Home In Octavia E. Butler's Parable Of The Sower

The idea of “home” is subtly construed throughout Octavia E. Butler’s novel, Parable of the Sower. Through physical symbolism and metaphysical images, the theme of home is placed throughout the work. These impressions are generally victims of carnage making an attempt to heal or deal with the oppression they face throughout the story. The main character’s religious ideology, Earthseed, uses the annihilation of many different forms of home to create a new home that can thrive in the novel’s environment. While home can provide a sense of physical comfort, which in turn creates a feeling of safety; home may also instill trust, faith, and hope, which create a sensation of safety in those experiencing it. In Parable of the Sower, home is a combination of these things being brought on by some symbol or experience in the real world. …show more content…
When Lauren, Harry, and Zahra decide to move northward together, a new form of home is created. A new type of safety for the three, safety in numbers, begins here. An example of this newfound safety is when Lauren decides it is time to reveal her hyperempathy syndrome to the other two, saying “no one is who we think they are. That’s what we get for not being telepathic. But you’ve trusted me so far-and I’ve trusted you. I’ve just put my life in your hands. What are you going to do?” (Butler 193). Lauren is taking a major leap of faith by telling Harry and Zahra about her condition, as they could either accept the news and trust her in return, or decide to abandon her and ultimately ruin the emotional home they potentially could have on their adventure. The two do end up accepting Lauren and her condition, and this is a clear representation of their creation of a home within each