“If I had to get shot by strangers, shouldn’t
it be while I was trying to help the community, and not just while I was trying
to run away?”
From Parable of the Talents by
Octavia Butler
If you suffer from depression or anxiety, I do not recommend this book. Yet the themes of The Parable of the Talents gain momentum every day. Also, the quality of the writing is outstanding.
I did not want to read this dystopian novel, but I felt compelled to do so due to its relevance. With an attitude of detachment and skimming through some terrifying parts, I was able to navigate the disgusting violence in this story. There is, however, a sense of comfort in the author's wisdom.
In 2032 many people are bamboozled by a man
who promised to make America great again. Enough voters in America believed
that a “strong man” was needed to lead the country. The so-called “strong man” is
a fascist, authoritarian guy with many insecurities and hatred toward anybody
he considers different…
Lack
of quality education of the masses in 2032 plays an important role in helping
the tyrant become president. The Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments are clearly
violated by his “administration.” Innocent people are abducted for no reason
and some of them are sent to concentration camps…
The effects of climate change are wreaking havoc on America; sex slavery and other forms of slavery are normalized under
the fascist regime. The elected fascist president promised peace but drags
America into a war on Canada.
Above
all, the tyrant promised to make America great again:
“He
wants to take us back to some magical time when everyone believed in the same
God, worshipped him in the same way and understood that their safety in the
universe depended on completing the same religious rituals and stomping anyone
who was different. There was never such a time in this country. But these days
when more than half the people in the country can’t read at all, history is
just one more vast unknown to them.”
Parable
of the Talents by Octavia Butler starts in the year 2032. It is about
Lauren Olamina and her family. It is about her community. Lauren Olamina’s daughter, Larkin, reviews the
entries of her mother’s journal. In doing so, we learn what happened to Larkin’s
parents and to the members of their community.
Larkin
had been forcibly separated from her parents by the regime. Alternating with Lauren
Olamina’s journal entries, we read Larkin's narrative. Larkin shares her own dreadful experiences.
This disturbing, prescient novel shows how
technology can be used by authoritarian demagogues against the people of a
country. It reveals how technology is used to dominate, manipulate and even
kill its own people. I am reeling from the unpleasant experience of reading Parable
of the Talents. It made me have nightmares. On the other hand, the novel
also offers wisdom and inspiration (more on this later in the post).
Lauren and the presidential election of a
fascist dictator
Despite
the election of the fascist demagogue, Lauren Olamina is determined to
strengthen the bonds of the unique community she created. The name of this
community is “Earthseed.” “Earthseed” was her source of hope. She poured her heart and soul into
this community.
There
is a brief introduction on “Earthseed” in Parable of the Sower. “Earthseed”, however, becomes even more
relevant and clear on the pages of Parable of the Talents as we discover the details on its inner workings, aspirations and goals. Not surprisingly,
“Earthseed” also becomes a target of the regime.
Lauren Olamina worked hard to strengthen her
community and to expand it. Through “Earthseed” Lauren Olamina prioritized
education, sustainability and empathy. She forged bonds of trust and
cooperation, and she did whatever she could to protect the members of her
community. However, after the fascist leader takes over America something terrifying
happens…
Under
the tyrant’s fascist regime, sexual slavery and other forms of slavery are
normalized. It is a dystopian reality:
“Thanks to malnutrition, climate change,
poverty and ignorance a lot of diseases are back and some of them are
contagious.” Also, the regime goes after her community. I will not elaborate on
this. I will let you dive in and find out more.
One
important aspect of the story to reflect upon is the way education had been
sabotaged over the years, because this may have been one of the factors that enabled
the sexist, misogynistic mafia boss to gain support and win enough votes to get
elected as president.
“Public schools had become rare in those days
when ten-year old children could be put to work.”
It is distressing to read that the elected
mafia boss claims to be after criminals while protecting pedophiles and rapists
that support him. Moreover, many of his own supporters are in denial of the
situation even when they know what is going on, and the survivors are
blamed and falsely accused of being "heathens."
