Characters/Events
Who is the main character?
Lauren Olamina
What does the wall surrounding the main character's initial community symbolize?
Division, inequality, separation, etc. (any other synonyms that may apply)
What is the author's name?
Octavia E. Butler (Butler is acceptable).
What was the main character's main goal throughout the story?
To create Earthseed, to unite people no matter their socioeconomic background, to work with the environment to foster community (other variations accepted)
What is a theme or topic of the novel?
Hope, creation, destruction, rebirth, trust vs. denial, change, religion, environmental degredation (other options are acceptable)
What are some settings in the novel?
The community in Robledo, California, traveling through impoverished California, Bankole's land in northern California
Why did the main character leave their initial community?
It was attacked by pyromaniacs and was burned down.
What are the symbols in the novel?
Fire, seeds, and water
What general time period/era did the book take place in?
In the future; the 21st century.
What is the main character's complexity?
She has hyperempathy syndrome, but she killed people. (other answers are acceptable if justified)
What does Earthseed symbolize?
New beginnings, unity with nature, no discrimination within the community
What social movement in real life affected the publication and writing of Parable of the Sower?
The 1992 Los Angeles riots, fueled by racial tensions and economic inequality, occurred just before the novel's publication.
How has the main character been betrayed in the book?
Many options are acceptable. (For example, Lauren's friend Joanne told her mom that Lauren has been giving her books and talking about their community being unsafe.)
- The main character's dad's old religion in the initial community caused a divide and the masking of truth.
- Earthseed, the main character's new religion, worked to unite people across socioeconomic backgrounds and create peace among humans and nature.
When was the book published?
1993 (90s accepted)