Parable of the Sower

A British reader explores present-day parallels between Octavia Butler’s fictional world and America’s dystopian reality, a crash course on politics, gun culture, and science denial from across the pond.

Wealth and income inequality

In the novel, there is a stark contrast between the rich and poor, represented in a number of ways. For example, the richer members of society could afford to take a plane away from the social destruction of the USA and reestablish themselves elsewhere, while most were forced to walk by foot, carrying any belongings they had, with hope to find a home. This is highlighted in Lauren’s shock, ‘Plane fare and resettlement money?’, luxuries which Bankole, another character, reveals he could have afforded.

In the USA, the top 1% of Americans own around 30% of the nation’s wealth, with the bottom half of households owning only 2.5%. In the last 60 years, the wealth gap has widened dramatically. Between 1963 and 2022, median family wealth in the U.S. has increased by four times. In contrast, the wealth of families in the 99th percentile has grown rapidly by a factor of 7.6, now nearly 80 times that of the median. 

Gated communities

In the beginning of the storyline, Lauren Olamina lives in a gated neighbourhood, in order to protect the community from the violence and poverty in the outside world. The security of the walls are heavily emphasised, ‘three metres high and topped off with pieces of broken glass as well as the usual barbed wire’, there is a clear hostility towards the outside people, to avoid thieves and criminals from entering. It is estimated that almost 11 million American households are a part of gated communities, which too offer a safe environment for residents inside, but simultaneously creates a form of segregation and increased social stratification between the rich and poor. 

Fires in LA

In both, climate change, the warming of the environment exacerbates the situation. The climate in LA is getting hotter, with longer and more intense droughts, resulting in dried out forests and vegetation. In 2025, one of the most powerful fires in LA occurred, intensified by the strong winds, another feature of climate change. The climate crisis is also communicated in the novel, with fires constantly following Lauren Olamina as she leaves her old home. In the dystopian world, the fires are mostly started by arsonists, often under the influence of a drug called ‘pyro’ which causes people to become obsessed with starting fires. Though it is unsure how the fires in LA of 2025 began, it is not unlikely that they were a consequence of human actions, such as the negligence of power company utilities. 

Politicians

Coincidentally, a parallel is generated between the election of President Donner in the novel, and election of President Donald Trump in 2025. Lauren suggests her skepticism towards Donner, describing his plans to ‘suspend ‘overly restrictive’ minimum wage’, to increase employment rates. Donner’s plan to suspend environmental laws has also been enacted by the Trump administration, which has nullified policies protecting clean air, water and a livable climate in this administration’s first 100 days. Despite hope from Donner’s supporters that their quality of life will improve under his presidency, Lauren criticises him, ‘He’s nothing. No substance’, not only does this highlight his role solely as a symbol of hope, rather than a real solution to their problems, but also emphasises her refusal to rely on what she believes to be empty political promises. Trump demonstrates similar characteristics to Donner, demonstrated in his constant fabrications of incorrect and misleading declarations. For example, in an interview with the Time magazine, he claims that the price of groceries had gone down, which appears to fulfill one of his major campaign promises to lower grocery prices and end inflation, however in reality, the price of groceries was higher by 2.4 percent in March 2025 than the year before. 

Space race for mars

In both the fictional and actual America, space travel enthusiasts face criticism from citizens who believe it is a waste of money, that the funds would be better spent addressing the problems down on earth. Lauren views the exploration of space as the future and Mars as ‘heaven in a way’, perhaps in comparison to the devastating conditions on earth. President Trump and NASA are also determined to reach Mars, promising to ‘Plant the American flag on the planet Mars and even far beyond’. However public opinion in America is a mix of enthusiasm and criticism. Historically, America’s successes in the space race against the USSR in the 20th century resulted in great national pride, though this has shifted, as criticism has risen

Significance of guns

In the novel, the necessity of guns for self defence and survival is greatly emphasised. Guns are a symbol of personal freedom and power, and those that are not able to afford guns are forced to live in fear and avoid becoming a target for those who do, there is a clear sense of power dynamics. The guns create a society of fear and lack of trust, with increased suspicion between people who own them. Similarly, gun violence is one of the largest problems in the USA, gun ownership is incredibly common, with self reported data showing that 32% of adults were gun owners, as the US does not keep a national firearm registry.

Corporate control

Corporations’ influence in politics in the novel holds considerably more power than governments. The novel describes Olivar, a small city with a struggling economy and no governmental support, resulting in its agreement to be bought out by the company KSF. Lauren reflects on the harsh realities that the company would have complete control over the residents of the city, their employees, through debt slavery, forcing them to work for them through financial pressure, ultimately removing their freedom. 

In the US, companies are also becoming more influential over political decisions, this is illustrated by an image of President Trump’s inauguration in 2025. Instead of the expected family members and former presidents in the front row, there were tech CEOs, including Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Google’s Sundar Pichai and Elon Musk, some of the most powerful figures in the modern corporate world.