Paige-+Dune

__ DUNE __ // “God Created Arrakis to train the faithful” (Herbert 301). //

**Frank Herbert (1920-1986)** Frank Herbert was born on October 8, 1920 in Tacoma, Washington. Through his childhood, Herbert loved to read; by his eighth birthday knew that he wanted to be an author when he grew up. He was always known as the smart kid in school, his curiosity and spirit getting him into trouble time and again. Herbert did not graduate from the University of Washington because he refused to take the required courses: he only wanted to take classes that interested him. It took Herbert six years of research and writing to complete __Dune__ which was accepted by the 24th publisher. In 1946, after divorcing his first wife, he met Beverly Stuart in a creative writing class, their marriage lasting the rest of her life. Herbert had three children, one daughter from his first marriage and two sons from his second marriage. Herbert and Stuart wrote much like their own personalities: he being the adventurer and she an extremely feminine and soft-spoken woman. The couple discussed every aspect of their lives and created some of the most well known science fiction novels in history. He was a scientist, not by degree, but by personal interest. Undersea geology, psychology, navigation, and jungle botany were just a few things he studied. Herbert spent much of his live working as a newspaperman on the West Coast. In 1985, Herbert was diagnosed with cancer which took his life in 1986. Writing nearly 30 books in his lifetime; Frank Herbert will go down as one of the best science fiction writers in history.

= Through the telling of __Dune__, Herbert allows the reader to explore an alien society – he creates a story containing action as well as philosophical outlooks. =

Paul Atreides, merely fifteen, was forced to move to from his home on Caladan to a strange new planet. “Arrakis would be a place so different from Caladan that Paul’s mind whirled with the new knowledge. //Arrakis—Dune—Desert Planet//” (Herbert 4). Before he was to leave, Paul was tested by his ability to withstand pain and as was put through the tests he thinks to himself: “//I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain”// (Herbert 8). The reverend mother murmurs that Paul may be the chosen one. Paul’s mother, Lady Jessica, taught him the ways of the Bene Gesserit and Gurney Halleck trained Paul in physical combat, increasing his chance of survival. Paul is the son of Duke Leto and the Lady Jessica. Duke Leto and Lady Jessica never were married for many political reasons in addition to the mixed feelings of Lady Jessica. She explains, “The Duke is really two men. One of them I love very much. He’s charming, witty, considerate. . . tender—everything a woman could desire. But the other man is. . . cold, callous, demanding, selfish—as harsh and cruel as a winter wind” (Herbert 64).

On Arrakis, the Baron reveals his plan to his nephew Feyd-Rautha. He plans to give Arrakis to the Atreides in exchange for Caladan. The bargain wouldn’t be a good one if there wasn’t more to it because Arrakis brings in much more money than Caladan. So, in addition to gaining Caladan, the Baron plans to kill the duke and his family, gaining control of Arrakis and Caladan.

Still new on Arrakis, Paul explores his bedroom which seems to have been designed to entice him. Everything that looked normal had a second function. One night while in bed a hunter-seeker, a common assassination weapon, sneaked into Paul’s room from behind the headboard. The only thing that saved his life was immobilization and a distraction from Shadout Mapes housekeeper. This event reminds everyone in the Arrakis household that they are in danger everywhere they turn. Mapes suspects a traitor within the house who could have been working for the Harkonnens. Everyday on Arrakis new things were discovered. Paul learns about an incredible creature found only on Arrakis—the worm. “There’re worms in the deep desert could take this entire factory in one gulp” (Herbert 87). Worms are attracted to any type of shield, therefore while in the desert one must fend for themselves. Yueh, Paul’s tutor, teaches Paul about the Fremen who live in the desert carefully avoiding the worms. “They compose poems to their knives. Their women are as fierce as the men. Even Fremen children are violent and dangerous” (Herbert 38). The Fremen are the native people of Arrakis; they are thought of as scavenging barbarians.

Baron Harkonnen continues to proceed with his plot to kill the Atreides. Dr. Kynes, the Imperial Planetologist, is forced to betray the Atreides but later on shows where his true loyalty lies. Paul and Jessica are noticing more and more unusual things happening. While observing the spice factories in the desert, Duke Leto is forced to take over the controls of the ’thopter guiding the passengers out of harms way. The ’thopter lands in an area of rock where there are no worms. Paul notices the Fremen in the distance, thinking how terrible a place the desert is to die. Kynes quotes: “When God hath ordained a creature to die in a particular place. He causeth that creature’s wants to direct him to that place” (Herbert 124). Kynes is impressed with the selflessness of the Duke, admitting to himself that he likes the Duke; against his own will and previous judgments.

