in such a brutal present. Fortunately, the readers have Lauren Olamina, the teenage protagonist, to try and add some reason to the mix instead of sticking her head in the sand like how every other member of her community seems to prefer doing. The author, Octavia Butler, further utilizes Lauren by using her to critique how a society is more likely to stick with familiar customs rather than adapt to what currently affects them, because people are typically resistant of change....
Words: 613 - Pages: 3
...In the novel, Parable of the Sower, Octavia Butler proves to us that sovereignty is something everyone should obtain; they just have to be bold enough to take initiative when the time is right. Lauren is living in a neighborhood that is walled up and the only way you can step foot outside is with a group of people armed with guns. She knew her community would be left in ruins sooner or later. The government is still standing but has no sufficient meaning in their world anymore. The police were shady and the laws had no essence. Meaning, she had no help outside of the wall. Lauren decided she had to stock up on information about survival such as learning how to live of the earth, how to properly use a gun and how to handle medical emergencies,...
Words: 1824 - Pages: 8
...Change is inevitable and what many people do not understand is that our environment changes as well. Many may not realized it, but our actions do affect our planet and the weather. There is ample amount of proof that due to our environmental choices our Earth is changing, along with weathers patterns. Our stubborn ways is creating many terrible choices and harming the harming the future of our planet and our nation’s government. The novel, “Parable of the Sower”, by Octavia E. Butler is set just 9 years from now in California. Butler’s setting of California is a harsh and scary one, with the changes in the climates, governments falling apart, communities in ruins, and drugs and prostitution ruling many lives. These changes that are taking place is quite nerve racking because a lot of these changes are happening now in reality. In the story, our protagonist, Lauren, who is the daughter of Reverend Olamina,...
Words: 1093 - Pages: 5
...them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age” and “the reapers are the angels” now look at (v 24, 34, 44) “field” was not a location called “heaven” but on earth, the authority on earth that was sowed by a sower, is the “church” for is he so are we in this world/ earth, is the church, the kingdom of heaven, is the lords. Agents here on earth- his body church! For as he so are we in this world/earth (4:17) we will come back to this parable, but if we understand the basic symbols of the sower”how can we know all parables?” you with me so far?...
Words: 415 - Pages: 2
...Unit 3: Reflection Paper New Understandings of The Parables and Miracles Course#: RST 319-SN. Christology Patrick A. Topey Metropolitan Detroit Program Siena Heights University New Understandings of The Parables and Miracles Pre-existing Sources Used When a miracles story and or parable appears in more than one gospel I assume that the writers have access to a common source. Scholars have identified a source for the synoptic gospels that they call “Q” from the German “Quelle.” The Q document is held to be the common source from which Matthew and Luke obtain their shared stories that are not found in Mark. But both Matthew and Luke also use Luke as a source for their material, which is common to all three synoptic gospels. If one accepts this two-source hypothesis it would mean that the early Christians began to preserve the sayings and miracles of Jesus first in an oral form and then in written form. The authors of the synoptic gospels wrote decades after the crucifixion of Jesus and they pulled much of their material from the Q document and from other written or oral traditions. So when only Matthew and Luke include the miracle story of the Healing of the Centurion’s Servant (Matt 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10) or the Parable of the Talents (Matt 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27) it demonstrates a common source, which is most likely unknown to Mark. What Does This Say About The Inspiration Of The Scriptures? If the two source hypotheses is correct it would destroy the belief...
Words: 871 - Pages: 4
...Parables in Society What is a parable? A parable is a short story or a brief tale that is told to illustrate a religious, moral, or philosophical idea. About one third of Jesus Christ’s recorded teachings are in the form of parables. Jesus frequently used parables as a means of illustrating profound, divine truths. Stories such as these are easily remembered, the characters are bold, and the symbolism is rich in meaning. Parables were a common form of teaching in Judaism. Before a certain point in His ministry, Jesus had employed many graphic analogies using common things that would be familiar to everyone (salt, bread, sheep, etc.) and their meaning was fairly clear in the context of His teaching. Jesus told many parables during his ministry that really spoke to the people that he was ministering to and also gave them something to think about as well. I want to know something though; have you ever thought about the parables Jesus told and the fact that they could be true for us today in our society? Have you ever thought about how these parables can be examples of homelessness, inclusion, missionaries, and many other things in our society and how we can learn a lot from these parables? The parables that Jesus told were not just for those whom he personally taught. His parables are part of his gospel and are therefore for all peoples throughout all nations and throughout all time. When he said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15)...
