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Literary Devices
Definition of Allusion
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals, historical events, or philosophical ideas... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to... read full definition
Chapter 2
Explanation and Analysis—Lauren's Evidence:
Even while writing in her journal, Lauren employs persuasive writing via ethos. To bolster her credibility as the writer of scriptures for a new religion, she employs allusions to the Bible and other religions in order to showcase her expertise. In the following passage from Chapter 2, for example, Lauren cites the Book of Job and Zeus from Greek mythology:
My favorite book of the Bible is Job. I think it says more about my father's God in particular and gods in general than anything else I've ever read [...] God sounds a lot like Zeus [...] Maybe God is a kind of big kid.
Lauren uses the image of God from the Book of Job to support her argument that the Christian God is akin to a "big kid," doing whatever he wants without reason. She does this to justify Earthseed and offer an alternative image of God that might be more pleasing to her reader. Lauren uses allusion to supply evidence for her overall skepticism of Christianity, making her opinion appear more well-informed.
The following passage from Chapter 3 is another example of ethos and allusion. After Mrs. Sims' suicide, Lauren becomes increasingly skeptical of a Christian God. Rather than attributing all the changes in her life and environment to a personified "God," she sees change as certain:
Everyone knows that change is inevitable. From the second law of thermodynamics to Darwinian evolution, from Buddhism's insistence that nothing is permanent and all suffering results from our delusions of permanence to the third chapter of Ecclesiastes... change is part of life, of existence, of the common wisdom.
Lauren cites both scientific fact to religious doctrine as evidence to her claim that "change is inevitable." By relying on diverse sources for her evidence, Lauren becomes more persuasive. Ultimately, Lauren's ability to write persuasively proves crucial in her ability to later convert people to Earthseed.
Related Themes:
Chapter 3
Explanation and Analysis—Lauren's Evidence:
Even while writing in her journal, Lauren employs persuasive writing via ethos. To bolster her credibility as the writer of scriptures for a new religion, she employs allusions to the Bible and other religions in order to showcase her expertise. In the following passage from Chapter 2, for example, Lauren cites the Book of Job and Zeus from Greek mythology:
My favorite book of the Bible is Job. I think it says more about my father's God in particular and gods in general than anything else I've ever read [...] God sounds a lot like Zeus [...] Maybe God is a kind of big kid.
Lauren uses the image of God from the Book of Job to support her argument that the Christian God is akin to a "big kid," doing whatever he wants without reason. She does this to justify Earthseed and offer an alternative image of God that might be more pleasing to her reader. Lauren uses allusion to supply evidence for her overall skepticism of Christianity, making her opinion appear more well-informed.
The following passage from Chapter 3 is another example of ethos and allusion. After Mrs. Sims' suicide, Lauren becomes increasingly skeptical of a Christian God. Rather than attributing all the changes in her life and environment to a personified "God," she sees change as certain:
Everyone knows that change is inevitable. From the second law of thermodynamics to Darwinian evolution, from Buddhism's insistence that nothing is permanent and all suffering results from our delusions of permanence to the third chapter of Ecclesiastes... change is part of life, of existence, of the common wisdom.
Lauren cites both scientific fact to religious doctrine as evidence to her claim that "change is inevitable." By relying on diverse sources for her evidence, Lauren becomes more persuasive. Ultimately, Lauren's ability to write persuasively proves crucial in her ability to later convert people to Earthseed.
Related Themes:
Chapter 15
Explanation and Analysis—Thou Shalt Not Steal:
While on her journey north, Lauren finds herself in conflict with religious doctrine—specifically the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament—that her father raised her to obey. In the following passage from Chapter 15, for example, Henry directly challenges Lauren on the topic of stealing by alluding to the Ten Commandments:
"Her stealing doesn't bother you?" he asked.
"I mean to survive," I said.
"'Thou shalt not steal,'" he quoted. "Years and years—a lifetime of 'Thou shalt not steal.'"
Harry asks Lauren if Zahra's stealing does not bother her morally, given that they were both raised to obey the commandment of "Thou shalt not steal." This allusion to the Old Testament reminds the reader of Lauren's father, who would have preached this rule to her growing up. Both Lauren and the reader are pushed to realize that in this new environment full of violence and potential danger, older religious customs may have become outdated. Lauren redefine her moral standards, which is what she attempts to do with Earthseed.
