Re: Good Dune essays?
Posted: 10 Mar 2014 12:48
The informations about the structure of the society in the world of Dune are hidden in the book
mainly in lessons to Paul. He is taught about the system of the Universe and the reader is learning
with him. Personality of the 'teacher' is quite important in these situations because it bears power
and authority. It is mostly the Duke Leto who warns his son and tries to get him prepared for the
fights and treachery he foresees. So, the dominance of males is highlighted once more. But the
following summary of the whole structure is in the book uttered by somebody else and it is great
surprise that she is a woman. Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam says: "We've a three-point
civilisation: the Imperial Household balanced against the federated Great Houses of the Landsraad,
and between them, the Guild with its damnable monopoly on interstellar transport. In politics, the
tripod is the most unstable of all structures" (36). The instability of the structure is the most
important information from the summary because it enables the story to develop. These statements
also uncover the intelligence of the Reverend Mother to a particular extent. She has to have
relatively extended knowledge of politics to identify that the system is not stable. Even though,
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officially, there is no place for females in reigning, still, they are not out of it completely. In
Harrison's Dune, this summary is uttered by Dr. Yueh, more precisely by his hologram, during the
Paul's lesson in the opening scene of the film. The authority and knowledge is given back to the
man.
So what is the official role of women in the Dune society? What are they allowed to do if they
are banished from the participation in the Landsraad or the Guild and from the Padishah Emperor's
throne without any doubts, too. They are left with two of the most traditional areas of influence:
household and religion. Within the first one they are valued as bearers and nurturers of life,
landladies and companions. But their greatest value, especially when they are daughters, is that they
can be married and so the new alliances can be established or the old enmities conciliated. This role
of the bond,which also typical for the Middle Ages, is represented by the princess Irulan. At the end
of Dune, she is married to Paul to make his accession to the Padishah Emperors throne legal and
smooth. In the Harrisson's film, this Irulan's role is emphasized by her father's disappointment by
her sex and his clear statement that the most important thing is to find her a suitable husband. None
of the above mentioned roles brings women a respect. They are not taken seriously, they are thought
to be sensitive as opposite to male's rationality. It can be seen in the Duke's carelessness when he
speaks with Paul about the Reverend Mother's warnings. He says: "Don't let a woman's fears cloud
your mind. No woman wants her loved ones endangered. The hand behind those warnings was your
mother's. Take this as a sign of her love for us" (57). In this case "woman's fears" are not only the
fears that a woman has, but also the fears that are unreasoning and a bit absurd. They are very often
based only on feelings and instincts and therefore men do not believe them and laugh at them. The
only quality the Duke appreciates in his concubine is her love for him and their son. So, according
to him, she lives only through his and Paul's lives, which clearly corresponds to the characteristics
of the Mother/Wife role in the system of the literary female stereotypes. Via this stereotype the two
most important characteristics of women passivity and weakness appear. The females are not
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participating in the fights for power, they are mostly staying in their households and taking care.
When the Padishah Emperor comes to Arrakis to crush the Fremen rebellion, he takes with him his
whole household and Paul comments it: "They've even brought their women, [... .] Ah-h-h, my dear
Emperor, how confident you are" (516). It is clear that he considers women very weak. Therefore,
according to this opinion, they should be shielded and taken as far from fight as possible. Taken,
because they are not supposed to have the will of their own.
As I have already mentioned, the second area of influence, which are women allowed to
participate in, is religion. According to Hand: "women have always exerted official or unofficial
power in the area of religion" (25). Considering this, the Herbert's world is not so surprising. He
created a Bene Gesserit order, the secret sisterhood, hidden in the background of all the plans and
diplomacy. The Bene Gesserit complements the tripod composed from the Emperor, the Landsraad
and the Spacing Guild. It seems to be a religious order, but powers and abilities of its members are
much greater and therefore I will explore them in greater detail in the next chapter.
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Bene Gesserit
I think it is impossible to speak about women in Dune and omit the Bene Gesserit. Most of the
female characters, who appear in the book, are members of this society and this membership defines
these women to great extent. It gives them unusual abilities and also limits them by its rules. Except
Chani, all of the remaining females, who I would like to study closer, are Bene Gesserits, but Lady
Jessica has the greatest space in the book and her abilities can unfold in its full scale. Therefore, I
will use her as an example of all the Bene Gesserit techniques and abilities. According to the
"Terminology of the Imperium," little dictionary that Herbert added to his novel, the Bene Gesserit
is: "the ancient school of mental and physical training established primarily for female students ..."
(587). This short definition gives only the brief idea of the Bene Gesserit because its powers go far
beyond these few words. Bene Gesserits use science, especially psychology and biology,very well,
they are good at politics and in a certain way they could be described as a religious order. These
three concepts mingle together in their goals and in their training.
The feeling of religion appears when the Bene Gesserit is described as a sisterhood. It is a
secretive community with strict rules, which can be called an `order' and these connotations are
supported by the sound of the name itself because `Gesserit' sounds pretty similar to `Jesuit'. Brian
Herbert speculates about this connection in his biography of his father and it is also commented on
by O'Reilly, he says that "Herbert has described the Bene Gesserit as `female Jesuits'" (O'Reilly,
ch 5). And he also argues that this order could have been inspired by Herbert's life because he has
ten aunts and they forced his father to enroll him to the Jesuit school. It might be the source of the
inspiration, but I think that Herbert rather had in mind images that the name would invoke.
These associations and speculations are further developed by possible translations of "Bene
Gesserit". According to Wikipedia, the name was probably taken from the Latin and means "`he
shall have behaved well'. [... .] Among the [other] possibilities are `it will have done well', `she
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will have born [a child] well'" (Wikipedia, "Origin of the name"). The first possible translation is
obviously tied with the strong discipline of the order and with the harsh training of its members.
The last one sounds interesting and perhaps also a bit awkward in a connection with a religious
order, but the Bene Gesserit is not a typical one because it possesses only some features of a typical
order. One of the main aims, the girls are trained for, is to bear a child to a man they have been told
to and do it in proper time according to the Bene Gesserit's plans. Therefore, the last translation of
the name is a bit awkward when talking about a religious order, but it will be surprisingly fitting
when I will speak about their breeding program.
There is one more connection of the Bene Gesserit with religion, but it is absolutely turned up
side down. Members of an arm of the order called Missionaria Protectiva travel throughout the
universe and modify existing religions by implanting prophecies and messiahs into them. There are
two purposes for doing this. The first one helps the Bene Gesserit to be a political force because
through religion, they can control and influence the whole society and at the same time stay in the
shade. The second purpose is more clear and obvious. Every Bene Gesserit knows prophecies and
means used by Missionaria Protectiva and thus when endangered she could use them and gain
security among the people. Lady Jessica takes this advantage when she and Paul are forced to
escape to the desert and they need to secure their place among the Fremen, desert people. Paul is
considered to be Mahdi and she needs to prove that they really are the mother and son that are
supposed to come according to the legend. Thanks to Missionaria Protectiva, she knows the chant
that is embedded in Fremen's religion and by producing it right she secures their position. After the
chant: "she felt cynical bitterness at what she had done. [And thought:] Our Missionaria Protectiva
seldom fails. A place was prepared for us in this wilderness. The prayer of salat has carved out our
hiding place" (340). She is disgusted by the Bene Gesserit methods and feels that she is not frank to
the Fremen, but on the other hand, she knows very well that this deception saved her and Paul's
lives. So Missionaria Protective proves its importance.
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I described the Bene Gesserit as a religious order, but it is evident that this characteristic is
everything, but definite. It is caused by the complicated essence of this religious order. A more
precise term to describe it is probably a word sisterhood that I used at the beginning and which
meaning has not been so narrowed in our culture. The rest of the Bene Gesserit interests should be
explored to get deeper knowledge and more complete image. Frequently, people tend to think in the
means of binary opposition and the opposite of religion is very often science. I have already said
that the Bene Gesserit uses biology and psychology for its purposes. Their members are trained to
expand their ordinary abilities and the techniques are so successful that the Bene Gesserits are very
often called `witches' by people outside the sisterhood.
