Discussion 1: The Parable of The Sower Chs. 11-15 Parable of the sower resting on an upholstered chaiR How is the community dealing with the challenges in encounters in chapters 11-15? What kind of future does Lauren want for herself and how does her boyfriend fit into it? What is Earthseed? Having read Linda Seger's essay on the hero myth, how do the events of the final attack on the neighborhood fit into Lauren's rise as a hero? Discussion 2: "Asian Women in Film: No Joy, No Luck" Anna may wong In "Asian Women in Film: No Joy, No luck" Jessica Hagedorn (page 345) explores the portrayal of Asian American women in the movies. Discussion 3: The Parable of The Sower chs. 16-19 parable of the sower book cover Now that Lauren is out on the road with Harry and Zahra what has she learned about them and about herself? What role has Earthseed come to play in the story? Think about what Jessica Hagedorn says about Asian women in film. How does what she says about Asian women apply to the portrayal of Lauren? Would Hagedorn be happy to see a character like Lauren the way she is written by Octavia Butler? (Think about Lauren as a woman of color, she doesn't have to be Asian.) the joy luck club Summarize in your own words Hagedorn's view of the traditional images of Asian women as presented in American film. Flower_Drum_Song What sort of images of Asian women does Hagedorn imply that she would prefer to see? Anna may Wong in "Hollywood" next to real Anna May Wong Note: the image above on the left is Anna May Wong's presentation in the recent Netflix series "Hollywood" which tries to imagine a Hollywood film industry which was able to combat racism in a more effective way. Have you seen the series? Though not without its flaws, the last couple of episodes show Anna May Wong and her story from her perspective. Discussion 4: "The Offensive Movie Cliché that Won't Die" bagger_vance Matt Zoller Seitz looks at "The Offensive Movie Cliché That Won't Die" beginning on page 335. the green mile In your own words, define the term "Magical Negro" (para. 3). Why is it considered "anachronistic" (para. 5)? Legendary.jpg What evidence does Seitz offer to suggest that the Danny Glover character in Legendary is a Magical Negro? Why did some commentators dub Barrack Obama, who was not a cinematic character, a Magical Negro during the 2008 presidential race? Discussion 5: The Parable of The Sower chs. 20-end red parable fo the sower image Bankole appears out of nowhere along the road and becomes a major character in the novel. Is Bankole a Magical Negro character? Why or why not? What is Lauren's thinking behind growing her group with the people she chooses? What are your feelings on the ending of the novel? Is the ending what you expected?