“All that you touch

You Change.

All that you Change

Changes you.

The only lasting truth

Is Change.

God

Is Change.”

Each chapter of Parable of the Sower begins with a quote that ostensibly comes from a fictional tome called Earthseed: The Books of the Living, written by author Lauren Oya Olamina. While readers do not see her journey’s end, it is clear that throughout the narrative Lauren is working on honing her philosophy and converting others to it. The focus of her religion is that “God is Change,” and it is a quote repeated often within the text. Her views reflect the background in which she grew up—where survival is key and crimes are commonplace. Her belief has led her to become prepared to leave the community she lives in, has helped her accept the terrible things she sees and experiences daily, and has shaped the way she views survival and the way she treats other people.

“I can take a lot of pain without falling apart. I’ve had to learn to do that.”

Hyperempathy syndrome makes people feel the pain of others so intensely that it may debilitate them. Yet, as Lauren explains, “the sharing isn’t real” (21). It is a delusional disorder that manifests in people whose mothers took certain drugs during their pregnancies. Despite this, it feels real, and the condition is not something that can be removed—though individuals can better control it as they grow older.