Members of the sisterhood are trained both physically and mentally so let me start with a
physical training and abilities. Thanks to various lessons similar to Yoga or meditation, the Bene
Gesserits are aware of any muscle or nerve in their bodies and they also have control over each of
them. This allows them to stay calm in every situation, which helps them to think clearly even
under stress or in danger. Paul was taught these techniques by his mother and he uses them
frequently throughout the book. The most impressive moment is when Jessica gets accidentally
buried under the slide of sand. He "still the savage beating of his heart, set his mind as a blank
slate upon which the past few moments could write themselves" (289). Thanks to his calm and
precise recalling and analyzing of the action that lasted only a second, he finds and digs out his
mother. All the process of calming, recalling and analyzing takes him only a moment, which is also
very important in a danger. With all his speed and calm he still would not probably be able to rescue
his mother in time because, when buried under the sand, she would suffocate. But she as a Bene
Gesserit has control not only over all muscles and nerves, but over internal organs too. She puts
herself in some kind of lethargy and so she gives Paul more time to find her. A Bene Gesserit's
control over internal organs is such that "[t]hey can commit suicide at will by simply stopping their
hearts" (Wikipedia, "Internal Organic-Chemical Control"). They are also able to control the sex of
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the child they will bear. This is a remarkable ability that makes their biological breeding program
possible and, in fact, the whole story originates in it. Lady Jessica was commanded to have a
daughter with the Duke Leto Atreides, but she did not obey and bore a son Paul. Other members
of the Bene Gesserit obey the instructions there are given by the sisterhood and thus for example the
Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV has no male heir.
The control over internal organs involves also a control over chemical processes in the body and
any Bene Gesserit can change chemical structures of substances included in her body. This ability
allows Jessica to stay alive when she had to drink the `Water of Life', poisoned and drug containing
substance, to prove her exceptionalness and make her and Paul's position among the Fremen more
secure. She becomes impaired by the drug and thus she sinks to herself to confront her inner self.
She is aware of the danger and she is looking for it in the water she drank:
she began recognizing familiar structures, atomic linkages: a carbon atom here, helical
wavering ... a glucose molecule. An entire chain of molecules confronted her, and she
recognized a protein ... a methyl-protein configuration.
Ah-h-h!
It was a soundless mental sigh within her as she saw the nature of the poison.
With her psychokinestehetic probing, she moved into it, shifted an oxygen mote, allowed
another carbon mote to link, reattached a linkage of oxygen ... hydrogen. (408-9)
Her search and following changes illustrate the level on which a Bene Gesserit is able to influence
processes and functions of her body and it also shows that they are deeply educated in various
fields, including for example chemistry.
All the Bene Gesserit physical abilities are based on the extreme concentration. The members of
the sisterhood use their consciousness, but they are very well aware of unconsciousness. As
O'Reilly remarks they are "conscious by choice" (O'Reilly, ch 4). They are able to focus on
important things even though they are presented only as minor details. This ability, which is
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acquired by intensive training, makes them appear almost inhuman. From the smallest hints in
person's behavior, for example pose, voice or reaction to the Bene Gesserit interaction, they are able
to deduce a state of one's mind. Some of the members can even recognize whether the person is
lying or not for a certainty. This is very helpful when dealing with unknown people or in unknown
setting. People that are known can be much more easily manipulated. The sisterhood makes use of it
and after identifying one's personality and momentary state could make him do what they need.
The Voice, one of the most powerful and active `weapons' of the Bene Gesserit, is also based on
the detailed understanding of the person that is to be commanded. Every member of the sisterhood
learns how to adjust her voice according to the person: its loudness, pitch, timbre and tone. And she
"can speak to a person's unconscious mind, [command] it in a way that the conscious mind is aware
of, but cannot resist" (Wikipedia, "The Voice"). The Voice is used several times through the novel.
In one scene, Lady Jessica uses it on one of the Duke Leto's men to prove her strength. After he
finds himself sitting back on a chair as she wished: "[he] tried to swallow in a dry throat. Her
command had been regal, preemptory uttered in a tone and manner he had found completely
irresistible. His body had obeyed her before he could think about it. Nothing could have prevented
his responsenot logic, not passionate anger . . . nothing" (84). The enormous power of the Voice is
proved clearly by this example, because the commanded man is very well educated, intelligent and
wise. From his reaction it can be deduced that Lady Jessica was good student of the Bene Gesserit
knowledge because the effect of the Voice always depends on the ability of the user to observe, to
analyze and also on her experience.
It can be assumed that the Voice is based on the power of the word itself and also Wikipedia
describes it as "an extreme version of oratorical ability" ("The Voice"). In all cultures, especially in
these without writing, some words are special. They cannot be pronounced at all occasions and they
have to be handled with a special care like ceremonial objects. The Bene Gesserit share this respect
of words and it is manifested most clearly by the "Litany Against Fear":
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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. (267)
The purpose of these words is special. They should focus one's thoughts on one stable point to
allow one's mind to start working again. When a Bene Gesserit is stressed and she cannot establish
her calm only by her will, the Litany is a powerful device. It could be learned easily and its form
supports the flow of the words. Thus it is not complicated to go through it even when the mind is
clouded by a fear. Moreover, the minor variations of the words are not important and they appear
throughout the book. The most important words are preserved in all the versions and the power of
the Litany is hidden mainly in its rhythm and sound.
The word `fear' appears several times in the litany and I think it is because it should be
pronounced to be made trivial. As I remarked earlier, special words have special occasions to be
said and some of them should never be pronounced. When the word is pronounced many times, it is
defeated and its power is diminished. One had to confront oneself with the word and its meaning to
say it aloud and when he or, in the case under question, mostly she admits the fear openly, it is
partly destroyed. It is no longer anything special and it has no power over her.
All these above mentioned abilities, techniques and training are fascinating, but they do not exist
only for their own sake. As I have already remarked, the Bene Gesserit can be seen as a political
force, too and their members use various devices to influence people and their actions. But even this
political struggle can be seen as a tool for a greater goal they hope to achieve by a complex
breeding program they carry on for countless generations. They try to isolate specific genes that
should produce the Kwisatz Haderach, `the shortening of the way'. He should be a male Bene
Gesserit with abilities to see both future and past. Some of Bene Gesserits are able to see the past,
but only along their female ancestors' line. When looking to past, there is always a place that
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frightens them and they are unable to face it. The Kwisatz Haderach would be able to see male as
well as female pasts, to look straight at this horrifying place and doing so he would open "the
depths of active male psychology as well as the receptive female" (O'Reilly, ch 3). So he would
interconnect the two poles male and female, and make activity and passivity one thing. Bene
Gesserits take advantage of their skills in controlling other people, but most usually they use
traditional `weapons' as female beauty and enjoyable behavior. These, together with their ability to
choose their child's sex and an almost absolute obedience of members, allow them to carry on with
the scheme and to come very close to the intended end. But, as I have already pointed out, the
obedience of the Bene Gesserit members is not absolute. Lady Jessica did not follow the plan and
bore a son by this means she destroyed the complicated breeding scheme and opened number of the
other possibilities. Thanks to the sisterhood and their careful plans and precious manipulation,
Paul's genes are almost these of the Kwisatz Haderach. But because of his mother's will and
disobedience, he is not the Kwisatz Haderach the Bene Gesserit envisioned. He is not their willing
tool.
In this chapter, I have demonstrated how important and powerful the Bene Gesserit is. They are
able to influence the people and their opinions and make them to act in the preferred ways.
Therefore, they can secretly shape the world of Dune, in which they officially have no powers. They
have really mighty techniques that help them to gain their point. Among the most important of them
is their enclosed and stable organization. It stands behind the success of their breeding program and
also behind all their abilities gained by training. Their special focus on an observation of minute
details enables them to get deep knowledge of anybody and also to control anybody. Thanks to the
ability to control their muscles, nerves, internal organs and even chemical processes in their bodies,
they can stay alive in various dangerous situations. It is no wonder they are called `witches' by
common people. However their powers are mostly trained, they enable most of the female
characters to cope with the male-dominated world of Dune.
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Lady Jessica
In the preceding chapter, I used the character of Lady Jessica as a representative of the Bene
Gesserit. I think, she is the most important female character in Dune because the area of her action
is the widest one among the limited arenas of all the women. She is a mother of Paul, the main hero,
and therefore her position in the society is high. But on the other hand, she is defined by her
motherhood,which limits her at the same time. So first, I would like to show how smoothly she fits
in the Mother/Wife role and that she carries the defining features of this role that were described in
Chapter 2. But I think that even though she fulfills the role's definition so well, she counteracts it at
the same time. During the course of the novel, there are places and scenes where Lady Jessica acts
in a clearly opposite way to the defined stereotype. So, I would like to prove that the seeing Lady
Jessica only as the Mother of a hero is incomplete and show that she is much more active and
powerful than it seems at the first sight.
