Climate Change in Parable of the Sower and in Marrow Thieves

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Climate Change in Parable of the Sower and in Marrow Thieves
Climate change has been a growing threat to society for decades but has recently been brought to the forefront of global conversations due to its increasingly destructive effects. This occurrence is particularly true in the novels "Parable of the Sower" by Octavia Butler and "Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline, which offer a stark look at climate change's social and environmental consequences. Both stories depict a world in which climate change drastically alters the environment, leading to the disintegration of social structures, increased violence, and the need for individuals to be resourceful and resilient to survive. Through their narratives, Butler and Dimaline effectively highlight the fragility of human society and the importance of resourcefulness and resilience in a world of climate change.
In “Parable of the Sower,” Butler paints a vivid picture of a future where climate change has led to chaos and violence. The novel follows the story of Lauren Olamina, a young girl living in a small walled community in California in 2024. In this world, the environment has been drastically altered due to climate change. Droughts, floods, and extreme temperatures have caused massive food shortages and broken law and order. In this world, Lauren must rely on her resourcefulness and resilience to survive. She developed a religion called Earthseed, which emphasizes the importance of cultivating the land and adapting to the changing environment. She states, “All that you touch…You Change…All that you Change… Changes you…The only lasting truth… Is Change...God is Change…” (Butler 3). By relying on her resourcefulness, new religion, and resilience, Lauren can survive in a world where climate change drastically alters the land.
When it comes to the other novel, “Marrow Thieves,” the theme of climate change is depicted in a broader sense. Like Butler, Dimaline also explores the effects of climate change in her novel, “Marrow Thieves.” The novel is set in a future where climate change has resulted in a world of violence and oppression. The characters of “Marrow Thieves” live in a society where the Indigenous population has been forced to flee their traditional lands due to the effects of climate change. They are hunted by “recruiters” who harvest their bone marrow, which contains a serum that gives its users the ability to dream. The characters are forced to rely on their resourcefulness and resilience to survive in this world where climate change drastically alters the land. Through her characters, Dimaline highlights the importance of resourcefulness and resilience in the face of climate change.
In both “Parable of the Sower” and “Marrow Thieves,” climate change is presented as a major force that has the power to disrupt and destroy human society. In Butler’s novel, the protagonist, Lauren, lives in a world drastically changed by climate change. The land is no longer fertile in her world, and the water is scarce. This change results from a combination of drought, deforestation, overpopulation, and the effects of global warming. In Dimaline’s novel, climate change also drastically changes the world. The protagonist, Frenchie, lives in a world where the land is no longer fertile, and the water is scarce. A combination of drought, deforestation and the effects of global warming causes this situation. In both novels, the effects of climate change are presented as a major factor in the disruption of human societies and the environment's fragility.
In Parable of the Sower, Butler presents a future world drastically altered due to climate change. The story follows Lauren, a young woman forced to flee her home after climate-induced floods destroy it.
"Lauren Olamina is living in a small community of families trying to stand against the poorest, most desperate humans and animals outside their gates but end up having to flee her home when it's ravaged and end up, as so many other displaced people, on the road looking for a better future" (Lange 6).
As Lauren and her family travel further away from their home, they encounter more and more examples of how climate change has drastically altered the landscape. They come across the remains of cities where the inhabitants have been forced to flee due to extreme weather conditions. They also experience extreme heat waves, food shortages, and violent acts of aggression. Throughout the novel, Butler emphasizes the fragility of human society in the face of climate change and how powerful people can easily exploit it. In The Marrow Thieves, Dimaline illustrates that her novel takes place in what is left of Canada after a climate-induced apocalypse (Xausa 93). The world has been completely transformed by rising sea levels, extreme weather conditions, and a disease that has caused people to lose their ability to dream. In this novel, Dimaline emphasizes how climate change can drastically affect the environment and its inhabitants. She emphasizes the importance of resilience in these changes, as the characters must constantly adapt to their ever-changing environment to survive.
In addition to the effects of climate change, both authors also explore the impact of this force on human society. In Butler’s novel, Lauren and her community are forced to move constantly to find resources and avoid danger. This action is caused by the fact that the land is no longer fertile and the water is scarce. This condition means they must travel long distances to find resources and avoid danger. Man has become barbaric hence the reason for the danger.
“Parable of the Sower depicts a society where barbarism, anarchy, chaos and bloodshed have become widespread because of environmental disaster. Due to global warming and famines, there is scarcity of basic necessities of life like water and food. In such a society food is considered as gold and ...