Nabeel Utopias Blog

In chapter 3, we get more firsthand details about the life of poor people in 2024, which is just about everyone who isn't swimming in wealth. The news of astronaut Alica Leal's death on the latest Mars mission is publicized, to which the people in Lauren's neighborhood voice their opinions on space travel being a waste of money. As the government throws billions towards it, the majority of society lives in what would be considered poverty today. It has become fashionable to look dirty, and gasoline is cheaper than clean water. The contrast between classes is striking: as the rich are progressing, the rest are regressing.

"To the adults, going outside to a real church was like stepping back into the good old days when there were churches all over the place and too many lights and gasoline was for fueling cars and trucks instead of for torching things... To us kids––most of us––the trip was just an adventure, an excuse to go outside the wall.   We would be baptized out of duty or as a kind of insurance... " This quote sets the scene for the futuristic yet dystopian society in Parable of the Sower. It also highlights the generational divide of this society, as the majority of the youth don't follow traditional religions. The narration about being baptized as a duty is something I can relate to. Before I was around the age of 13, I viewed the visits to the Mosque as something my parents made me do and never really thought about the religion I was "practicing."