Parable of the Talents

Larkin is often highly critical of the choices her mother made. In what ways are Larkin and Lauren similar or different? How do you think Larkin’s beliefs and values would have been different had she been raised by her biological parents?

Through figures such as Lauren, Jarret, and Marcus, Butler’s novel offers contrasting leadership models. What do you think Butler believed made someone a good leader? Do different circumstances create a need for different kinds of leadership, and is Lauren a better leader before, during, or after the collapse of Acorn?

President Jarret runs for office on a platform of “Make America Great Again,” which foreshadows a key slogan Donald Trump used during the 2016 election. Of the events depicted in the novel (the rise of religious fundamentalism and persecution, wars with other nearby nations, ongoing crisis due to climate change), which seem like they could most possibly occur? As the time setting of the novel (2027 and onwards) grows closer, how accurate do you think Butler’s vision of America will be?