Lauren’s father has disappeared. No one knows whats happened to him. Shortly after, the community was attacked. Lauren’s prediction of the communities inevitable fall came true. Almost , no one made it out alive. People were beaten, raped, and killed. Houses were burned to the ground. The day after, scavengers roomed the streets looking for any goods they can salvage.

Lauren went back to see if she can be reunited with Cory and her siblings. But alas, she finds out that as soon as they got separated her family was killed. She forms this small group with two survivors from the community. Zahrah and Harry. They decided to travel together north. They begin to realize theirs more than meets the eye when it comes to these three. Zahra use to live in the streets before being sold to her Husband. She has streets smart that come in handy. Lauren has quickly adapt and her survivor instincts have kicked in. She is willing to do any thing in order to stay alive. Harry and Zahra are taken aback a bit because they are use to seeing her as a preachers kid. Harry is still a reluctant to do steal or do anything to secure their survival. “out here , you adapt to your surroundings or you get killed”(182). Lauren is trying to get in to Harrys’ head that he need to change that way of thinking and get with the program if he wants to stay alive. The unlikely trio manages to work together. After an attack on the group Lauren informs the group about her disease. “I’m going to tell you abut myself”(191). The group is speechless at first, ask questions but ultimately accept her for who she is. Afterwords, she shares earthseed with them as well.

After being told to fear everyone beyond the walls Lauren, Harry, and Zahra realize people are just like them scared, non-violent unless provoked, and seeking a way to survive. Through acts of kindness and Lauren’s hyper-empathy her group begins to get bigger and bigger. They come across a racially mix couple with a baby (who are the first to join).Then an older man, who Lauren takes an interest in, and soon after two sisters the group rescues after an earthquake. They also, take in a child whose mom is killed one night. All of this while heading north. She shares her ideas about earthseed with them. Manages to convert most of them.

Usually in times of crisis peoples differences is what separates them. In a post-apocalyptic word, Lauren’s group; people from different backgrounds , ages, and gender come together in order to survive. Despite having differences they look after each other , take care of one another, and take turns keeping watch. Lauren now more than ever believes she has purpose. Just like her dad, she aims on unifying her group with earthseed and building a new and better community.

“I had my recurring dream last night…I dreamed a reminder that it’s all a lie”(1).The Novel Parable of the Sower takes place in a dystopian world. The year 2024, environmental decay and the breakdown of the economy have destroyed the American society. Diseases like measles is rampant. The only safety is found in walled communities like the one Lauren lives in. Lauren is 15 year old African american girl who suffers from a disease called hyper-empathy syndrome:which causes her to feel the pain of others as if it was her own. This was due to her mom abusing drugs while pregnant with her.

Lauren is the daughter of a minister. Though her family is religious she does not share their beliefs. “At least three years ago, My fathers god stop being my god”(7). Her God is different from her parents. Lauren writes down some of her thoughts about God, after learning of one of her neighbors Mrs. Sims (a cranky and religious lady) who committed suicide. She believes “God exists to be shaped, god is change”(25). God to her believe is the shaper of humans and humans shape God, with this Lauren begins to form her own religion which she later calls Earthseed.

The adults in the community including her parents believe that things will go back to how they once were. They believe things will eventually revert back to the good old days. But She on the other hand does not believe this. People are in denial and rather cling to the past, than face the truth. She knows things are going to get worse. The break ins are only increasing. Lauren confides in her friend Joanne that she wants to start making a backup plan to protect herself and her family if the walls fall. She wants to prepare emergency pack backs. She urges her to learn how to survive in the wilderness and loans her a book. Joanne in denial tells her mom who tells Lauren’s dad that she is thinking on running away. Although, Lauren explains to her dad what she was actually trying to do, how everyone needs to be prepared in case of a major break in her dad tells her she is just causing a panic.

Times are changing and Lauren intends to adapt in order to secure her survival. She does not want to remain in her gated community getting marry, bearing children in an already crowded community with no job availability to be able to support herself. Theirs no future here. Communities with bigger walls and better security have fallen. Its only a matter of time before they do. The walls will not be able to keep all the addicts, criminals, and homeless away for too long. Just like they keep them away they also attract them. She knows that this false sense of security is all a lie.