In the chapter on female stereotypical roles, I have defined the Mother/Wife role. Woman in this
role was described as passive and submissive in the relationship to her man. She was also defined as
life producing and nurturing, caring and having concern for her children. And she also should be
kind and beautiful. All these features can be discovered in the character of Lady Jessica and they
were more or less precisely transferred on the screen. So, I will demonstrate that she is assigned the
Mother/Wife role in the book and in the both film adaptations.
The passivity is the main attribute of all the women's appearance in the books or films. But in the
case of the Mother/Wife, her passivity manifests itself especially in her relationships with her
children or husband. She is frequently driven behind them and does not do anything on her own.
The majority of the decisions concerning her are done by her man or children, she does not do them
herself. So, in the novel, Lady Jessica is not deciding herself, all the decisions are done by Paul. On
the run from the Harkonnens to the desert he takes command and she simply follows his orders.
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After the first night in the desert, her son gives orders to get on the walk again:
`Pass up the pack,' it was Paul's voice, low and guarded.
She moved to obey, heard the water literjons gurgle as she shoved the pack across the floor.
She peered upward, saw the Paul framed against stars.
[...]
`Hurry up,' Paul said. `I want to collapse the tent.' (240)
Obviously, he himself has decided they have relaxed enough and they will continue in their run and
she obeys him without a question. Her mental position is emphasized by a physical position in this
scene. She sees her son above herself. He also goes first from the tent and she follows him. And
actually, he urges her to speed up not to hinder him from the further run. To collapse the tent is
clearly his will, it is not presented as a need or their shared wish. After the collapsing the tent:
"Jessica followed automatically, noting how she now lived in her son's orbit" (241). Obviously,
Jessica herself is aware of her sons lead and her following. In accordance with her role she is driven
behind her son.
In the relationship with her husband the Mother/Wife is passive, too. The man's decisions are
mostly superior to the woman's ones. The Mother/Wife is totally dependent on her men and behaves
submissively. The relationship between Jessica and Leto is balanced and affectionate, however, the
submission reveals also there and it stresses Jessica's Mother/Wife role. It is the most clearly visible
when they are discussing where to hang the painting of the Duke's father and the head of the bull
that killed him:
He glanced at the painting of his father. `Where were you going to hang that?'
`Somewhere in here.'
`No.' The word rang flat and final, [... .]
`My Lord,' she said, `If you'd only ...'
`The answer remains no. I indulge you shamefully in most things, not in this. I've just come
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from the dining hall where there are -'
`My lord! Please'
`The choice is between your digestion and my ancestral dignity, my dear,' he said. `They
will hang in the dining hall.'
She sighed. `Yes, my Lord.' (65)
It is clear that the Duke decides according to his interests and to preserve his ancestral dignity, and
Jessica obeys his orders. Her interests are not taken into the consideration, even though, he knows
about them. But they are seen as being inferior and absolutely irrelevant. Jessica does not fight
against her partner. She calmly and humbly agrees with him although it means she will have to
suffer the presence of these artifacts during every official meal. She submits to the Duke Leto and
stands to her Mother/Wife role. In the Harrison's film, there is no such a debate and so Jessica is
shown as much more independent, but only to a certain degree. The roles in their relationship are
distributed differently. It is Jessica's task to change the palace into a comfortable living place and
Leto is in charge of the protecting it. This distribution is also a sign of Jessica's role because the
care about the household is among the Mother/Wife's tasks. And so, the independence is not so
great as it may seem.
The life producing and nurturing qualities are the next features that define the Mother/Wife role.
They are clearly assigned to Lady Jessica in the opening of the book because she is mentioned for
the first time as "the mother of the boy, Paul" (13). Her ability to produce and nurture a new life is
further accentuated by her second pregnancy. She is in a close contact with her unborn daughter and
she uses all her Bene Gesserit abilities to protect Alia. Even during their run to the desert: "he
rest her hand on her abdomen, awareness focused on the embryo there" (222). She comforts the
child this way several times during the course of the story. The most important and interesting
occasion is after than Jessica drinks the `Water of Life' to become the Reverend Mother because, at
that moment, her comforting and care saves her daughter's sanity and probably the life, too. So, in
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accordance with her role, Jessica uses a great part of her potential to nurture her children. For the
Lynch's Dune, scene of Alia's birth was filmed. Finally, it was not included in the cinema version of
the film because of the extensive cutting, but I think, it can be taken as a prove that Lynch wanted to
emphasize Jessica's life producing ability and thus her role of the Mother.
Aside from the physical nurturing, children need care in various different fields. Especially, they
should be protected from all the dangers. This care and efforts to shield her child or children and
also the concern for them are another defining factor of the Mother/Wife. In Dune, Jessica
frequently fears for Paul and her feelings are so strong that she is not able to hide them, even
though, she is trained in the Bene Gesserit way. At the beginning of the book, when the Reverend
Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam comes to test whether Paul is `animal' or `human,' Lady Jessica
knows the test may kill Paul and she is scared. Her fear is so great, Paul can recognize it: "Jessica's
hand went to Paul's shoulder, tightened there. For a heartbeat, fear pulsed through her palm. [...]
What does she fear? Paul wondered" (17). Holding the son's shoulder is clear sign of the protection
or at least of a tendency to protect and the fear is pronounced clearly there. Jessica transparently
shows her concern for her son. This scene is similarly portrayed in both film adaptations. In both
cases Jessica leaves after the strict order of the Reverend Mother and she is waiting just behind the
door. When it is opened, she almost falls into the room. Therefore, her care and interest in her son's
well being makes her do things inappropriate for her. Similarly, during their settling in palace on
Arrakis, when she is giving instructions to one of the servants, she gets overwhelmed by fear for
Paul: "An urgent need to see her son gripped Jessica. She began walking toward the arched
doorway that led into the passage to the dining hall and the family wings. Faster and faster she
walked until she was almost running" (73-74). Even though she is not noble born, her breeding and
position of the Duke's concubine do not normally allow her to run through the palace like little girl.
But her care for Paul is more important for her than the social norms. This situation clearly shows
that she is the Mother at the first place and only then she is Lady.
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The last defining feature of woman, I would like to mention, is beauty. It appears in the features
of all of the stereotypical roles except of the Old Maid, but I think it differs a bit in every case. The
Mother/Wife's beauty is an earthly one mixed with kindness and feeling of safety. Lady Jessica's
appearance is described as "a regal beauty" (65) by the duke Leto and he continues in describing his
view of her: "The face was oval under a cap of hair the colour of polished bronze. Her eyes were set
wide, as green and clear as the morning skies of Caladan. The nose was small, the mouth wide and
generous. Her figure was good, but scant: tall and with its curves gone to slimness" (65). According
to the description, Lady Jessica is a beautiful woman and her beauty is universal, because the oval
face, clear eyes and small nose are thought to be the most attractive features by the majority of
people. The wide mouth connotes the smile and therefore the kindness of the Mother/Wife. In both
films, the actresses playing Lady Jessica were beautiful and both the directors hold close to the cited
description. But in my opinion, Jessica from the Harrison's miniseries, who was played by Saskia
Reeves, carries much more warmth and kindness and so she is more believable in her Mother/Wife
role.
I think, I have illustrated that Lady Jessica fits in the Mother/Wife role very smoothly and that
she fulfills most of the criteria that were mentioned in Chapter 2 as the defining features of this role.
So, she is perceived as the good mother protecting and supporting her children by the ordinary
reader. But in the rest of this chapter, I would like to prove that this view is biased. She is the
mother, but also a person on her own. She does her own decisions and has her own interests and this
directly antagonizes the base of the stereotypical role she is assigned to. She is not so passive and so
sacrificing herself to the Duke Leto or Paul as it may seem. First, I am going to focus on her having
the son instead of the daughter. This choice makes Jessica very active and her reasons for doing it
are also very interesting and allows for more than one explanation. Then I would like to mention
Jessica's actions when she and Paul come to the Fremen and also how she educates and advises
Paul. All these examples will show Lady Jessica acting and thus opposing her stereotypical role.
