The Boy Who Would Be the One and the Self Realization of Spiritual Prophecy and Growth in Dune

The Boy Who Would Be the One and the Self Realization of Spiritual Prophecy and Growth in Dune

Matthew Vecchione, University of Florida

“A world is supported by four things ... the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the righteous and the valor of the brave. But all of these are as nothing ... without a ruler who knows the art of ruling. Make that the science of your tradition!” (Dune, 1965). Paul Atreides is that ruler, but Paul Atreides is no honorable ruler. The science-fiction epic Dune by Frank Herbert is a landmark novel that addresses spiritual beliefs and the expectations of adults as larger influences that affect the coming-of-age of the novel’s protagonist, the young, up-andcoming duke Paul Atreides. Published at the start of August in 1965, Dune is a detailed experience in a world whose beliefs, philosophies and topography are all a revolving focal point to the elements of the story and impact made on Paul. Paul, the heir of the Atreides house, is left the rightful ruler after his father is betrayed and murdered as their fortress is overtaken in an elaborate scheme set up by other houses under the rule of the supreme emperor. This leaves Paul and his mother stranded in the desert after fleeing the attack—his mother desperate for him to survive not only because Paul is her son, but because Paul is the product of generations of conditioning to breed the “messiah” that will be used to control the will of the entire planet which they are on. While Paul is the hero and very wise for his age he is still left with the demands that are not his own set forth by others out of his reach a part of a religion which even he does not fully understand yet; the blending of planned adulthood and religious expectations I mentioned. In this paper, first I discuss how Paul’s “pre-determined” future affects his life and the decisions he makes. Second, the effects of religious beliefs when used to shape one’s whole being rather than being used for an outlet in expressional belief. Third, the impact of the events leading up to Paul and his mother’s abandonment and how by not paying much mind to them forces Paul to “grow up” very fast. I will offer counters in the way of how the “book” wants you to perceive it because, as is about to be examined, the story would feel betrayed to how I am examining it. I myself hold a stance that Herbert’s story unintentionally shows a young person’s stress pushed to the extreme in his development – surely unfit to lead a planet.

