Why do you think Butler chose this parable to conclude her novel?

The Biblical parable of the sower refers to people who have heard the religious message of Jesus: some of them ignore it, some of them act upon it for a little while and then abandon the way, and yet others accept the message and live it fully.

Like Jesus, Lauren starts a new religion and must gain followers. She first tries to explain some of her beliefs to her father and other members of her walled neighborhood, but they are extremely skeptical and dismiss her ideas due to age. They could be compared to the seed sown along a path, which never takes root.

Later on, during her journeys in the violent world outside the walls, Lauren draws people to her who take her message more seriously. Travis, Zahra, Harry, and others ask questions and meditate on the belief system of Earthseed, and eventually decide to accept it for themselves and live in a community based on its principles. They would be likened to the seed sown on good soil that produces a crop. The use of this parable in the novel also makes the name "Earthseed" more significant: Lauren, like Jesus, is sowing seed.