The insights and visionary power of
Octavia Butler
Nobody can deny that Octavia Butler was a
visionary. I was astonished when I learned that Parable of the Talents had been published in 1998. As I ponder on the story, I realize that Octavia Butler
had an in-depth understanding of her present. This can be corroborated in her
last interview, which took place a few months before she passed away. You can
read about it here.
It is true that in order to be a visionary, a
person needs to have an understanding of the present, but the present is also
connected to the past, and the study of history requires knowledge of sociology
and politics combined. Understanding the confluence of sociology and politics
is necessary to fully comprehend political developments. She clearly had the
knowledge and wisdom to perceive the impact of both in society.
Lauren Olamina embraces change. In doing so,
she cultivates resilience and perseveres in the face of trauma. She is a
fighter, a woman who awakens you to the truth of the past in the following
lines:
“My ancestors in this hemisphere were, by law,
chattel slaves. In the U.S., they were chattel slaves for two and a half
centuries--at least 10 generations.”
Parable of the Talents shares insights into social situations that put groups of people down in various ways, an act that is compounded by the ignorance of people who vote against their own interests.
Butler is not afraid of exposing the social drivel that
marginalizes women. She has the talent of encapsulating the provincial mindset
and behaviors in a single paragraph. Her wisdom and experience shine through
her narrative.
All in all, her book is an important warning
to those who genuinely care about democracy, justice, freedom and our future on
Earth.
Features of fascism
(This list is based on the description provided by Keene State College,
and I adapted it to provide more precise information).
-Loyalty to
the leader is paramount.
-Powerful,
often exclusionary, populist nationalism centered on the cult of an
“infallible” leader who never admits mistakes.
-Political
power derived from questioning reality and promoting lies. In
America we have heard the word “hoax” in relation to topics that the fascist in
power considers inconvenient. Some examples of these include the following:
“climate change is a hoax”, “Epstein files are a hoax”, “COVID is a Hoax”; he
also referred to “affordability as a hoax perpetrated by Democrats.”
Interestingly, this pattern of referring to critical issues as “hoaxes” started
over ten years ago, but the voters did not take heed.
-The use of scapegoats
to blame vulnerable groups of people and to fuel hatred and division in the
population.
-
Persecution, imprisonment and/or execution of opponents.
-Rampant
sexism.
-Control of
mass media and undermining “truth”.
-There is an
obsession with national security and crime that is used to terrorize and
oppress groups of people.
-Religion
and government are intertwined.
-Corporate
power is protected and prioritized at the expense of public health, workers and
the environment.
-Disdain for
intellectuals and the arts when they do not align with the interests of the
regime.
-Fraudulent
elections. This is something we have to work on to prevent it from happening.
In America Trump has dismantled protections and has cut positions at agencies
responsible for election security. In several ways he has threatened the
democratic process and you can read about this here:
-Rampant corruption and cronyism.
-The regime
often seeks to expand territory through armed conflict.
- The regime
opposes any initiatives and institutions that promote diversity, equity and
inclusion.
-Disregard for
human rights is a feature of fascism.
I would like to add to this list the disdain
for science when it does not align with the interests of the corporations that
finance the election of the fascist.
Please support the independent journalists
who are doing a remarkable job reporting what is going on in America today. I
provide several relevant links to their reporting at the bottom of this post.
You can subscribe to their channels.
Feel free to also take action today to
stand up to fascism and the environmental destruction perpetrated by the trump
regime:
https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/get-involved/
https://earthjustice.org/action
Relevant
links and reporting by independent journalists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f13HINY_6RY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmCgX-dPFnc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0En3X--3-Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSkzN7R5VAM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv5bfo_m1_Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNtK4syb_cE
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/03/jeffrey-epstein-powerful-men-women-girls
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/06/republicans-ice-separations-families
Take a break
and have a good laugh with Seth Meyers’s wit. He keeps you informed while
adding a touch of humor to your day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDuxH6m4ld0
