Religion is shown to have a big affect in Parable of the Sower. Earthseed, the religion is practiced by Reverend the community’s preacher and also by the community. Religion show to have an impact in Lauren’s life and the diary she is writing. From Lauren point of view she preceive what the religion Earthseed mean to her.
Lauren’s father Reverend Olamina sees that religion is a big part of his life and his family life, it keeps the community together. Reverend being a preacher and also act like the leader of the community feel that is his duty to establish a code within the community. That code is religion, people that share a common belief are less likely to attack each other and help each other out, which also separate them from the savages. Reverend even “insisted on fresh, clean, potable water for the baptism”(13). Water is expensive, but Reverend value religion over the welfare of his family and community. Reverend know the importantance of the religion, it is a thing from the past that was past along to him.
On the other hand Lauren define her own religion through his father’s religious belief. Being the daughter of a preacher, Lauren also hold religious values similar to her father. Lauren own religion differ from her father, but is subjected to her father religious belief to avoid any conflict. Lauren states that in her dairy saying, “I let my father baptize me in all three names of that God who isn’t mine anymore”(7). Lauren does not hold similar religious value as her father does. The reader can assume that it because of her hyperemphaty that changes her. Lauren seem to think that “God Is Change”, which is mention through out the book in her poems (3). In a way Lauren want god to change the world, because of her hyperemphaty she feel the pain of world around her including her own. Through out each poems in the book Lauren is defining her own religious belief and what she sees god as. Lauren’s father may influenced her in a way, her father even told her to hide the pain away from other.
In the gated community in which Lauren live in most of the people share the same religious value. People dislike other in the community who don’t share the same religious belief. Lauren describe Mrs. Sim saying, “She didn’t like the Hsu family because they were Chinese and Hispanic, and the older Chinese generation is still Buddhist”(22). In the community people value their own religion and those who believe in them and those with different belief are outcasted by some. Overall the community value religion a lot and would take risk to practice their belief.
The religion Earthseed are mainly from Lauren point of view maybe in the of other the religion value can very well be different. It is interesting to see how Lauren’s own religious value and belief develop through out the novel. Also how Lauren’s hyper empathy changes her and the diary she is trying to write.
