Wall-E and Parable of the Sower Reflection Sample

Wall-E and Parable of the Sower Reflection

Wall-E offers a unique vision of a dystopian future in which the movie portrays the Earth as a wasteland, and the setting represents the reign of corporations that control politics and the economy. In turn, Parable of the Sower shares the story of marginalized and oppressed communities that survive in the alternative reality of 2024, and the narrative resembles the exodus of protagonists with their companions to the promised land. The chosen works concern the problem of global environmental crises, exploitation of the working class, and building a quasi-religion that promises a new land of hope and freedom, and the art pieces express criticism of capitalist rule by illustrating social and ethical issues in America. 

Environmental Crisis

The dystopian genre attempts to portray a society or world that lies in ashes and waste, and the living conditions are unbearable due to the catastrophe. Wall-E emphasizes the problem of environmental crisis, and it displays the consequences of overconsumption by displaying the tragic state of the Earth. Ghaffar claims, “To take shelter humans has shifted to somewhere else in the space and living on huge space aircraft” (1). The movie demonstrates the absence of organic life, and the corporation dispatches small robots, Wall-E, to clean the wasteland. The featured problem remains one of the central themes in the storytelling, and protagonists eventually save the planet by discovering a plant and sharing hope for the Earth’s recovery. The abandonment of the human civilization’s cradle is a provoking problem in the story, and the plot development reveals a direct connection between the existing socio-economic phenomenon and the results of the global disaster. 

Parable of the Sower describes the aftermath of societal collapse, and people live in inferior conditions and experience a scarcity of resources. The ecological disaster also increases the crime rate, and bands of criminals regularly raid the safe neighborhoods and raze the settlements. People share a hope to find habitable places, and the emergence of a religious cult expresses the environmentalist sentiments among the survivors. The book also describes a direct connection between the cultural crisis and natural disasters, and political, technological, and economic processes cause human extinction since the fabricated world undermines the foundation of humanness. The author offers an exceptional view of the dystopian genre, and the decline of nature is a source of injustice and the downfall of civilizations in the setting. The discussed problem has a decisive impact on self-identification, and the remnants embrace the new faith to remain hopeful in their quest.   

The movie and the book share the same problem, and the human departure stems from the environmental crisis. Nature has a crucial role in maintaining the harmonious existence of humanity, and depletion of resources and ecology sequences in degenerative tendencies, saturating disparities, and conflicts. The compared narratives embed an identical stance on the primary issue, and the collapse also demonstrates the sacred ideas. For instance, the EVA robot refers to the great ancestor and mother of all living humans, and the automaton’s role denotes the search for vegetation that indicates satisfactory conditions for planet colonization. The character saves the Earth from extermination, and the discovered plant brings hope for a new life. The Earthseed cult with an idea of a promised land represents the familiar beliefs, and the dystopian future in the cartoon and reading emphasizes the necessity of rethinking nature’s role in modern living. 

Nevertheless, the differences between the settings are notable, and the human race in Wall-E survives the cataclysm. Parable of the Sower illustrates the remains of a stagnating society, and the characters struggle for survival in the exhausting journey. The ideas of hope and change are different, and the book considers the role of faith in the survival of a community of believers. The movie shares a fragile hope of rethinking human life and cultural conditions by observing the outcomes of maintaining a lifestyle, introducing a consequentialist premise in the need for changes. In turn, the novel appeals to virtue ethics, and the story denotes the development of a complex ideology as a basis for societal transformation. It means that a new mindset with beliefs must create favorable conditions for human existence, while the cartoon calls for lifestyle revision to prevent the desolation of the Earth. 

Exploitation of Working Class

The dystopian setting embeds the problem of inequality and injustice as the genre’s core characteristics, and exploitation of the working class is an integral part of storytelling. It is reasonable to admit that the collapse results from the dominance of corporations, and the division between the rich and poor is an integral part of conflict. Wall-E blurs the disparity by replacing the exploited class with robots, though this decision is symbolic. The article by Ghaffar states that “All these works are currently carried out by humans, they do collect trash, using some machines they do compress it so that it occupies less space and if the garbage is recyclable, it is carried to a dumping place” (2). The source theorizes the complete extinction of human labor, and robots constitute a new working class in the movie. The robot protagonist remains an oppressed element that must perform the exact everyday tasks, serving the interests of ruling elites. 