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As I have already written, Lady Jessica is mentioned for the first time in the novel as "the
mother of the boy;" she is not simply the mother, but the male sex of her offspring is included in the
description. The importance of this information reveals itself very early. Only four pages later the
Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, coming to test Paul, swears for herself: "Damn that
Jessica! [...] If only she'd borne us a girl as she was ordered to do!" (17) These are the first hints of
the Bene Gesserit breeding program that the reader gets and at the same time, this quote shows
Jessica's activity. She has independently and deliberately chosen the sex of her child. By this choice
she started the whole story. Because her son is not an ordinary child and he is not the Kwisatz
Haderach, he is something beyond all the expectations. Jessica has chosen to have son and so the
history was set on absolutely different track. It is not anything new that the sex of a child is
influenced by that half of genetic information it obtains from the father, but as the Reverend Mother
Mohiam says in one of the unpublished scenes: "Women have always controlled what sex their
offspring will be [. ...] By acceptance or rejection of sperm. Even when they didn't know the
mechanism of it, they controlled it" (Herbert, RTD 235). The Bene Gesserits know the mechanism
and therefore their control was brought from the subconscious level to the full consciousness. So
having a son instead of a daughter was Jessica's own decision and she was fully aware of it.
This notion of activity was to be even more stressed in the Jodorowsky's prepared film
adaptation. In this version the Duke Leto should be a sterile man, castrated during the bull fight.
Lady Jessica has to use her Bene Gesserit abilities to get inseminated by the drop of Leto's blood. In
the script: "[t]he camera followed [...] the red drop through the ovaries of the woman and sees its
meeting with the ovule where, by a miraculous explosion, it fertilises it" (Jodorowsky 6). The
efforts that Jessica has to invest into having the son would be immense. Without her special abilities
and her decision, there would be no son, no hero and in effect no story. Her predestined female
passivity is openly opposed by the fact that she herself makes a choice and therefore her fitting into
the traditional role does not seem so smooth any longer.
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There is a question that immediately rises when Jessica's disobedience is discussed. Why? What
was the reason she decided to disobey the orders from the sisterhood that brought her up and that
give her the immense abilities? The first possible reason is obvious, the relationship between her
and Leto is described as full of love so presumably she would do a lot to please him. In the society,
which is described in Dune and is so similar to the Middle Ages, sons are much more valued than
daughters. And thus, there are no doubts that the Duke Leto would prefer an heir instead of the
daughter. So, the first reason could be her love for the Duke. She uses it as an excuse when
confronted with the Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam:
`You were told to bear only daughters to the Atreides.'
`It meant so much to him,' Jessica pleaded.
`And you in your pride thought you could produce the Kwisatz Haderach!'
Jessica lifted her chin. `I sensed the possibility.'
`You thought only of your Duke's desire for a son,' the old woman snapped. (35)
It is obvious that the Reverend Mothers sees Jessica's feelings as the reason for her disobedience
and if this was the real reason, it would further support the notion of Jessica's submission to her
partner. But in this conversation one more reason is touched and it makes situation a bit more
complicated.
The second possible motivation for Jessica to have a son instead of a daughter obviously could
be the possibility that she may produce the Kwisatz Haderach. This would not mean anything to the
Duke, but for Jessica it would be a reason for a great pride because the Bene Gesserits were
carrying their breeding program for millenniums. Also, she as a mother of the Kwisatz Haderach
would enjoy the great reverence. It is interesting that, in the above quoted conversation with the
Reverend Mother, Jessica does not refuse her accusation. Her reaction is much closer to the
affirmation than to the denial. So it seems to me that the love to the Duke Leto is some kind of an
official reason that Jessica thought to be more easily accepted by the people, by the other members
43
of the sisterhood and also by the readers of the book. But the real grounds for her decision are
hidden in her wish to achieve something. And giving birth to the Kwisatz Haderach would surely
make her important. But her son is not precisely what the Bene Gesserits were aiming at, he is
something more, he says about himself: "You're thinking I'm the Kwisatz Haderach, [...] Put that
out of your mind. I'm something unexpected" (232). He has the power to see both future and past
and he is able to know his mother's thoughts. In this context, his accusation: "You didn't want a
son! [...] You wanted a Kwisatz Haderach! You wanted a male Bene Gesserit!" (229) have to be
viewed as the statement of fact. And it seems much more believable that the real reason for having a
son was not Jessica's love for the Duke, but her own interests. So, she has not only consciously
chosen the sex of her child, but moreover she was motivated by her own interests. Doing so, she put
herself in the center and the beginning of the whole story. Positively, this action counteracts the
assigned Mother/Wife role and Lady Jessica cannot be seen as passive and driven behind her
partner any more.
At the beginning of this chapter, I have described Jessica's relationship with Paul during their run
from the Harkonnens to the Fremen. I have shown that she follows her son, who makes the
decisions. So, when they first meet the Fremen troop in the rocks deep in the desert, Paul, as a
leader, should protect his mother. But the situation is different. She fights for herself and proves her
value. The Fremen have been told to seek Paul and protect him because he can be a messiah, who
will change the waste Arrakis to a flowering green paradise, but they are not sure about the value of
Jessica. In the harsh conditions of the desert, untrained people are generally a burden and they may
endanger the whole group. A non-Fremen woman is automatically thought to be untrained and
therefore worthless except for the value of the water that is incorporated in her body. Stilgar, the
leader of the Fremen troop, tells Jessica: "I can see possibility in this strong boy-man: he is young
and can learn. But what of yourself, woman?" (324). His statement shows that the value of the
person among the Fremen is directly proportional to his or her potential, both physical and mental
44
and that it is carefully judged. Physical strength of the woman is usually minor in comparison with
the man's force and so her worth has to be connected rather with the mental area. This can be
illustrated by the next part of the dialog between Stilgar and Jessica:
`The strength of a woman can be boundless,' Stilgar said. `Certain it is in a Reverend
Mother. Are you a Reverend Mother?'
For the moment, Jessica put aside the implications of the question, answered truthfully, `No.'
(324)
Obviously, Jessica's credit after this answer gets very low and Stilgar has decided according to the
Fremen rules to `take her water,' which means to kill her. At this point, Paul tries to step into the
discussion, but "Stilgar flicked a glance across Paul, but kept his attention on Jessica" (324-25).
Paul is clearly put out of his chief position and Stilgar becomes his and also Jessica's leader. He is
going to decide about her as it would be appropriate for her female role.
But Jessica does not behave according to her role at all. She does not conform to the rules and to
Stilgar's decision. On the contrary, she physically fights him:
Jessica's motion started as a slumping, deceptive faint to the ground. It was the obvious
thing for a weak outworlder to do, and the obvious slows an opponent's reactions. [ ...] She
shifted as she saw his right shoulder to drop to bring weapon within the folds of his robe to
bear on her new position. A turn, a slash of her arm, a whirling of mingled robes, and she was
against the rocks with the man helpless in front of her. (325)
In the blink of an eye, Lady Jessica has defeated the leader of the Fremen troop. It means that she
mastered the strongest and the most experienced man among them. So, her value has increased
steeply, and, after the fight, she is the most powerful person on the scene. She has proven the
physical strength, more precisely the ability to fight, and for sure, these are not included in the
characteristics of the Mother/Wife role. The only instant when, according to the stereotypes, woman
fights is when her child is in danger. Then she is able to sacrifice herself to protect her offspring.
45
But clearly, Jessica has not fought to save Paul because his life was not in danger as Stilgar clearly
stated. She has attacked Stilgar and has mastered him to prove her value and save her own life. This
is in outstanding opposition to the passivity and self-sacrificing that are typical for the Mother/Wife.
If she was to resign, she would not fight and would die for her son. So she has not obviously chosen
sacrificing herself to Paul because her attack endangered her son's life. To sum it up, she has
decided to fight for herself and this way she contradicts more of the defining features of the
Mother/Wife role.
I would like to illustrate her strong will and independent decision making on one more example.
After the meeting in the desert, the group of Fremen with Paul and Jessica goes to the sietch, city
dug in the rocks, where the Fremen live. But the Fremen are about to leave this one and move
deeper to the desert to hide from the Harkonnens. Before the departure, Lady Jessica decides to
undergo an unknown rite and this way become the Reverend Mother, which will secure her stable
social position. I will show that also in this case she decides on her own and choses the possibility
that is the best for her. By doing this, she endangers her unborn daughter and thus she counteracts
her characteristics as nurturing and life producing.
