Definition of Setting
The Parable of the Sower takes place largely in California between 2024 and 2027. Lauren and her family initially reside in the city of Robledo, a fictional location set 20 miles outside of Los Angeles. They, alongside with several other families, live within the remnants of a gated community, which gives them some amount protection against robberies and the overall unregulated chaos of the outside world. Within the larger apocalyptic setting of the U.S., where violence, drug use, and environmental disaster appear to run unregulated, many of the gated community's residents see it as a safe haven. Lauren, however, recognizes that even within their walls, her community cannot remain unaffected by the surrounding chaos. This is partially what inspires her to develop her religion, Earthseed, making this initial neighborhood setting crucial to the overall evolution of her character and ideology.