Withinadystopiaexistmanyutopiandreams.

Eachandeverythatindividuallongsforlife
withoutfear,orforlifewithoutthecreationofthedystopiaitself.Thisisnaturallytrue,quite
obviously,butwhatdothesedreamerstrulydotoreversetheirlivesandentertheutopiaoftheir
wildestimaginations.Theactionsoftheserighteouspeoplealwaysseemstobequiteinteresting.
Inoureverydayhatefulsociety,manypeopleknowwheretodrawthemetaphoricallinethat
definesthedifferencebetweenrightandwrong.Theyunderstandwhenandwheretheycannot
actandfollowthoseselfdefinedrules.Thequestionstilllies,onwhichsideofthelawdothese
linesfall?What,ifanything,definesagoodreasontobreakthelaw?Allofthecharactersin
ButlersParableoftheSowerseemtoidentifywiththisstruggle.Itisathoughtthatinvadestheir
minds,captivatestheirthoughtsandultimatelyservesastheropethatholdstheirmentalsanity
anchoredinplace.Throughoutthestory,therearemanymomentswhenLaurenandher
communityfamilyhaveadmittedtobreakingthelawsintheircorruptworld,yetthepoliceare
rarelycalled.Throughtheseactions,Butlershowsoncountlessoccasionsthatitcanbebothright
andwrongtobreakthelaw.
Laurensfatherownsa9millimeterautomatic.Allautomaticweaponsareillegalbuthestill
ownsoneandthepeopleinthecommunityareawareofit.Herfatherhasdifferentintentionsthan
manyofthepeopleontheoutside,though.Hewillonlyuseitagainstpeopleinselfdefense,notin
anyactionofmaliciousintent.Hisson,however,usesthesametypeoffirepowerbutwitha
slightlyalteredmotive.Keithgoesoutbeyondthewallsofthecommunityandkillsformoney.
Laurenseemstobelievethatheissomehowinvolvedinthesaleofdrugs,twistedintothewaysof
theirbrokenworldbutheneveradmitstothat.Keithdoesadmittokillingforthemerereasonto
killortotakesomeonespossessions.Itismorethatlikelypossibleforhimtotakethepossessions
ofmanyofhisvictimswithoutalsotakingtheirlives,butheseemsmoreinterestedingettinghigh
offofhisownpower.Hislawbreakingiscommittedwiththeworstpossibleintent.Luckyforthe
world,itcatchesuptohim.Thesetwoexamples,ironicallyfromthesamefamily,areradically
different.Thefatheruseshisgunforgood,toprotecthimself,hisfamilyandhiscommunity.His
sonusestheautomaticweaponforthesolepurposeofkilling.Isthereadifferencebetweenboth
ofthesecriminals?Accordingtothelaw,absolutelynot.Theyarebothguiltyofpossessingan
illegalweapon.Yes,thesonwouldlikelyhaveothercharges(murder,assault,larcenyamong
otherthings)butduetothepossessionofthegun,theyarethesameintheeyesofthelaw.Isthis
howthenationshouldbegovernedevenifthelawsarebrokenforthesolepurposeofhelping
people.Itispossibletobreakthelawforgood.Attheriskoftakinganevidentpoliticalstand,itis
obviousthatthereisacleardifferencebetweenbothcharacters.Tobreakalawforthesakeof
protectingothersisarighteousmovement,onethatshouldbehonored.