In the novel, there is not described the situation where Lady Jessica is asked or offered to
undergo the rite. The reader is only informed that she will do it. So, her decision making is left
completely to her and it is hardly even mediated to the reader. The first instant, where the reader
gets familiar with the fact that she made a decision, is following dialog:
`Your son has been summoned from his rest, Sayyadina,' Stilgar said. `Do you wish him to
share in your decision?'
`Could he change my decision?'
`Certainly, the air with which you speak comes from your own lungs, but -'
`The decision stands,' she said. (402)
It is obvious from this quotation that the rite she will have to go through is dangerous, that is the
46
probable reason why Stilgar offers her a possibility to consult her decision with Paul. But what is
interesting, Paul cannot change her decision against her will, he can only give her an advice, but the
decision has to be her own. This is interesting difference between the traditional stereotype and the
situation in the Fremen culture. Lady Jessica chooses to make use of this tradition and takes it even
further by not discussing her decision with her son at all.
The value of the Reverend Mother has been implied in the paragraph on the fight in the desert. In
the quotation, Stilgar has said that the Reverend Mother's strength is `boundless' and so her value is
also eminent. This perception gets stronger during the beginning of the rite. Stilgar speaks to the
Fremen of the sietch, who have gathered in the great cavern:
`The Reverend Mother tells me she cannot survive another hajra,' Stilgar said. `We have
lived before without a Reverend Mother, but it is not good for people to seek a new home in
such straits.'
Now, the throng stirred, rippling with whispers and currents of disquiet.
`That this may not come to pass,' Stilgar said, `our new Sayyadina, Jessica of the Weirding,
has consented to enter the rite at this time. She will attempt to pass within that we not lose the
strength of our Reverend Mother.' (404)
The quotation shows that the image of long and probably very dangerous travel without a Reverend
Mother is very disquieting and depressive for the gathered Fremen. This disquiet very openly
implies the value and powers of a Reverend Mother, it is clear that the Fremen are aware of the
deep knowledge that a Reverend Mother gets during the rite. It is very similar to the process of
becoming the Reverend Mother of the Bene Gesserit that I have described in Chapter 4. During the
rite, the adept gets memories of all the Reverend Mothers that have preceded her. So, a Reverend
Mother in one moment acquires the store of knowledge of the whole tribe. And this knowledge may
appear essential during their travel to a new home. It needn't to be deduced from the reaction of the
gathered public because Stilgar admits it openly, too. So, the Reverend Mother's position in the
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Fremen society is unique and Jessica's try to become the Reverend Mother, if completed
successfully, will bring her respect and safety with all the Fremen.
Lady Jessica does not know the concrete process of the rite, but she is aware of the danger that is
hidden in it. Stilgar speaks about it as about a try, therefore the possibility of failure is probably
quite high. And Jessica is pregnant for a few weeks so her unborn daughter is very vulnerable. Lady
Jessica is conscious of the danger after she have rejected consultation with Paul and she is aware
that "[t]here was an unborn daughter to think of as well. What endangered the flesh of the mother
endangered the flesh of the daughter" (402). She has not told the Fremen about her pregnancy
during the meeting in the desert, probably, there was no time to do it and moreover she would be
considered even weaker person and greater burden for the tribe. But she has not told Stilgar even
when she has decided to undergo the rite. This surely was the proper place and time to tell him and
this way she could protect her daughter's life as she, according to her Mother/Wife role, should. But
Lady Jessica drinks the Water of Life and thanks to her Bene Gesserit training she is able to change
poison in it into more or less harmless mind-expander. After the change, she gets connected with the
dying Reverend Mother who is horrified by Jessica's pregnancy. They both see unborn Alia by their
inner eyes:
The other mote darted wildly here, there, circling. It radiated pure terror.
`You'll have to be strong,' the old Reverend Mother's image-presence said. `Be thankful it's
a daughter you carry. This would've killed a male foetus. (410)
By drinking the Water of Life, Jessica has awakened her daughter far before her birth and scared her
almost to death. I think, she has not thought about the proportions of the danger before. She as a
fully mentally developed adult woman with the Bene Gesserit training was prepared for a change
that has come after drinking the Water of Life, but her daughter gets changed, too. And to her, it has
been done without any preparation and in a wrong time. Moreover, Jessica did not know the process
so she was unaware of the fact that it would kill `only' the male fetus, so the threat to her daughter's
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life is very close Jessica realizes all these facts after accepting the old Reverend Mother's
knowledge and memories: "I did it, my poor, unformed, dear little daughter. I brought you into this
universe and exposed your awareness to all its varieties without any defences" (411). So after her
deed, she comes back to her Mother/Wife role, she comforts her daughter and stays in close contact
with her, but her decision to undergo the rite and take the risk of drinking the Water of Life goes
directly opposite nurturing and life-producing characteristics of the stereotypical role.
So together with her refusal to let Paul participate on her decision, which shows her activity and
opposes the feature of being driven, she once more reveals herself as counteracting the stereotypical
role of the Mother/Wife. She has not drank the Water of Life for her son's behalf as Jack Hand
argues in his article. She has done it to secure her own position among the Fremen. Paul was
perfectly safe at the moment she decided to go through the rite and thus the argument that "[she]
invites the dangers of the sandworm-derived water, not primarily for her own benefit, but in order to
consolidate Paul's position among the Fremen" (Hand 27) seems absurd to me. Paul's position is
stable almost from the first moment they meet the Fremen in the rocks in the desert, Lady Jessica is
the person in the danger. And becoming the Reverend Mother gives her shelter and respect, so she
herself has the greatest benefit from taking the Water of Life. The situation is very similar to the
fight with Stilgar, once more Jessica has to fight for herself to secure her position and life among
the Fremen.
Jessica as a parent of Paul is supposed to educate him, but after the run from the Harkonnens,
when he became a leader and Jessica followed him the roles have swapped. I would like to present
an example of Jessica educating Paul, and therefore, getting the dominant and active role. The
situation takes place between the fight in the desert and Jessica's change to the Reverend Mother. In
the desert, Paul shames one of the Fremens and later he has to meet him in the single combat. Paul
has easily won even though it was the first man he has ever killed. After the victory, everybody
praises him, but Jessica is conscious of the importance of that moment: "He has killed a man in
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clear superiority of mind and muscle. He must not grow to enjoy such a victory" (352). She does not
want her son to enjoy killing people and so she decides to step in and remind him what he has just
done:
She compressed ultimate scorn into her voice and manner, said: `We-l-l, now how does it
feel to be a killer?'
Paul stiffened as though he had been struck. He met his mother's cold glare and his face
darkened with a rush of blood. (353)
Lady Jessica acts dominant and seemingly without sympathy for her son, but her utterance was
precisely aimed and it works out. Paul awakes from the euphoria and realizes all the consequences
of his deed. It is interesting that at this moment, he becomes again a small child that can be scold
and who is ashamed of his fault. That is in the opposition to the distribution of the roles after the run
from Harkonens and it makes Jessica, a woman, active and Paul, a man, passive. The stereotypical
roles are reversed for this moment.
mainly in lessons to Paul. He is taught about the system of the Universe and the reader is learning
with him. Personality of the 'teacher' is quite important in these situations because it bears power
and authority. It is mostly the Duke Leto who warns his son and tries to get him prepared for the
fights and treachery he foresees. So, the dominance of males is highlighted once more. But the
following summary of the whole structure is in the book uttered by somebody else and it is great
surprise that she is a woman. Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam says: "We've a three-point
civilisation: the Imperial Household balanced against the federated Great Houses of the Landsraad,
and between them, the Guild with its damnable monopoly on interstellar transport. In politics, the
tripod is the most unstable of all structures" (36). The instability of the structure is the most
important information from the summary because it enables the story to develop. These statements
also uncover the intelligence of the Reverend Mother to a particular extent. She has to have
relatively extended knowledge of politics to identify that the system is not stable. Even though,
27
officially, there is no place for females in reigning, still, they are not out of it completely. In
Harrison's Dune, this summary is uttered by Dr. Yueh, more precisely by his hologram, during the
Paul's lesson in the opening scene of the film. The authority and knowledge is given back to the
man.
