Answer:
The setting of the story is in the 2020s where the protagonist Lauren, an African American girl lives with her family in a gated community. And we can know it is a dystopian world, for the world then is full of suffering, self-interest, drugs specifically designed for a particular purpose, the rise in crime, and authoritarian power, etc.
Explanation:
Octavia E. Butler's dystopian novel "Parable of the Sower," tells the story of Lauren Olamina, an African American girl in the 2020s. This futuristic novel deals with themes of dystopian ideals, where self-interest, conflicting interests, and various crimes overtakes the world community.
Dystopian worlds are where societies are confined within themselves, an imagines space where injustice or suffering is abundantly found, oppressive societal control, the lack of democracy which is replaced by an authoritarian, totalitarian power-hungry individuals. One factor that helped us understand or know the dystopic world Lauren is in is through the details such as increased crime rates, the rise in gated communities, designer drugs, illiteracy, etc.