E

It is not surprising that Children of Men and 28 Days Later, both blockbuster hits, contain intense action sequences, but it is interesting that The Parable of the Sower contains similar scenes. They are similar because all three focus on an escape, a journey to freedom. Children of Men describes a desperate dash to escape the oppressive and racist confines of England. 28 Days Later similarly is a story of survival and escape from a apocalyptic England. The Parable of the Sower chronicles a band of slaves as they make their way north through the ruins of the collapsed west coast.

The relation between slavery and race is obvious in The Parable in particular. Lauren, the protagonist, is a young black women, as is Kee in Children of Men, and Selina in 28 Days Later. All three characters carry with them the seed of a new order. In Kee’s case this is literally the ‘key’ to fertility, to life, and for Lauren it is a new community and religion. Selina has the knowledge and ability to save their small group. The association between race and rebirth here is obvious. As Janya Brown points out, the race of these three women cannot help but influence the viewer’s, or reader’s, perception of the journey. It becomes an escape from slavery. Literally perhaps or from sexual slavery, as in The Parable; or from the cages and confined racism of Children of Men; or simply from the infected or brutal soldiers in 28 Days Later. I disagree with Emmet’s assertion that race in these cases does not invoke the perceived animal or spiritual connection of “blackness.” The ‘return to basics’ theme of all three stories cannot help but highlight that connection. This goes back to our discussion from last week about the associations we make with “blackness” but not with “whiteness.” I don’t want to say that either Octavia Butler or the producers of either movie are racist. On the contrary, I think that such associations are used in all three stories to great effect. The invocations of slavery and rebirth they call up are not negative or ignorant but interesting to see and think about.