So what is the official role of women in the Dune society? What are they allowed to do if they
are banished from the participation in the Landsraad or the Guild and from the Padishah Emperor's
throne without any doubts, too. They are left with two of the most traditional areas of influence:
household and religion. Within the first one they are valued as bearers and nurturers of life,
landladies and companions. But their greatest value, especially when they are daughters, is that they
can be married and so the new alliances can be established or the old enmities conciliated. This role
of the bond,which also typical for the Middle Ages, is represented by the princess Irulan. At the end
of Dune, she is married to Paul to make his accession to the Padishah Emperors throne legal and
smooth. In the Harrisson's film, this Irulan's role is emphasized by her father's disappointment by
her sex and his clear statement that the most important thing is to find her a suitable husband. None
of the above mentioned roles brings women a respect. They are not taken seriously, they are thought
to be sensitive as opposite to male's rationality. It can be seen in the Duke's carelessness when he
speaks with Paul about the Reverend Mother's warnings. He says: "Don't let a woman's fears cloud
your mind. No woman wants her loved ones endangered. The hand behind those warnings was your
mother's. Take this as a sign of her love for us" (57). In this case "woman's fears" are not only the
fears that a woman has, but also the fears that are unreasoning and a bit absurd. They are very often
based only on feelings and instincts and therefore men do not believe them and laugh at them. The
only quality the Duke appreciates in his concubine is her love for him and their son. So, according
to him, she lives only through his and Paul's lives, which clearly corresponds to the characteristics
of the Mother/Wife role in the system of the literary female stereotypes. Via this stereotype the two
most important characteristics of women passivity and weakness appear. The females are not
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participating in the fights for power, they are mostly staying in their households and taking care.
When the Padishah Emperor comes to Arrakis to crush the Fremen rebellion, he takes with him his
whole household and Paul comments it: "They've even brought their women, [... .] Ah-h-h, my dear
Emperor, how confident you are" (516). It is clear that he considers women very weak. Therefore,
according to this opinion, they should be shielded and taken as far from fight as possible. Taken,
because they are not supposed to have the will of their own.
As I have already mentioned, the second area of influence, which are women allowed to
participate in, is religion. According to Hand: "women have always exerted official or unofficial
power in the area of religion" (25). Considering this, the Herbert's world is not so surprising. He
created a Bene Gesserit order, the secret sisterhood, hidden in the background of all the plans and
diplomacy. The Bene Gesserit complements the tripod composed from the Emperor, the Landsraad
and the Spacing Guild. It seems to be a religious order, but powers and abilities of its members are
much greater and therefore I will explore them in greater detail in the next chapter.
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Bene Gesserit
I think it is impossible to speak about women in Dune and omit the Bene Gesserit. Most of the
female characters, who appear in the book, are members of this society and this membership defines
these women to great extent. It gives them unusual abilities and also limits them by its rules. Except
Chani, all of the remaining females, who I would like to study closer, are Bene Gesserits, but Lady
Jessica has the greatest space in the book and her abilities can unfold in its full scale. Therefore, I
will use her as an example of all the Bene Gesserit techniques and abilities. According to the
"Terminology of the Imperium," little dictionary that Herbert added to his novel, the Bene Gesserit
is: "the ancient school of mental and physical training established primarily for female students ..."
(587). This short definition gives only the brief idea of the Bene Gesserit because its powers go far
beyond these few words. Bene Gesserits use science, especially psychology and biology,very well,
they are good at politics and in a certain way they could be described as a religious order. These
three concepts mingle together in their goals and in their training.
The feeling of religion appears when the Bene Gesserit is described as a sisterhood. It is a
secretive community with strict rules, which can be called an `order' and these connotations are
supported by the sound of the name itself because `Gesserit' sounds pretty similar to `Jesuit'. Brian
Herbert speculates about this connection in his biography of his father and it is also commented on
by O'Reilly, he says that "Herbert has described the Bene Gesserit as `female Jesuits'" (O'Reilly,
ch 5). And he also argues that this order could have been inspired by Herbert's life because he has
ten aunts and they forced his father to enroll him to the Jesuit school. It might be the source of the
inspiration, but I think that Herbert rather had in mind images that the name would invoke.
These associations and speculations are further developed by possible translations of "Bene
Gesserit". According to Wikipedia, the name was probably taken from the Latin and means "`he
shall have behaved well'. [... .] Among the [other] possibilities are `it will have done well', `she
30
will have born [a child] well'" (Wikipedia, "Origin of the name"). The first possible translation is
obviously tied with the strong discipline of the order and with the harsh training of its members.
The last one sounds interesting and perhaps also a bit awkward in a connection with a religious
order, but the Bene Gesserit is not a typical one because it possesses only some features of a typical
order. One of the main aims, the girls are trained for, is to bear a child to a man they have been told
to and do it in proper time according to the Bene Gesserit's plans. Therefore, the last translation of
the name is a bit awkward when talking about a religious order, but it will be surprisingly fitting
when I will speak about their breeding program.
There is one more connection of the Bene Gesserit with religion, but it is absolutely turned up
side down. Members of an arm of the order called Missionaria Protectiva travel throughout the
universe and modify existing religions by implanting prophecies and messiahs into them. There are
two purposes for doing this. The first one helps the Bene Gesserit to be a political force because
through religion, they can control and influence the whole society and at the same time stay in the
shade. The second purpose is more clear and obvious. Every Bene Gesserit knows prophecies and
means used by Missionaria Protectiva and thus when endangered she could use them and gain
security among the people. Lady Jessica takes this advantage when she and Paul are forced to
escape to the desert and they need to secure their place among the Fremen, desert people. Paul is
considered to be Mahdi and she needs to prove that they really are the mother and son that are
supposed to come according to the legend. Thanks to Missionaria Protectiva, she knows the chant
that is embedded in Fremen's religion and by producing it right she secures their position. After the
chant: "she felt cynical bitterness at what she had done. [And thought:] Our Missionaria Protectiva
seldom fails. A place was prepared for us in this wilderness. The prayer of salat has carved out our
hiding place" (340). She is disgusted by the Bene Gesserit methods and feels that she is not frank to
the Fremen, but on the other hand, she knows very well that this deception saved her and Paul's
lives. So Missionaria Protective proves its importance.
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I described the Bene Gesserit as a religious order, but it is evident that this characteristic is
everything, but definite. It is caused by the complicated essence of this religious order. A more
precise term to describe it is probably a word sisterhood that I used at the beginning and which
meaning has not been so narrowed in our culture. The rest of the Bene Gesserit interests should be
explored to get deeper knowledge and more complete image. Frequently, people tend to think in the
means of binary opposition and the opposite of religion is very often science. I have already said
that the Bene Gesserit uses biology and psychology for its purposes. Their members are trained to
expand their ordinary abilities and the techniques are so successful that the Bene Gesserits are very
often called `witches' by people outside the sisterhood.
Members of the sisterhood are trained both physically and mentally so let me start with a
physical training and abilities. Thanks to various lessons similar to Yoga or meditation, the Bene
Gesserits are aware of any muscle or nerve in their bodies and they also have control over each of
them. This allows them to stay calm in every situation, which helps them to think clearly even
under stress or in danger. Paul was taught these techniques by his mother and he uses them
frequently throughout the book. The most impressive moment is when Jessica gets accidentally
buried under the slide of sand. He "still the savage beating of his heart, set his mind as a blank
slate upon which the past few moments could write themselves" (289). Thanks to his calm and
precise recalling and analyzing of the action that lasted only a second, he finds and digs out his
mother. All the process of calming, recalling and analyzing takes him only a moment, which is also
very important in a danger. With all his speed and calm he still would not probably be able to rescue
his mother in time because, when buried under the sand, she would suffocate. But she as a Bene
Gesserit has control not only over all muscles and nerves, but over internal organs too. She puts
herself in some kind of lethargy and so she gives Paul more time to find her. A Bene Gesserit's
control over internal organs is such that "[t]hey can commit suicide at will by simply stopping their
hearts" (Wikipedia, "Internal Organic-Chemical Control"). They are also able to control the sex of
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the child they will bear. This is a remarkable ability that makes their biological breeding program
possible and, in fact, the whole story originates in it. Lady Jessica was commanded to have a
daughter with the Duke Leto Atreides, but she did not obey and bore a son Paul. Other members
of the Bene Gesserit obey the instructions there are given by the sisterhood and thus for example the
Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV has no male heir.
