Parable of the Talents question

I don’t know. It seemed, she portrayed how our beliefs and need for community can lead us to justify decisions that are not ours to make. I imagine his intentions meant to carry the family values (e.g., Christianity) and as she eluded to in the book, overtime it became difficult to think about voicing that betrayal to his sister and the possibility of losing the relationship with his niece was too difficult to bear.

As far as the daughter, it made sense that her daughter emulated the belief system of her uncle. She didn’t have a real connection to her mother and heard alarming stories about her. What we create - ideas, systems, humans - and nurture are where we find deep attachments. Her attachment was to The EarthSeed, though it didn’t lessen the grief she experienced with the betrayal of her brother and disappointment in dreams of having a relationship with her daughter.

It would be interesting to see a sequel and find out if her daughter, as she grows up and individuates, if she will incorporate both belief systems and continue in her family’s tradition of creating safety and community in a world in decline.

I can't stand Marc. The levels of betrayal are just disgusting. He robbed Lauren of a relationship with her daughter, and he was so selfish and blindsided by Christian America, he failed his sister in every way.

I know that he suffered greatly after Robledo, after his Duran family was killed, and after he was forced into prostitution. I'm sure he grappled with his manhood, his sense of worth, his sexuality, his faith -- everything. When Lauren showed up and saved him, I think initially he was terrified -- terrified to show his sister what he'd become.

Once he came to Acorn, he was shocked at what his sister had accomplished. It probably made him feel even less than a man. How could his sister -- a woman -- build all of this, when all he managed to do was live on the streets and get turned out by a pimp?

At Acorn, he could not escape Lauren's shadow. He didn't have a true identity, any real power, or connection to the people. Seeing Lauren win over so many people made him jealous of her and doubt Earthseed. Instead of seeing any truth in the religion, he scoffed at it, and tried to poke holes in it, and undermine Lauren's leadership.
But it didn't work -- the people of Acorn wholly trusted Lauren, treated her with the importance and respect that Marc was so desperately seeking. It didn't take him long to realize that he couldn't stay in Acorn, not if he wanted to be taken seriously, and if he wanted to escape his sister's power.

His leaving Acorn and joining Christian America is proof that he resented Lauren. He resented that she was powerful, that she was so influential, that she had a growing family and community-- all things Marc felt incapable of. By joining Christian America, he would be part of something that was the antithesis to Earthseed. Lauren would never be able to grow with CA, she had nothing in line with their ideals. So it was his one place he knew Lauren's shadow could not reach. He needed to prove that Lauren was wrong about Earthseed, that there was only one TRUTH, and he was the man who was going to preach it and save the world. Not Lauren.

To add to his resentment, Lauren was also Marc's reminder of all that he'd lost. His mother, father, brothers. His innocence, his normalcy.
Lauren was painful reminder of the Marcus he could no longer be, the Marcus who died in Robledo 5 years ago.

When Marc met Lauren years later, he did not want to face the truth about CA. She told him what happened at Acorn -- how the CA soldiers stole their land, killed her husband, kidnapped her daughter and so many other children, murdered her closest friends, and tortured everyone. Instead of consoling his sister and coming to her aid (as she did for him), he accused her of lying and even hit her. He told her not to 'ruin this for me' as he'd finally found his place as a minister with CA. What kind of brother does that?

Marc's final blow of betrayal to Lauren was keeping Larkin a secret from her. He found the girl, young in life, and waited until she was 18 to take her under his wing. He told Larkin that Lauren was dead, and Larkin never knew anything about her mother or Earthseed. All the while, Lauren is desperately searching for her daughter, risking life and limb to find her. 26 years pass, and it's not until Earthseed gains so much worldwide recognition does Larkin realize her mother is their leader, Lauren Olamina. When Lauren discovers the truth -- that her own brother kept Larkin from her, she's so hurt and so stunned, I'm sure she would've strangled him with her bare hands if he was in the room.

Marc keeping Larkin to himself is both because of his selfishness, and his way of keeping Lauren in his life without Earthseed. In truth, he missed his sister, had so much guilt with their relationship, but he couldn't handle her. Larkin was perfect -- she looked like Lauren, had some of her traits, but she knew nothing of Earthseed. She was Lauren without all the heathenism.

With all that said, I can't see a way to have any empathy for Marc. He was a horrible, raggedy brother. His betrayal is staggering!

So why did Butler make Marc so despicable? To illustrate the true cost of starting your own religious movement. It's deadly, it's dangerous, and you can lose everything, even those closest to you. You can be lied about, betrayed, made a monster by anyone who fears you.

I think above all, Marc feared his sister. Probably more than he feared his beloved Christian God.