Much bildungsroman stories feature parents who hold high regard and expectations set forth for their children and not at the request of them. "There is probably no more terrible instant of enlightenment than the one in which you discover your father is a man—with human flesh," (Dune, 1965). Children hold equally high expectations for their parents as they see them as the best of the best – your own personal hero – but with age that changes, and usually with age the expectations of your parents go down as well…not Paul’s. In the novel, Paul’s life has been constructed since before his birth; a powerful group known as the Bene Gesserit have been conditioning males to take on the role of “Kwisatz Haderach,” which is a position characterized by desire and sanctity. "Yes, my Lord. They've a legend here, a prophecy, that a leader will come to them, child of a Bene Gesserit, to lead them to true freedom. It follows the familiar messiah pattern.’ ‘They think Paul is this… this…’ ‘They only hope, my Lord." (Dune, 1965). The Kwisatz Haderach is allegorical to the figure of the Christian messiah (Christ the Redeemer, as the Kwisatz Haderach is said to redeem the people of the planet of Dune, Christ redeemed the people of the Earth). He is to be implanted as the ruler of the planet, by way of seeded religious prophecy, destined as heir to his father’s throne by being duke to the house. Paul knows this as his whole life he has been informed of the role he is supposed to take on which will obviously benefit other people’s lives. Paul is not outright opposed to being ruler, per see—he practices his lessons, trains in self-defense, practices his speech abilities—but that does not abstain the fact that during multiple accounts Paul expresses his nerves about his responsibility and what his life will have to become once he follows through (but never fear as fear is the mind killer, according to Paul). “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,” (Dune, 1965). The mantra of the Paul reminds himself with to still and fears in him and encourage himself to follow through with whatever action he has thought to be right. He talks about the enemies he will inherit and that which he does not wish to be burdened with. Of course, as time passes and Paul finds himself living among the local people, who are beginning to believe he is their messiah, he ends up using their belief to his advantage to rule them and defeat his enemies. As the protagonist of the story, Paul comes off much more complex than this as we are getting and will get to, Paul obviously does this for the greater good, yet Paul often talks about seeing great visions of his army of followers acting out the ways of jihad and striking down the other houses. In this sense, Paul has been driven to believe that to manipulate others to act out crimes of genocide is merely just a means to get what one wants. His upbringing has warped some of his ethical views, which in the context of the story is a detriment to him since he will be leading an entire civilization. As a counter I offer that the story does imply that the descendants of royalty take the helm much like medieval Europe’s societies, so Paul has always been aware of this and history would show him this is the way things are, plus his mantra is supposed to instill confidence and quell his fears. The book also says the Paul’s Jihad visions are, “the only path”, as he is seeing the future. To oppose that, I claim Paul’s autonomy is violated if he does not have the choice to avoid rulership and as for the vision of the future…well that depends on which version of fictional time travel you subscribe to. Now a lot of what was discussed has to do with religious belief and the like. Oftentimes, religion is a touchy subject for young adults as they don’t know quite how they feel about it and where they stand on it being relevant in their life. “Marx believed that religion arose out of oppressive conditions and supported the status quo by justifying inequality, consoling the downtrodden, and dulling the pains of daily life,” (Pearson). Scholars have viewed religion as something of an easy answer to the empty feeling that might be possessed in life; something early mankind grasped on to give them purpose and a belief in the afterlife. That being said, humanity has come a long way in its religious practices. Where once entire societies dictated their lives around the movements of the stars, now religion is a means of worshipping and thanks; a facet of our busy lives, not the forefront. Religion does not control our every action and less people believe in it more so than ever. In the world of Dune, the planet’s people are very religious. They have beliefs that affect how they treat the ecosystem, to how they treat their dead for the use of conserving resources. “With the Lady Jessica and Arrakis, the Bene Gesserit system of sowing implant-legends through the Missionaria Protectiva came to its full fruition. The wisdom of seeding the known universe with a prophecy pattern for the protection of B.G. personnel has long been appreciated, but never have we seen a condition-ut-extremis with more ideal mating of person and preparation,” (Dune, 1965). Paul was meant to control the people of the planet, as he was brought up to be a religious deity for them. This consumes Paul; Paul’s livelihood is dominated by giving verdicts on decisions for the people who are at his feet on their knees. Paul confides in himself that he believes religion is one of, if not thee, most persuasive tool in the galaxy. Now with that you might think Paul sees religion as a hoax, and that he is fully aware that he is being used by the Bene Gesserit. Yet it is quite the contrary actually, Paul fully believes that he is the messiah the people have been waiting for. Something worth noting is that his own Mother is a part of the Bene Gesserit. Religion is being lamented here and framed poorly (it's being painted in a negative light), yet it is not all bad. It can serve as a good outlet and to put the mind at ease with the belief in a higher power; it establishes a sense of confidence in your decision when you believe in fate. Though as I mentioned, religion should serve as a facet, but it should not be the basis and center for all things you say and do. I cannot claim to be all knowing of religions; I only have a knowledge of Christianity and Judaism as my parents practiced those. What I can extrapolate from those two is that God is meant to be a focal point, but that he entrusts enough in you to make your own decisions and to only consult with him in times of distress or seeking guidance. The religion of Dune is more reminiscent of Islamic beliefs or other, minor, Middle Eastern religions. Islam may be more strict in its virtues, but it once again does not dictate all actions. The counter from the story is it is quite possible this implanted belief on the people of Dune may yet have truly been destiny, as to why would the Bene Gesserit plan something to be their demise. Furthermore, Paul finds himself not to be the savior, but rather the speaker - a prophet for things to come. However, this would still motivate Paul into becoming a fanatic and indoctrinating others into his will. In the story, Paul would experience grief and suffering when he would think on how he was trapped in the cycle of his own destiny unable to change anything. This would also cause him to later abandon his path in the next installment of the series. Religion is not bad, but too much of anything is and Paul allowed religion to consume him and in turn it hurt him.