The control over internal organs involves also a control over chemical processes in the body and
any Bene Gesserit can change chemical structures of substances included in her body. This ability
allows Jessica to stay alive when she had to drink the `Water of Life', poisoned and drug containing
substance, to prove her exceptionalness and make her and Paul's position among the Fremen more
secure. She becomes impaired by the drug and thus she sinks to herself to confront her inner self.
She is aware of the danger and she is looking for it in the water she drank:
she began recognizing familiar structures, atomic linkages: a carbon atom here, helical
wavering ... a glucose molecule. An entire chain of molecules confronted her, and she
recognized a protein ... a methyl-protein configuration.
Ah-h-h!
It was a soundless mental sigh within her as she saw the nature of the poison.
With her psychokinestehetic probing, she moved into it, shifted an oxygen mote, allowed
another carbon mote to link, reattached a linkage of oxygen ... hydrogen. (408-9)
Her search and following changes illustrate the level on which a Bene Gesserit is able to influence
processes and functions of her body and it also shows that they are deeply educated in various
fields, including for example chemistry.
All the Bene Gesserit physical abilities are based on the extreme concentration. The members of
the sisterhood use their consciousness, but they are very well aware of unconsciousness. As
O'Reilly remarks they are "conscious by choice" (O'Reilly, ch 4). They are able to focus on
important things even though they are presented only as minor details. This ability, which is
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acquired by intensive training, makes them appear almost inhuman. From the smallest hints in
person's behavior, for example pose, voice or reaction to the Bene Gesserit interaction, they are able
to deduce a state of one's mind. Some of the members can even recognize whether the person is
lying or not for a certainty. This is very helpful when dealing with unknown people or in unknown
setting. People that are known can be much more easily manipulated. The sisterhood makes use of it
and after identifying one's personality and momentary state could make him do what they need.
The Voice, one of the most powerful and active `weapons' of the Bene Gesserit, is also based on
the detailed understanding of the person that is to be commanded. Every member of the sisterhood
learns how to adjust her voice according to the person: its loudness, pitch, timbre and tone. And she
"can speak to a person's unconscious mind, [command] it in a way that the conscious mind is aware
of, but cannot resist" (Wikipedia, "The Voice"). The Voice is used several times through the novel.
In one scene, Lady Jessica uses it on one of the Duke Leto's men to prove her strength. After he
finds himself sitting back on a chair as she wished: "[he] tried to swallow in a dry throat. Her
command had been regal, preemptory uttered in a tone and manner he had found completely
irresistible. His body had obeyed her before he could think about it. Nothing could have prevented
his responsenot logic, not passionate anger . . . nothing" (84). The enormous power of the Voice is
proved clearly by this example, because the commanded man is very well educated, intelligent and
wise. From his reaction it can be deduced that Lady Jessica was good student of the Bene Gesserit
knowledge because the effect of the Voice always depends on the ability of the user to observe, to
analyze and also on her experience.
It can be assumed that the Voice is based on the power of the word itself and also Wikipedia
describes it as "an extreme version of oratorical ability" ("The Voice"). In all cultures, especially in
these without writing, some words are special. They cannot be pronounced at all occasions and they
have to be handled with a special care like ceremonial objects. The Bene Gesserit share this respect
of words and it is manifested most clearly by the "Litany Against Fear":
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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. (267)
The purpose of these words is special. They should focus one's thoughts on one stable point to
allow one's mind to start working again. When a Bene Gesserit is stressed and she cannot establish
her calm only by her will, the Litany is a powerful device. It could be learned easily and its form
supports the flow of the words. Thus it is not complicated to go through it even when the mind is
clouded by a fear. Moreover, the minor variations of the words are not important and they appear
throughout the book. The most important words are preserved in all the versions and the power of
the Litany is hidden mainly in its rhythm and sound.
The word `fear' appears several times in the litany and I think it is because it should be
pronounced to be made trivial. As I remarked earlier, special words have special occasions to be
said and some of them should never be pronounced. When the word is pronounced many times, it is
defeated and its power is diminished. One had to confront oneself with the word and its meaning to
say it aloud and when he or, in the case under question, mostly she admits the fear openly, it is
partly destroyed. It is no longer anything special and it has no power over her.
All these above mentioned abilities, techniques and training are fascinating, but they do not exist
only for their own sake. As I have already remarked, the Bene Gesserit can be seen as a political
force, too and their members use various devices to influence people and their actions. But even this
political struggle can be seen as a tool for a greater goal they hope to achieve by a complex
breeding program they carry on for countless generations. They try to isolate specific genes that
should produce the Kwisatz Haderach, `the shortening of the way'. He should be a male Bene
Gesserit with abilities to see both future and past. Some of Bene Gesserits are able to see the past,
but only along their female ancestors' line. When looking to past, there is always a place that
35
frightens them and they are unable to face it. The Kwisatz Haderach would be able to see male as
well as female pasts, to look straight at this horrifying place and doing so he would open "the
depths of active male psychology as well as the receptive female" (O'Reilly, ch 3). So he would
interconnect the two poles male and female, and make activity and passivity one thing. Bene
Gesserits take advantage of their skills in controlling other people, but most usually they use
traditional `weapons' as female beauty and enjoyable behavior. These, together with their ability to
choose their child's sex and an almost absolute obedience of members, allow them to carry on with
the scheme and to come very close to the intended end. But, as I have already pointed out, the
obedience of the Bene Gesserit members is not absolute. Lady Jessica did not follow the plan and
bore a son by this means she destroyed the complicated breeding scheme and opened number of the
other possibilities. Thanks to the sisterhood and their careful plans and precious manipulation,
Paul's genes are almost these of the Kwisatz Haderach. But because of his mother's will and
disobedience, he is not the Kwisatz Haderach the Bene Gesserit envisioned. He is not their willing
tool.
In this chapter, I have demonstrated how important and powerful the Bene Gesserit is. They are
able to influence the people and their opinions and make them to act in the preferred ways.
Therefore, they can secretly shape the world of Dune, in which they officially have no powers. They
have really mighty techniques that help them to gain their point. Among the most important of them
is their enclosed and stable organization. It stands behind the success of their breeding program and
also behind all their abilities gained by training. Their special focus on an observation of minute
details enables them to get deep knowledge of anybody and also to control anybody. Thanks to the
ability to control their muscles, nerves, internal organs and even chemical processes in their bodies,
they can stay alive in various dangerous situations. It is no wonder they are called `witches' by
common people. However their powers are mostly trained, they enable most of the female
characters to cope with the male-dominated world of Dune.
36
Lady Jessica
In the preceding chapter, I used the character of Lady Jessica as a representative of the Bene
Gesserit. I think, she is the most important female character in Dune because the area of her action
is the widest one among the limited arenas of all the women. She is a mother of Paul, the main hero,
and therefore her position in the society is high. But on the other hand, she is defined by her
motherhood,which limits her at the same time. So first, I would like to show how smoothly she fits
in the Mother/Wife role and that she carries the defining features of this role that were described in
Chapter 2. But I think that even though she fulfills the role's definition so well, she counteracts it at
the same time. During the course of the novel, there are places and scenes where Lady Jessica acts
in a clearly opposite way to the defined stereotype. So, I would like to prove that the seeing Lady
Jessica only as the Mother of a hero is incomplete and show that she is much more active and
powerful than it seems at the first sight.
In the chapter on female stereotypical roles, I have defined the Mother/Wife role. Woman in this
role was described as passive and submissive in the relationship to her man. She was also defined as
life producing and nurturing, caring and having concern for her children. And she also should be
kind and beautiful. All these features can be discovered in the character of Lady Jessica and they
were more or less precisely transferred on the screen. So, I will demonstrate that she is assigned the
Mother/Wife role in the book and in the both film adaptations.
The passivity is the main attribute of all the women's appearance in the books or films. But in the
case of the Mother/Wife, her passivity manifests itself especially in her relationships with her
children or husband. She is frequently driven behind them and does not do anything on her own.
The majority of the decisions concerning her are done by her man or children, she does not do them
herself. So, in the novel, Lady Jessica is not deciding herself, all the decisions are done by Paul. On
the run from the Harkonnens to the desert he takes command and she simply follows his orders.
