Sacrifice In Frank Herbert's Dune

Herbert accentuates the need for personal sacrifice for the multitude. Herbert portrays Paul’s decision to marry Princess Irulan instead of Chani, the mother to his child, as an intelligent, but difficult one: “That woman over there will be my wife and you but a concubine because this is a political thing and we must weld peace out of this moment”(474). Because Paul decides to marry Irulan, he prevents a universe-wide war. His sacrifice saves the lives of billions by preventing total civil war, showing that such a sacrifice is necessary in the face of great consequences. Jessica accepts the Water of Life from Chani in order to both increase her powers as a Bene Gesserit and aid Paul in his quest against the emperor: “For Paul, she knew, she

Dune begins with the political turmoil of Arrakis, a desert planet that is the sole source of the addictive substance melange. Duke Leto, the new leader of Arrakis, and his heir Paul hide among the native Fremen, who “were supreme in that quality the ancients called ‘spannungsbogen’ -- which is the self-imposed delay between desire for a thing and the act of reaching out to grasp that thing” (299). Dune takes readers through a journey where all characters “have something to die for” (469). The novel involves sci-fi technology, political drama, and religious cults. Although the novel’s plot is intriguing, its protagonist and secondary characters are boring and unpleasant. Paul cares more for himself and for the revenge of his father than he does his lover, Chani, and his son, Leto II, as shown when he chooses to marry Princess Irulan in the name of power over the universe. Paul’s mother, Jessica, is similarly unlikable. Although Herbert portrays her as a strong, independent religious figure, she plays almost no part in the actual core plot of Dune. What little part she does play in the novel is centered around her motherhood of Paul and Alia. Although she is Alia’s mother, she sees her child as an “abomination” due to Alia’s prescient portents, avoiding comforting her own child in the face of the taunts of

Dune is considered an American classic because it expresses ideas that stand the test of time and has influenced the genre of sci-fi. Other authors have borrowed Dune’s themes of a messianic journey, sacrifice, and environmental protection. Although Dune is a sci-fi classic, I did not enjoy the novel. This book articulated that people, even superpowered people like Paul Atreides, must bow down to fate and accept their circumstances. It shows that people should bow down to societal pressure and follow the rules of society, even when they’re wrong. Personally, this book was difficult to parse through and understand because of my aphantasia, which is a condition where one cannot create visual images in his or her head. The book’s heavy reliance on visual description made the book borderline unreadable, as a series of pages would be filled with descriptions of sand worms and dunes glistening in the sunlight. Overall, I disagree with Dune’s messages and usage of visuals instead of dialogue or plot, even though the novel contains an interesting plot and good writing. This book should not be required reading in school, but any reader willing to ignore religious undertones and heavy handed metaphors in favor of an intriguing plot might enjoy