Words: 2917 - Pages: 12
...(a) Examine the theology and teaching found in the Parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard. Jesus told the parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard to show that as the Jews have rebelled against God, the kingdom of God will now be open to others as a consequence. The allegorical meaning of the parable is clear; God is represented by the landowner, Israel is represented by the vineyard (likening Israel to a vineyard was common) and the Jewish authorities are represented by the tenants. The servants, sent by the owner, represent the prophets that God had sent to his people, who were then rejected and killed, even by the people who were claiming to be of God and obedient to him. The parable then explains that the landowner sent his ‘beloved son’ (Mark), which is of course Jesus, but ‘they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard’ (Mark 12:8.) The end of the parable states that the owner will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others; Jesus is telling his audience that because of their disobedience, the opportunity to reach the kingdom of God will be given to the Gentiles. Jesus is teaching the Jews about the Kingdom of God and the parable represents God as a calm and patient judge, however the Pharisees saw the parable as something against them and wanted to arrest Jesus. The actual story is not very believable as the owner would certainly not have risked his own son, but instead he would have sent armed men to throw the tenants out. B...
Words: 1057 - Pages: 5
...Shatara Goggins Bible reflection #1 Mrs. Ward January 28, 2013 When reading the Parable of the Sower and the Seeds, it made me think of life and people, the sower being a parent and the seeds being the children. Parents can raise their children the way they think is right and teach them right from wrong but it’s up to the child to choose the way the way they want their life to turn out. The first sentence says “some fell along the path and was trodden underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it.” We can relate this sentence to a teenager (the seed) who tries to be cool and fit in with the wrong crowd (the bird) and ends up dropping out of school, peer pressured into doing the wrong things, and not having any goals. “And some fell on the rock and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.” We can relate this sentence to a child who doesn’t have any motivation and no support system from any loved ones. They don’t feel loved and don’t have the attention they think they deserve. So they just start to give up and not have any confidence in themselves. Lastly, I would like to talk about the last sentence, “And some fell into good soil and grew, and yielded a hundred fold. These are the people who have the support that they need and the guidance, the people that can do it but just need that push to get to where they need to be and that’s success. They have positive people around them that have faith in them which makes them have faith in their selves...
Words: 473 - Pages: 2
...The first parable is the parable of the sower. The sower throws seeds and some land on the path with no soil, some on the rocky ground with little soil and some on soil that contains thorns – and those seeds all fail to become plants. But some seed landed on the good soil and that is the seed that grows. Jesus then tells them that this means the seed is the Word of God and the soil is the reaction to it. The good soil is the one who accepts it and the others are those who reject it. He then compares the Word of God to an oil lamp, it lights up a room and should not be hidden. He tells another parable, the parable of the growing seed, then he tells the parable of the mustard seed – saying that the kingdom of god is like a tiny mustard seed, but when it grows up it’s one of the biggest plants. He later explains some of the meanings of these parables to his disciples but not to the crowd of people he was preaching to. One day Jesus and his disciples were at sea and a huge storm comes, the disciples are afraid and wake Jesus up and he responds by rebuking the storm and then asking them “why are you so afraid? Have you still so little faith?” (v....
Words: 2007 - Pages: 9
...Valedictorian Speech Parable of the sower Greeting Conclusion thingy Most of us came in as 3 and 4 year olds, some left through the years, but the ones that have stayed have helped us grow in unity. Although people have left and new ones have came, we have made memories with all of them that will never be forgotten Even though we are going to different high schools, we will all still be one family. Classmates Current Teachers Mrs Iacona Mrs Dewan Past Future Parents Memories Jesus’ parable of the sower and the seeds\ Be the seeds that fell in the good soil. Be the seeds that …….. Sets the example We are the seeds of tomorrow’s flowers http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2013:1-23&version=NIV crows- don’t let anyone change your beliefs and morals roots- don’t let the roots of St annes fall off of you after a short time. Hold onto them forever. Thorns- Don’t let anyone hold you back from further growing. St. Anne’s has taught us many values but they cannot teach us all the values of life in the ten or less years we have been here. Wherever you go Good soil- Remember all that you have been taught and understand it. Many of us started school together in Pre-K. Since then we have grown together and shared many fond memories. Some of these were from making volcanoes explode in second grade to modeling in sixth grade. When we were in class with Mrs. San Diego, we always did many extraordinary things. One...
Words: 1314 - Pages: 6
