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Parable of the Sower does a great job of making us think twice about the way we're living, and how that way may be harming the future of our civilization. To answer Anne's prompt; the novel shows us not only how a human culture can become something so drastically different that it may cease to be humane. The novel shows the devolution of the California culture due to several, or just one massive, changes within their environment. This devolution can be seen in the murder, rape, and pillaging that is constantly reported by the protagonist.

Something that we brought up in class about this subject was the idea that with freedom comes the opportunity to do wonderful things, such as voting or marrying whomever you want to. But with this power, people can do major harm. Just like how Lauren knew how to kill someone because she was so hyper-empathetic, she could do it swiftly and without a second thought. While it was necessary to her own survival, to protect herself and others, it illustrates how a certain power could be used to harm.