TheamountofdeaththatButlerpulledfromhermindandplacedonthepagesofthis
worldseemsmassive,yetmanyofthecharacterstakeituponthemselvestokillmore.Specifically
Lauren,whereinamomentofpainsheentersanethicaldilemmawiththeothertwocurrent
membersofherraggedygroup.Theideaofdeathinourcurrentworldseemsquitesimilarto
thosewholiveinthecommunity:horrifying.JustafewdaysintoLauren,HarryandZahras
journey,theyareattackedinthemiddleofthenightbytwounarmeddrugaddicts.Theymayhave
beenunarmed,buttheywereactingwiththeintenttokillasoneofthemwasfightingharryover
thegunandhewaslosing[...],themuzzlewasbeingforcedtohim.(Butler173).Soonafter,
Laurenstrikestheman(andherself)downwitharockblowstraighttothebackofhishead.Upon
findingthatheisnotdead,Laurenfindsherselfinadilemma.Sheknowsthatsheneedstokillhim,
elseshewillsoonfeelallofhispain,butHarryismortifiedattheideaofhertakingthelifeof
anotherperson.Lauren,withasharpblade,choosestotakethelifeofthedruggiebyslicinghis
neckrightinfrontofhertwotravelingpartners.Thisisntmurder,norisitwrongforhertokillin
thisplace.Harryarguesthathecouldhavesurvived,yethedoesnotseemtounderstandatwhat
cost.Heisright,themancouldhavesurvived,butaheadwoundlikethatwouldhavemade
Laurenaburdenonthegroupandcouldgivethemasurvivallikenesssimilartothatoftheaddicts.
Thismanattemptedtomurderthegroup,andindoingsocreatedasituationwherehissurvival
meantthelikelydeathofthethreecompanions.Laurenwasrighttobreakthelaw,becauseofher
hyperempathyandsimplybecausethatmanhadtriedtokillthemandwouldhave,giventhe
chance.Throughouttheseries,Lauren,Harry,Zahraandothersendupkillinganumberof
people.Thedifferencebetweenthemandthepeopletheykillisintention.Noneofthemseemto
wanttokill,theykilltosavethemselvesfrombeingkilled.Inanactofselfdefense,itisrighttokill.
Amidstalloftheunnecessarydeath,itsfunnythatsomesurvivingcitizensarestillintherightto
takemorelives.
Throughoutthebook,thecharactersdabbleintheartofstealingfromotherhumans.Isay
art,asmanypeople(Keithincluded)seeitasthat,butinalltruthitisnothingmorethanacrime.
TostealistobreakthelawasLaurendoeshere:[insertquote].Laurenseesstealingasanactto
keephergroupafloat,butitisnotrightforhertodoso.Tostealisneverright.Manypeoplewould
usetheargumentthatitisokaytostealfromsomeonewhosegoodsorpossessionsarestolen,
andthattheyareavengingthosethathavebeenrobbed.Thisargumentisnodifferentthansaying
Iamgoingtoeatthefoodthatwasrobbedfromyoutoavengetheactionstakenuponyou.As
sillyasthatstatementseems,itcorrelatesdirectlywiththegivenargument.Tostealiswrong,and
itisnotarighteousactionagainstthelaw.Tocondenseitdowntoasinglestatement:stealing
fromsomeonewhohasstolenisnodifferentthanstealingfromsomeonewhohasnot.Theonly
actionthatcouldbetaken(thatalignswithstealing)thatwouldbearighteousactagainstthelaw
wouldbetoreturnstolenthingstotherightfulowner.Unfortunatelythiskindofactionseemsto
havedisappearedfromButlersworld.
Lawsareforcriminals.Aninterestingstatementatthat,onethatnodoubtwillbeattacked
anddisregardedonitsownwithoutanyactofdefense.Itiseasytosaythatiflawsarefor
criminalsthenlawsapplytonoonepersonthereforetherearenocriminals.Barringthismindless
immediatedenial,thereissomethingmoretothisstatement.Anationshouldnotpreventits
peoplefrombendingtothewillofcriminals.Ifapersonisacriminal,thereisnothingstopping
themfrompurchasinganautomaticweapon,justasKeithdidandrainingterrorontheinnocent
livesaroundhim.Thepeoplearoundhimareatanimmediatedisadvantagebecauseofthefact
thattheyareinnocent.Theydonotownanyillegalweaponsandareimmediatelylesspowerful
thanthecriminalswhoownthebetter,strongerweapons.Inmanysenses,lawsgivecriminals
morepowerthantheywouldhaveordinarilyhad.Lawsareforcriminals.Manyactionsareillegal,
buttoownsomething,beitfirepoweroranythingatall,andtouseitwithgoodintenttoprevent
crimeandleveltheplayingfieldbetweencriminalsandciviliansshouldneverbeillegal.