In the middle of the night Duke Leto awakes to hear a disturbance in the silence of night. He gets up to investigate, finding Tuek and Mapes dead, the house generators off, and the house defenseless. Yueh, attacking the Duke, places a fake tooth in the Dukes mouth that will release poisonous gas when biting down. He feels terrible about killing the Duke and would like to compensate his death with the death of the Baron. The Duke is taken to the Baron and just before death is able to release the poisonous gas into the room. Unfortunately the Baron gets out alive. Soon after, Paul and Jessica are kidnapped by the Harkonnens and taken into the desert to be killed. The guards don’t realize the power Jessica has and are done for. The pair escaped with only a small bag containing food, stillsuits, and the ducal ring that Paul refuses to wear until he could sufficiently lead the troops over all of Arrakis. While hiding in the desert, Paul and Jessica successfully evade those looking for them. During the time they have in the desert, a change overcomes Paul. In a short while he goes from boy to man, increasing his intellectual abilities making him ever more powerful. He is able to see the many paths he can choose to take in the future and that each one is as daunting as the next. This unexpected change in Paul causes Jessica to think that Paul may be the Kwisatz Haderach.

The two Atreides are forced to fly straight into a sandstorm because of the people pursuing them. After many hours in the storm they finally escape the high winds of the storm and come to a landing, realizing that the Harkonnens are no longer following them. They trek through the desert, moving only by the dark of night and by the rocky zones. After reaching the end of all rocky zones, Paul and Jessica look out upon the rocky expanse of desert. They had to move in uneven steps so they sounded as though they belonged. After accidentally stepping on some drum sand they had to run for their lives; finally collapsing on the nearest rocky zone.

A Fremen troop found Paul and Jessica, hoping for their water. The leader of the troop was Stilgar. Paul vaguely remembers the leader; “I was with my father in Council when you came for the water of your friend. You took away with you my father’s man, Duncan Idaho—an exchange of friends” (Herbert 272). After much disagreement, Paul and Jessica were accepted into the troop. While in the company of the Fremen, Paul was challenged by Jamis to a fight that was fought to the death. Paul, not being used to fighting without shields, looked as though he were taunting Jamis. Paul asked Jamis if he yielded, not knowing the rules. “There can be no yielding in the tahaddi-challenge. Death is the test of it” (Herbert 296). He had never killed a man in this way before but knowing that he must, Paul slew Jamis. Since Paul bested Jamis, tradition says that Paul must accept Jamis’ water. When he attends the ceremony, he sheds tears for Jamis’ dead body. This strange practice, adds to the growing wonder of who Paul really is in the Fremen society.

Jessica may have been only the Duke’s companion, but in this society she is thought of as an important religious figure, undergoing the ritual of becoming a reverend mother. She failed to mention that she was pregnant; creating a child with more knowledge than any newborn should have.

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__ Dune __ would fall under the genre of science fiction/fantasy. It has the elements of science fiction by including technology and outer space, but it includes the fantasy side by adding the historical elements to the story. It is written in third person omniscient, the narrator knowing everything. Paul and Jessica Atreides are the protagonists, while the Baron and Feyd-Rautha are antagonists. Frank Herbert does a fantastic job of developing characters in an alien society and creating an interesting plot that isn’t difficult to follow. In order to relate to his audience, Herbert references everyday activities that take place. He talks about the Atreides eating dinner, mostly to show that the people in __Dune__ are not that much different than anyone else. This novel can be considered outstanding because of the elaborate development and analysis of religion, politics, and philosophy. __Dune__ is not a book that everyone would like to read, but if one is interested in the science fiction/fantasy genre, it can’t be passed up.

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Works Cited

“Frank Herbert” __Dune Index__. 1997. 12 Mar. 2009 < http://www.arrakis.co.uk/herbert.html>.

“Frank Herbert’s Biography” __The Official Dune Website__. 2007. The Herbert Limited Partnership. 12 Mar. 2009.  O’Brian “Galaxy” __Stimulation Level.__ 2001. 26 Mar 2009. 