Chapter 13


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Freakzilla
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Chapter 13

Post by Freakzilla »

A sophisticated human can become primitive. What this really means is that the
human's way of life changes. Old values change, become linked to the landscape
with its plants and animals. This new existence requires a working knowledge of
those multiplex and cross-linked events usually referred to as nature. It
requires a measure of respect for the inertial power within such natural
systems. When a human gains this working knowledge and respect, that is called
"being primitive." The converse, of course, is equally true: the primitive can
become sophisticated, but not without accepting dreadful psychological damage.

-The Leto Commentary, After Harq al-Ada

Leto and Ghani, sitting on a ledge outside Seitch Tabr, slip into the memory personas of Paul and Chani. Paul says his last vision had yet come true. He admits he went to Jacurutu when he walked into the desert. He has to destroy Muad'dib the hero before Leto can start on the Golden Path. Chani doesn't like the GP. She wants Leto to create another vision but Paul says he can't go into the future yet and return safely. Leto asks Chani how to avoid becoming possessed like Alia. Paul answers though and says there's no way to be sure, it almost happened ot him. Leto says he'd become Paul rather than let the Baron possess him. Paul refuses and his memory persona withdraws. Leto is tempted by the spice trance but he knows the trap that leads to. Paul's last vision was of a way out of the trap and Leto realizes it's the only thing for him to do. Chani tries to take over Ghani's body and Leto and Paul have to force her to withdraw. Leto regrets talking Ghani into playing this game. They fear Jessica has gone totally back to the Sisterhood, which means danger for them. They know the BG won't give up on their Kwizats Haderach. One option is for them to mate but that idea disgusts them. The Golden Path was Paul's last vision, now it's Leto's dream. They hint that one of them will fake their death and the other must be completely convinced it's real. Any mistep will be a dead end to the Golden Path. Ghani realizes that Leto is hiding something of the vision from her. They believe that Alia's Other Memories overcame her by using the strength of her own resistance. They don't resist, they ride with it. Ghani says Chani now guards her from the other personas and she is afraid of them. Leto says Paul and Duke Leto do the same for him. Both are advised by them. Leto doesn't want Ghani to mention the GP to Jessica, he says they need time to be human and not gods. Leto reveals that they go through the trail of possession in his dream. Ghani suggests they just kill Alia, Leto says it will solve nothing and the GP is the only way to go. Ghani agrees.
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Re: Chapter 13

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Re: Chapter 13

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I guess this chapter would mark the true begining of the Golden Path.
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Re: Chapter 13

Post by Freakzilla »

It is also interesting to note that the Golden Path was Paul's last vision. However, he saw it as a way out of his prescient trap, and Leto sells it to Ghani as a way to avoid possession.
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Re: Chapter 13

Post by georgiedenbro »

Children of Dune wrote:A sophisticated human can become primitive. What this really means is that the
human's way of life changes. Old values change, become linked to the landscape
with its plants and animals. This new existence requires a working knowledge of
those multiplex and cross-linked events usually referred to as nature. It
requires a measure of respect for the inertial power within such natural
systems. When a human gains this working knowledge and respect, that is called
"being primitive." The converse, of course, is equally true: the primitive can
become sophisticated, but not without accepting dreadful psychological damage.
-The Leto Commentary, After Harq al-Ada
This is one of the most blatant examples of Frank slamming the modern mentality about man vs world. He outright states here that "primitive", which is used now as a term of derision, is the term that should properly be applied to people who actually understand their surroundings and its ecology. By extension, he turns the term "sophisticated" on its head and implies that it means a cutting off of one's relationship to the world. Its appearing here in the book is perfectly in line with the themes in Dune, but this particular epigraph is striking to me in that it feels almost more like Frank speaking to us, rather than one of his characters.
Freakzilla wrote:It is also interesting to note that the Golden Path was Paul's last vision. However, he saw it as a way out of his prescient trap, and Leto sells it to Ghani as a way to avoid possession.
Here's a passage about that:
Children of Dune wrote:"Where could you go?"
He took a deep, shuddering breath. "Jacurutu."
"Beloved!" Tears began flowing down her cheeks.
"Muad'Dib, the hero, must be destroyed utterly," he said. "Otherwise this child cannot bring us back from chaos."
"The Golden Path," she said. "It is not a good vision."
"It's the only possible vision."
This exciting passage seems to suggest that Paul not only saw the Golden Path as his last vision, but that he actually set about to make it come to pass. It appears that upon becoming blind he would have made it his plan to go to Jacurutu, and to set about demolishing the myth of Muad'dib enough to allow Leto to take over and become a legend of his own. Whatever Paul's plan was with Jacurutu, they appear now to have a compact with The Preacher to some end. But all of this suggests that Paul really did set out to bring about the Golden Path, just not with himself at the driver's seat. Real nice, Paul, make the kid do it. :? But to be fair this is Leto's mind interpreting Paul's personality, so we can't be 100% sure Paul's feelings at the end of Messiah were exactly as Leto now predicts they would have been.

By the looks of it Paul not only managed to get out of his own prescient trap at the end of Messiah, but embarked immediately on getting another one started.

As to the point that Leto "sells it to Ghani" as a way to avoid possession, I'm not sure this was merely a sales pitch. It seems to me that adopting a noble purpose in life might well rally the inner voices to lend their help towards that goal. A single unified drive might streamline the inner turmoil and allow it to better serve the common path. Contrast this noble path with just trying to gain power and rule in the ordinary way; this almost complacent and decadent goal might incite the inner voices to be unsatisfied being merely in service but to take some power of their own. The selfishness of the person might make the inner voices more selfish, but a selfless goal might allow for inner calm?
"um-m-m-ah-h-h-hm-m-m-m!"
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