Parable of the Sower centers on the marginalized and divided communities that do not have a centralized government, and the societal collapse illustrates the consequences of lasting exploitation in which the working class can survive due to their unique mindset and abilities. The reader acknowledges that capitalist countries can exist by producing goods, and labor is a driving force of progress with prosperity. The author also indicates that the exploited working class has an exceptional ability to create ideas to change the civilization’s foundation, while the ruling class disappears due to the elimination of economic and political systems. The rich cannot use the privileges and status in the dystopian world, and exploiters face the inevitable demise. However, the reader can observe the outcomes of the exploitation, and the characters’ diverse backgrounds exemplify this notion. The isolated havens are the neighborhoods that symbolize the capitalist past, and these areas refer to existing underprivileged or lower-class communities in present-day America.      

 

The similarities in the movie and the novel signify the problem of exploitation as a source of injustice, and this tendency eventually leads to societal collapse and disparities. Robots are the new servants of human civilization, while remnants in the Los Angeles area represent identical social strata. Most dystopian universes signify economic inequality as a cause of decline, and the oppressed individuals further embrace the symbol of hope and future. Criticism of corporate governance is a subtopic of the chosen art pieces, and the grim future assumes the consequences of the existing realities. A corrupted society will not prosper, and wealth cannot shape the foundations of human relationships and values. Violent gangs from the novel embrace and reflect the beliefs in the failed society, and the barbarian mindset is a logical continuation of corruption. In turn, the indifference and inhumanity of exiled people in Wall-E demonstrate the results of uncontrolled consumerism, and the remains of human civilization are utterly dependent on technologies, forcing robots to perform all tasks. 

The difference between the compared narratives denotes the presence of the ruling class in Wall-E, while Parable of the Sower portrays survivors as nomadic tribes. The source confirms the idea of working-class exploitation by defining people as a form of capital, and its relocation resembles migration. Hampton admits, “Surely, the body as capital is a notion that has been inextricably tied to the past and the land of every marginalized people recorded in history” (56). The degradation of society forces individuals to explore resources, and the nomads refer to their prior experiences in the search for habitable territories. The book relates to the economic migrants and their descendants in present-day America, and the story exhibits the oppressed class’s complex economic and cultural transformations. Wall-E introduces the grievous future in which corporations control all spheres of society, and the working class eventually disappears since robots perform all types of services.  

Quasi-Religion in Wall-E and Parable of the Sower

The role of faith in the dystopian genre constitutes another critical element of storytelling, and the idea of hope includes a motivation for protagonists to keep their struggles. Robots in Wall-E represent the remaining vessels of love and humanness, and their unexpected adventures lead to an ending that promises changes. Also, the automatons have souls as the machines express care and love, and the attempt to save the Earth resembles the purest aspirations of humanity. The main characters inspire the corrupted society to change, and the spaceships eventually return to habit the planet, founding a new civilization. Faith, especially the topic of love, represents the religious elements of the plot, and the firm belief in a better future is a reason for irrational and risky decisions. Self-sacrifice exemplifies the given notion, and the cartoon reminds the audience of the importance of morality in contemporary society. Soulless machines exhibit the lost wisdom and qualities of genuine humans, and the filmmakers use this quasi-religious symbolism to address the problem of cruelty and indifference among people. 

Parable of the Sower is a direct reference to the Gospel’s verses, and the novel is an author’s interpretation of the parable’s fundamental idea. People must create something loveful and full of hope, and the future must promise to end suffering and injustice. Protagonists make their syncretic quasi-religion to nurture this vision of a new society, and the faith remains a power that allows the nomads to overcome hardships. The text says: “Determined to create a better world beyond her walled‐off cul‐de‐sac, Lauren eventually leads several characters of diverse races, genders and ages on a quest to establish a community in the spirit of Earthseed—a religion Lauren crafts in the wake of a world literally on fire.” (Jr. Hill). It is possible to observe how the cult changes the minds and hearts of individuals throughout the exodus, and Earthseed allows the survivors to cope with losses and death threats. The same premise builds resilience and confidence in funding the city, and their religion will shape the basis of ethics, law, and justice. 

