Parable Gender vs 1984 Gender

 As a woman, reading Parable of the Sower is a breath of fresh air compared to reading the sexist rambling thoughts of Winston in 1984. Not only is the main character in Parable of the Sower a black woman, but she's one as well with a "disability". (I put this in quotes because her hyper empathy is seen as a disability really only in this context: it was because her mom was on drugs, and because there is so much suffering in public right now it makes it hard for her to function.) This allows for a totally different and unique perspective on a dystopian future.

While all women suffer from horrible things in both the worlds of Parable of the Sower and in 1984, the perspective that is taken on this is totally different.

In 1984, Winston shows readers a very small part of what's happening in the world around him. He discounts poor people as being 'too stupid', and he laments about women's lack of promiscuity towards him specifically. Even though it's not the proles' fault that they are poor, and women's sexuality being monitored by the state is NOT women's fault. For someone who wants to "understand" and "break down" the system, he really doesn't seem to understand that everyone else is a person too- who has unique thoughts and feelings. All in all, he seems to really lack empathy for other kinds of people. 

Compare this to Lauren, in Parable of the Sower, who actually has hyper empathy. In this way alone, she is a total antithesis to Winston. While Winston is incredibly concerned with himself, sex, and a conspiracy in the government; Lauren has focused on others always. To me, her religion, Earthseed, is sort of like a gift that she gives to others. She constantly is helping others, even when it could mean she could be in danger. Due to Lauren just being around lots of different kinds of other people, we can see the effects the dystopia has had on everyone- not just her. 

When women are hurt in Parable of the Sower, it is acknowledged and Lauren casts judgment on it. Compared to when Winston saw women being oppressed (with their virginity sashes or whatever), and his first reaction was to be like "I want sex with her." 

I genuinely enjoy this novel and its dystopia a million times better than 1984 for all of the reasons above.



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