In Chapter 16, Lauren is reminded of another commandment, "Thou shalt not kill." Traveling alone with Zahra and Harry, Lauren must always be on guard and prepared to defend herself against any that might threaten her life. When two men walk over to her group, Lauren flashes her gun at them to get them to back off. She then wonders if she would even be able to kill another person:
But it seems I can't quite shoot someone just because I'm afraid of him. I killed a man on the night of the fire, and I haven't thought much about it. But this was different. It was like what Harry said about stealing. I've heard, 'Thou shalt not kill,' all my life, but when you have to, you kill. I wonder what Dad would say about that. But then, he was the one who taught me to shoot.
Here, the reader witnesses Lauren readjust her moral values to adapt to the world outside of her community. Recalling the commandment "Thou shalt not kill," Lauren is reminded of her father and wonders if he would disapprove of her willingness to kill others for self-defense. She remembers that he was the one who taught her how to use a gun, and so she accepts how rules can shift in times of crisis. Because the science fiction world is imaginatively beyond the audience's reality, allusions like this ground the novel in context readers can empathize with.
Related Themes:
Chapter 16
Explanation and Analysis—Thou Shalt Not Steal:
While on her journey north, Lauren finds herself in conflict with religious doctrine—specifically the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament—that her father raised her to obey. In the following passage from Chapter 15, for example, Henry directly challenges Lauren on the topic of stealing by alluding to the Ten Commandments:
"Her stealing doesn't bother you?" he asked.
"I mean to survive," I said.
"'Thou shalt not steal,'" he quoted. "Years and years—a lifetime of 'Thou shalt not steal.'"
Harry asks Lauren if Zahra's stealing does not bother her morally, given that they were both raised to obey the commandment of "Thou shalt not steal." This allusion to the Old Testament reminds the reader of Lauren's father, who would have preached this rule to her growing up. Both Lauren and the reader are pushed to realize that in this new environment full of violence and potential danger, older religious customs may have become outdated. Lauren redefine her moral standards, which is what she attempts to do with Earthseed.
In Chapter 16, Lauren is reminded of another commandment, "Thou shalt not kill." Traveling alone with Zahra and Harry, Lauren must always be on guard and prepared to defend herself against any that might threaten her life. When two men walk over to her group, Lauren flashes her gun at them to get them to back off. She then wonders if she would even be able to kill another person:
But it seems I can't quite shoot someone just because I'm afraid of him. I killed a man on the night of the fire, and I haven't thought much about it. But this was different. It was like what Harry said about stealing. I've heard, 'Thou shalt not kill,' all my life, but when you have to, you kill. I wonder what Dad would say about that. But then, he was the one who taught me to shoot.
Here, the reader witnesses Lauren readjust her moral values to adapt to the world outside of her community. Recalling the commandment "Thou shalt not kill," Lauren is reminded of her father and wonders if he would disapprove of her willingness to kill others for self-defense. She remembers that he was the one who taught her how to use a gun, and so she accepts how rules can shift in times of crisis. Because the science fiction world is imaginatively beyond the audience's reality, allusions like this ground the novel in context readers can empathize with.
Related Themes:
Chapter 25
Explanation and Analysis—The Parable of the Sower:
The title of the novel, The Parable of the Sower, is an allusion to a parable from the Bible of the same name. In the Bible's Parable of the Sower, Jesus tells the story of a sower who plants seeds without discretion. Some seeds land in places without soil, while others take root in rocky soil or good soil. The seeds that land on good soil end up growing and thriving while the others fail to grow or simply fall away.
The biblical parable is summarized at the end of Chapter 25 of The Parable of the Sower:
A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And others fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bore fruit an hundredfold.
Lauren's journey, as she sows the seeds for the growth of Earthseed, resembles that of the sower in the Bible. In the original parable, the sower represents Jesus, the seeds represent his gospel, and the different types of soil represent varying responses to Jesus's teachings. As the "sower" of Earthseed, Lauren understands that she may not succeed in planting the roots of Earthseed in every person or community she encounters. However, it is implied that certain people and conditions will prove more fruitful than others. This is perhaps why space exploration is so significant to Lauren—it may be the most ideal ground for her to plant Earthseed, so to speak.
Related Themes:
