Parable of the Sower Blog

 In light of nearing the end of the Parable of the Sower, I thought I would share some of my predictions for the end of the book. Just for reference, I've read up to chapter 23 at the time of writing this. I think that the group will successfully make it to Bankole's land, but its yet to be seen who remains in that group. I think Lauren and Bankole will for sure make it alive, but I'm not sure about the more minor characters. They might either die off or leave the group. I think new people also might be added to the group as the team seems to be constantly changing lately. I think the book will probably end with the group making it to Bankole's land, but I think it might be an ambiguous ending where the reader is left unsure of the fate of the characters. What are y'alls predictions for the ending of the book?

 After fleeing her home, Lauren is forced to survive on her own along with Harry and Zahra. During their time together, they meet countless strangers, almost all of whom Lauren is very wary of. However, there are a few exceptions. First, they come across a family (who they save from robbers) who they decide can be trusted and make good allies. Although the family is hesitant at first, they decide to team up with the trio. Later on after the earthquake, Lauren encounters Taylor Franklin Bankole. For some reason, Lauren decides to trust Taylor Bankole. It seems like some of this trust is rooted in the fact she finds him attractive.  During these chapters Lauren is put in a very tough spot, because there is in fact safety in numbers, but at the same time trusting strangers can be very dangerous. What do you think of Lauren's actions thus far? Is she trusting her instincts and making choices based on her readings of people's personalities? Or is she being reckless and irrespo...

 Chapter 14 opens in a very dramatic and fast paced manner with intruders and a fire. However, I think this fire was predicted by Lauren as there are many subtle clues that build up to this event. We also have intruders destroying the neighborhood gate which I think is symbolic of the safety and the community of the town being destroyed. Lauren also predicts this as she tells Joanne of the neighborhood gate being destroyed. I think that because Lauren was able to see these events ahead of time, she was able to react faster than most and make her way out of the chaos. Although this destruction and death is terrible, I think the physical demolition of this place called "home" for Lauren is just another tether holding her back that is cut. Although Lauren will find life outside her pampered world difficult at first, in the end, I think it will be freeing. What do you all think? What impact will this fire have on Lauren?

 In the most recent reading, we observe another scene showing the readers how Lauren's mother and father are not the best parental figures. Lauren's father and Cory ends up giving Keith a BB gun for his birthday, which turns out horribly as Keith shoots a bird, almost shoots Marcus, then runs away with the gun. Cory, even though she's supposed to be the adult in the situation, simply cannot function and Lauren decides to take over her class. Cory and Lauren's father also fight over the whole situation and there's just a lot of overall tension in the family, something Lauren gets increasingly frustrated over. She clearly still loves her family, but doesn't let that cover up the serious flaws they have. I predict that her family's actions may be the final tipping point for Lauren to break against her current bonds of control/authority and start living life the way she wants. Do you all think Lauren will decide to act according to her own beliefs, or will she c...

 As we continue reading through The Parable of the Sower , it becomes clearer and clearer that Lauren thinks differently than the rest of the neighborhood. In the books reality for 2025, the living conditions have most of society (at least the people in Lauren's town) believing that there is no hope of saving the world or improving it for the future. Instead they have accepted their bleak reality and have chosen to suffer through the current conditions rather than try to find a better life. However, Lauren instead has a much different outlook. She wants to do something with her future, and has a lot more imagination compared to her neighbors.  Put yourselves in the shoes of one of these neighbors. Realistically, if you were put in the 2025 reality of The Parable of the Sower , would you simply accept your fate? Or would you think more like Lauren?

Even if we just read into the beginning of the book, we find that Lauren, still a young girl, dreams about flight. She tries to teach herself to fly, unsuccessfully, and flies straight into the flames of a wall of fire. Although this dream covers only a part of chapter 1, I'd like to further analyze this concept of flight and what it might mean in Lauren's case. In general, flight is seen as a sort of symbol of freedom. The idea of not being bounded by what holds us to the ground symbolizes breaking free of the pressures/realities of the real world. For Lauren, I believe it symbolizes the same thing. Lauren is trying to use flight as an escape from her reality and adolescence into adulthood and independence. She could also be trying to break free from the pressures that society and her family places upon her. Going more specifically into her dream sequence, Lauren flies into fire, which could symbolize the dangers of independence, showing that freedom is a double edged sword. T...