Earthseed’s Success

I think Earthseed “works” in its context by bringing to Lauren and her small community of Earthseed followers what a lot of people look for in a religion. I think a lot of people in the world of Parable of the Sower are looking for something constant, something they can rely on, to bring some sense of security and normality to their lives. I think Earthseed provides that without putting hope in things that could go away. Lauren acknowledges that the only constant and true thing in their world is change, and she puts her faith in that constant, giving her a sense of purpose that others in the book seem to also want. I think Earthseed will catch on, even if Lauren doesn’t survive, because people are craving something to put their hope in, some purpose for their life, and Earthseed provides that. I also think that even if Lauren hadn’t created Earthseed, someone else would have created a very similar religion, because it was created out of a set of necessities that a lot of people have, which is what makes it so attractive to people in this world. Another important factor that I think makes it attractive to people in the world of Parable of the Sower, is that it is so different from what we typically see in religions. Many of the characters we’ve encountered so far seem to either be attached to a religion already (like Lauren’s parents), or entirely opposed to the idea of religion, which is why so many people were skeptical when they first heard about Earthseed. I think many of these people feel that other religions are putting false hope in something non-existent to make themselves feel better, and the idea of a religion based on more “real” things is very attractive to them.