Paul is the product of the wills and efforts of others acting upon him. “There is no escape — we pay for the violence of our ancestors,” (Dune, 1965). We all are a product of our own environment, but after a certain age, we enter our formative years—there we have a little more say in what our environment is. Paul has not received that luxury. “You well know the weakness there! Shield your son too much, Jessica, and he'll not grow strong enough to fulfill any destiny,” (Dune, 1965). Paul’s whole life has seen him trained, instructed upon, watched, and observed. He has not chosen his own path and he does not do so until he and his mother are rescued by the locals of the planet and Paul begins to sway them to his own accord convincing them into treating him as a religious icon. He is their de facto leader now, but he is no state of mind to lead. Regardless of his age (Paul does display signs of great maturity in his coolness and approach to situations), it is in my opinion that his mind still is affected by the horrors and traumas he has faced. He bears witness to his father’s death, to the sacking of his house’s fort, and the animalistic horrors of the creatures of Dune (he observes a giant sandworm devour a vehicle and its occupants whole while their screams can be heard over the radio communicators). Even before all that at the beginning of the story, Paul is subjected to a test to trick his mind into believe he is receiving great physical harm all to be taught that sacrifice for success may require great physical harm. These are not instructions a kind and generous ruler is taught. When Paul and his mother are left stranded in the desert after house Atreides is betrayed, Paul’s mother fails to connect with her son who shuts her out and remains mostly pensive in processing the events that have transpired. While Paul’s mother is not a very good mother to begin with, this failure causes Paul to grow more callous; his heart hardens. “Parting with friends is a sadness. A place is only a place,” (Dune, 1965). Paul was told this by an advisor of his father’s yet shows no interest other than the fortress and rites that come with it. The remaining days Paul’s mother and himself spend in the desert, together, before being found feature Paul spending his time calculating the best course of action – scheming like the villains, and deciphering who betrayed his house and plotting how to retake it. Paul’s disposition towards his opponents also changes. This is evident when Paul does not choose to use his persuasive skill to handle most of his enemies, but rather injuring them to show his superiority; diplomacy is what his father once would have done to solve dilemmas of the house. The book points out though that combat and strength are the languages of the locals and that Paul is adapting to their way of life as he is understanding things from their perspective as his people (and the villains of the book) are invaders. Further, it is stated that control of the old fortress would liberate the planet, but that does not make Paul’s methods any less callous. While this would prove to be the most effective method to win over the trust of character named Stilgar, a tribe leader whose tribe Paul would assume control of and serve to be one of the only helpful mentors of Paul. Though Stilgar’s approach is not very humane in any sense and serves to stand against the morality of justice in most people’s minds, yet Paul follows suit and does not help Stilgar grow as a being either. “Mood? What has mood to do with it? You fight when the necessity arises — no matter the mood! Mood's a thing for cattle or making love or playing the baliset. It's not for fighting,” (Dune, 1965). These words have been said to Paul, though Paul seems to jumble when necessity is. In conclusion, I find Paul unfit to serve; ruthless, callous and lacking caring development. Paul’s environment, indoctrination, and religious practices have stripped him of his own life. “‘Sire!’ Kynes said, and the word was torn from him, but Jessica saw that he was not now speaking to a boy of fifteen, but to a man, to a superior. Now Kynes meant the word,” (Dune, 1965). Paul did not grow up on his own accord, he was not allowed to, and as such it hardened his heart even if it did earn him the equality and respect of those older than himself. What was discussed here were the effects of the events leading up to Paul’s abandonment in the desert alongside his mother, the way his life was manipulated and predetermined by those not himself, and how what should have been a facet of his life, religion in the belief in a higher power/faith, has blinded him into action. As a work of young adult fiction, Frank Herbert’s novel shows a manipulated boy controlled by adults who would care less of him in great deal from the horrors of survival to the cruelty of man’s greed. In all that Paul lies in the center and blunt endpoint of the results. This may not have been Herbert’s goal in his sci-fi epic. It is noted that as a matter of fact a speculated aim of Herbert’s was to paint homosexuals in a bad light as the “villain” of the story is revealed to be homosexual and a pedophile. “The Baron Harkonnen and his sexuality, particularly his preference for young boys (which sometimes included his own nephew). Almost every encounter with the Baron from the first time the readers are introduced to him up until his death hints at (or directly refers to) this aspect of his personality,” (Penguin, 2003). Yet still it seems that everyone around Paul, with the exception of Stilgar and those that die protecting Paul, is a villain. Each out to achieve some other gain out of Paul to further themselves at the expense of Paul’s selfhood. Each altering the fragile development of a young man, a growing ruler, a product of circumstance… Paul.

Works Cited

HERBERT, FRANK. DUNE. ACE BOOKS, 2020.

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Matthew Vecchione is a third-year English major at the University of Florida with a focus in creative writing.