Lauren has a fascination with fire as do many of the other people living in Parable of the Sower. Beginning with her dream in the very beginning of the book and continuing through several manifestations, fire plays and ever increasing role in her thoughts and life. Humans have always had a primal fear and fascination for fire; we fear immolation but we create religions celebrating its use. We have burned heretics at the stake, but sometimes entire cities or countries catch fire as an act of nature. It is one of the our elements of the ancient world that composed in some part, all things made of matter. And here in this book fire is the driving force, the seed of people’s fears and vehicle for abuse and manipulation. Criminals set fire to houses in order to divert attention while they rob others; Lauren tells of the drug pyro in chapter 13 that makes the dance of the flames especially exciting and mind-altering. Meanwhile the firemen are generally useless and corrupt, like every other vestigial social service in Lauren’s drab world. This book is defamiliarizing the most basic assumptions most people have about fire: we use it for warmth and food, aware but not overly concerned about its dangerous capabilities. In Lauren’s world though, fire is like dogs and people outside the community. It is dangerous and it is remorseless. But for the one girl who has to experience all the pain of her neighbors burning to death and being shot and murdered, the metaphoric immolation of her character gives rise to something new and potentially stronger. As foreshadowed by the Earthseed quote on p. 153, “In order to rise from its ashes, a phoenix first must burn”, Lauren is merely suffering her trial by fire, as with many past leaders, and will emerge a new individual.