The chosen works highlight the crisis of faith in present-day America, and modern culture ignores the role of religion in shaping and preserving human values. Both novel and movie demonstrate the crucial impact of religious sentiments in committing virtuous acts to save loved ones, while the consumerist lifestyle fails to inspire people. Also, the robots in Wall-E discover and embrace love by learning about the past experiences of humanity, becoming a new ark of hope for change. Parable of the Sower immerses the protagonist in a religious community, where she rethinks her faith to become a charismatic leader, initiating an exodus of chosen people. Religion and leadership comprise the central themes in the reflected works, and the authors strive to convince the audience that hope stems from religious backgrounds. Abandonment and rejection of fundamental beliefs will weaken human relationships, and people will not cultivate virtues. 

The differences in the display of faith in the movie and book are insignificant, though Wall-E has a few symbols that can be a reference to known religions. The film introduces a secularized vision of religious ideas, reducing them to the virtues and repentance of humans. The cartoon also considers the importance of a kind and loveful heart in changing society, and the robots represent a messianic message to the rest of humanity. The novel portrays a religious community, though the new faith responds to the crises, including religious ones. Parable of the Sower urges the readers to rethink their views, and contemporary culture must offer a universal and unifying religion with leadership to create a community of hope. The proposed ideals must prevent disparities, injustice, and inequality, and integrity comprises another essential doctrine of the new beliefs. 

Dystopia and Modern Realities

The compared pieces embrace the distinguishing characteristics of the genre, predicting the tragic consequences of tendencies in contemporary culture and society. The future in Wall-E and Parable of the Sower is not distant from present-day America, and both accounts hypothesize how injustice and inequality will lead to the illustrated scenarios. The lack of humanness stems from the socio-economic doctrines fueled by the rising corporations, and the majority prefers to ignore societal, environmental, and cultural problems by choosing the lavish consumerist lifestyle. The dystopian forecasts are realistic, and the novel and movie share the exact prophetic message. The authors also offer solutions to the problems, and the stories assume that the crises are preventable and manageable. Also, leisure and entertainment must produce values that inspire people to embrace virtuous mindsets, and the works criticize the failure to meet this premise.

Wall-E focuses on the current problem of abusing technologies, and tools like advanced robotics and AI will not resolve the present-day challenges. Ghaffar states, “This behavior shows that human has become so dependent on technology that they have forgotten their real identity” (4). People become entirely dependent on technological products, and the rest of humanity chooses to abandon the wasteland to preserve the consumerist lifestyle regarding the story’s plot. The filmmakers address the problem of autonomy and responsibility, and the progress will not resolve the underlying issues in ethics and culture. Minimalism and conscious consumption based on environmentalist ideas can be an alternative to the current tendencies. The movie also criticizes the rule of corporations in affecting people’s decision-making, favoring the adverse choices that will lead to societal collapse. 

Parable of the Sower expands the discussed topics in the cartoon, and the author introduces mature and serious ideas to reflect the environmental crisis. The secular and consumerist culture cannot preserve humanity, and the need for a new faith solves the profound challenges in present-day American society. Marginalized, underprivileged, and exploited social groups comprise the soil and hope for change, and the writer urges the audience to create politics that will promote equality based on different values and ideals. The narrative introduces a radical approach to the transformation of civilization, criticizing the effects of corrupted government and elites. The story demonstrates the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature in preserving life, and contemporary culture demolishes the basis for prosperity and a peaceful future. Repentance is insufficient in creating a new reality, and individuals must restore the lost balance by nurturing the new quasi-religious mindset. 

Conclusion

The chosen art pieces embrace a unique vision of the future that marks the collapse of present-day society, and the decline results from the neglect of crises. The works challenge the rule of corporations, failed technological promises, exploitation of the working class, and undermining social values, and the environmental collapse mirrors the devastating trends in portrayed civilizations. The accounts denote the critical role in preserving the natural environment, and people must embrace a new faith in founding a different future that will prevent corruption and nihilism. 

Works Cited

Ghaffar, Faisal. The Rise and Fall of Robotic World (a Case Study of Wall-E), 2022, www.researchgate.net/publication/360332828_The_Rise_and_Fall_of_Robotic_World_A_case_study_of_WALL-E.

Hampton, Gregory J. Migration and Capital of the Body: Octavia Butler’s ’Parable of Sower, 2005, www.jstor.org/stable/44325296.

Jr. Hill, James Howard. “As the World Burns: Teaching Parable of the Sower during the Pandemic.” The National Teaching & Learning Forum, vol. 31, no. 3, 2022, pp. 9–11, https://doi.org/10.1002/ntlf.30324.