Upon reading Peter Stillman’s Dystopian Critiques, Utopian Possibilities, and Human Purpose in Butler’s Parables, I found that it focused on three major points. The first uses the Parable books as a warning against this possible dystopian version of our future. Next, it investigated a discussion of the individual versus the collective/ community as a means of exploring utopian possibilities. Finally, the role of processes and change and human agency in solving the problems associated with the conditions created in this potential dystopian future.

In Parable of the Talents, there is a warning against the religious right and the intolerance that comes from what Stillman describes as “social totalities”. This warning seeks to show how a utopian dream of some today can become a dystopian nightmare. This point in particular made me think of our discussion on whether a nation can be considered a community. Today, there are man people that think of the U.S. as a “Christian nation” and are intolerant of others’ beliefs. But it seems like on a national level, this type of belief would lead to the type of theocracy Butler warns against rather than a community.

The next major point Stillman makes is that the Parable series often explores how individualism and collectivism are used to create a utopian vision amid the dystopias described in the novels.  There are instances described of people, with the means, locking themselves away from the world but it seems Butler’s conclusion is that individualism often fails and communities based on individualism will also fail, such as communities that are based on ownership of property rather than collective agreements. Acorn is a response to this problem; it is based on the need for interdependence and trust because the individual is too weak. This point seems to have been raised in almost all the works that we have discussed this semester. I especially think of Looking Backward, this belief that no person was self-sustaining was particularly relevant in Bellamy’s work. The role of community is central in the utopian vision. While Acorn does not survive, Olamina finds the Earthseed is the greater unifying factor and she chooses to abandon Acorn and focus her efforts on Earthseed.

Finally, Stillman discusses the role of processes, change, and human agency in Butler’s works. The idea of Earthseed is that change is inevitable and true immortality is the survival of the species. Stillman explains that Olamina is able to see the importance of her message through her active role in spreading her beliefs; it is only when she is an agent for this change that she feels she is making an impact. Earthseed as a religion becomes popular and the people who follow it create a larger stronger community because of their faith. Stillman does describe some of the problems associated with Olamina’s rejection of individualism (including relying on a neighborhood or traditional nuclear family) is that it cost Olamina her family and Vere is highly critical of that fact. Also, throughout Parable of the Talents Olamina does not attempt to radically change the political system but works within it when she must, this is another critique Stillman addresses about the work.

Thinking about community in the way Olamina seeks to achieve shows that community is both important and can have unintended effects. I think as Americans we think of community in terms of family and neighborhood, both of which Olamina finds as unviable options in the dystopian future. She is willing to lose her family to achieve her vision and I think that ignoring familiar relationships to create a real community based on interdependence and trust is quite radical but also causes us to rethink how we can form communities now.

Secondary Article Citation:

PETER G. STILLMAN

Utopian Studies
Vol. 14, No. 1 (2003), pp. 15-35
Published by: Penn State University Press
Article Stable URL:http://www.jstor.org/stable/20718544