Seeds
The dominant metaphor of the novel is that of the seed. The title itself is taken from the New Testament parable (Luke 8: 5-8) about a sower who sows seed, some of which falls by the wayside, or on rocks or thorns, or is eaten by birds, but some falls on fruitful ground and springs up and bears fruit. This is exactly what Lauren is doing, except-like Jesus in the parable-her seeds are human beings, some of whom hear her message and respond to it and some of whom do not. It is natural for Lauren to call her religion Earthseed, because she believes that present-day humans are the seeds for a new, more cooperative form of community life to spring up. Lauren also believes that humans are "seeds" in a much wider sense. It is their ultimate destiny to spread throughout the universe and live on new planets and new galaxies. This is also why she calls the new community Acorn. Just as a tiny acorn grows into a huge oak tree, the community of Acorn represents the seeds of new life that will eventually grow into something much larger.