37
After the first night in the desert, her son gives orders to get on the walk again:
`Pass up the pack,' it was Paul's voice, low and guarded.
She moved to obey, heard the water literjons gurgle as she shoved the pack across the floor.
She peered upward, saw the Paul framed against stars.
[...]
`Hurry up,' Paul said. `I want to collapse the tent.' (240)
Obviously, he himself has decided they have relaxed enough and they will continue in their run and
she obeys him without a question. Her mental position is emphasized by a physical position in this
scene. She sees her son above herself. He also goes first from the tent and she follows him. And
actually, he urges her to speed up not to hinder him from the further run. To collapse the tent is
clearly his will, it is not presented as a need or their shared wish. After the collapsing the tent:
"Jessica followed automatically, noting how she now lived in her son's orbit" (241). Obviously,
Jessica herself is aware of her sons lead and her following. In accordance with her role she is driven
behind her son.
In the relationship with her husband the Mother/Wife is passive, too. The man's decisions are
mostly superior to the woman's ones. The Mother/Wife is totally dependent on her men and behaves
submissively. The relationship between Jessica and Leto is balanced and affectionate, however, the
submission reveals also there and it stresses Jessica's Mother/Wife role. It is the most clearly visible
when they are discussing where to hang the painting of the Duke's father and the head of the bull
that killed him:
He glanced at the painting of his father. `Where were you going to hang that?'
`Somewhere in here.'
`No.' The word rang flat and final, [... .]
`My Lord,' she said, `If you'd only ...'
`The answer remains no. I indulge you shamefully in most things, not in this. I've just come
38
from the dining hall where there are -'
`My lord! Please'
`The choice is between your digestion and my ancestral dignity, my dear,' he said. `They
will hang in the dining hall.'
She sighed. `Yes, my Lord.' (65)
It is clear that the Duke decides according to his interests and to preserve his ancestral dignity, and
Jessica obeys his orders. Her interests are not taken into the consideration, even though, he knows
about them. But they are seen as being inferior and absolutely irrelevant. Jessica does not fight
against her partner. She calmly and humbly agrees with him although it means she will have to
suffer the presence of these artifacts during every official meal. She submits to the Duke Leto and
stands to her Mother/Wife role. In the Harrison's film, there is no such a debate and so Jessica is
shown as much more independent, but only to a certain degree. The roles in their relationship are
distributed differently. It is Jessica's task to change the palace into a comfortable living place and
Leto is in charge of the protecting it. This distribution is also a sign of Jessica's role because the
care about the household is among the Mother/Wife's tasks. And so, the independence is not so
great as it may seem.
The life producing and nurturing qualities are the next features that define the Mother/Wife role.
They are clearly assigned to Lady Jessica in the opening of the book because she is mentioned for
the first time as "the mother of the boy, Paul" (13). Her ability to produce and nurture a new life is
further accentuated by her second pregnancy. She is in a close contact with her unborn daughter and
she uses all her Bene Gesserit abilities to protect Alia. Even during their run to the desert: "he
rest her hand on her abdomen, awareness focused on the embryo there" (222). She comforts the
child this way several times during the course of the story. The most important and interesting
occasion is after than Jessica drinks the `Water of Life' to become the Reverend Mother because, at
that moment, her comforting and care saves her daughter's sanity and probably the life, too. So, in
39
accordance with her role, Jessica uses a great part of her potential to nurture her children. For the
Lynch's Dune, scene of Alia's birth was filmed. Finally, it was not included in the cinema version of
the film because of the extensive cutting, but I think, it can be taken as a prove that Lynch wanted to
emphasize Jessica's life producing ability and thus her role of the Mother.
Aside from the physical nurturing, children need care in various different fields. Especially, they
should be protected from all the dangers. This care and efforts to shield her child or children and
also the concern for them are another defining factor of the Mother/Wife. In Dune, Jessica
frequently fears for Paul and her feelings are so strong that she is not able to hide them, even
though, she is trained in the Bene Gesserit way. At the beginning of the book, when the Reverend
Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam comes to test whether Paul is `animal' or `human,' Lady Jessica
knows the test may kill Paul and she is scared. Her fear is so great, Paul can recognize it: "Jessica's
hand went to Paul's shoulder, tightened there. For a heartbeat, fear pulsed through her palm. [...]
What does she fear? Paul wondered" (17). Holding the son's shoulder is clear sign of the protection
or at least of a tendency to protect and the fear is pronounced clearly there. Jessica transparently
shows her concern for her son. This scene is similarly portrayed in both film adaptations. In both
cases Jessica leaves after the strict order of the Reverend Mother and she is waiting just behind the
door. When it is opened, she almost falls into the room. Therefore, her care and interest in her son's
well being makes her do things inappropriate for her. Similarly, during their settling in palace on
Arrakis, when she is giving instructions to one of the servants, she gets overwhelmed by fear for
Paul: "An urgent need to see her son gripped Jessica. She began walking toward the arched
doorway that led into the passage to the dining hall and the family wings. Faster and faster she
walked until she was almost running" (73-74). Even though she is not noble born, her breeding and
position of the Duke's concubine do not normally allow her to run through the palace like little girl.
But her care for Paul is more important for her than the social norms. This situation clearly shows
that she is the Mother at the first place and only then she is Lady.
40
The last defining feature of woman, I would like to mention, is beauty. It appears in the features
of all of the stereotypical roles except of the Old Maid, but I think it differs a bit in every case. The
Mother/Wife's beauty is an earthly one mixed with kindness and feeling of safety. Lady Jessica's
appearance is described as "a regal beauty" (65) by the duke Leto and he continues in describing his
view of her: "The face was oval under a cap of hair the colour of polished bronze. Her eyes were set
wide, as green and clear as the morning skies of Caladan. The nose was small, the mouth wide and
generous. Her figure was good, but scant: tall and with its curves gone to slimness" (65). According
to the description, Lady Jessica is a beautiful woman and her beauty is universal, because the oval
face, clear eyes and small nose are thought to be the most attractive features by the majority of
people. The wide mouth connotes the smile and therefore the kindness of the Mother/Wife. In both
films, the actresses playing Lady Jessica were beautiful and both the directors hold close to the cited
description. But in my opinion, Jessica from the Harrison's miniseries, who was played by Saskia
Reeves, carries much more warmth and kindness and so she is more believable in her Mother/Wife
role.
I think, I have illustrated that Lady Jessica fits in the Mother/Wife role very smoothly and that
she fulfills most of the criteria that were mentioned in Chapter 2 as the defining features of this role.
So, she is perceived as the good mother protecting and supporting her children by the ordinary
reader. But in the rest of this chapter, I would like to prove that this view is biased. She is the
mother, but also a person on her own. She does her own decisions and has her own interests and this
directly antagonizes the base of the stereotypical role she is assigned to. She is not so passive and so
sacrificing herself to the Duke Leto or Paul as it may seem. First, I am going to focus on her having
the son instead of the daughter. This choice makes Jessica very active and her reasons for doing it
are also very interesting and allows for more than one explanation. Then I would like to mention
Jessica's actions when she and Paul come to the Fremen and also how she educates and advises
Paul. All these examples will show Lady Jessica acting and thus opposing her stereotypical role.
41
As I have already written, Lady Jessica is mentioned for the first time in the novel as "the
mother of the boy;" she is not simply the mother, but the male sex of her offspring is included in the
description. The importance of this information reveals itself very early. Only four pages later the
Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, coming to test Paul, swears for herself: "Damn that
Jessica! [...] If only she'd borne us a girl as she was ordered to do!" (17) These are the first hints of
the Bene Gesserit breeding program that the reader gets and at the same time, this quote shows
Jessica's activity. She has independently and deliberately chosen the sex of her child. By this choice
she started the whole story. Because her son is not an ordinary child and he is not the Kwisatz
Haderach, he is something beyond all the expectations. Jessica has chosen to have son and so the
history was set on absolutely different track. It is not anything new that the sex of a child is
influenced by that half of genetic information it obtains from the father, but as the Reverend Mother
Mohiam says in one of the unpublished scenes: "Women have always controlled what sex their
offspring will be [. ...] By acceptance or rejection of sperm. Even when they didn't know the
mechanism of it, they controlled it" (Herbert, RTD 235). The Bene Gesserits know the mechanism
and therefore their control was brought from the subconscious level to the full consciousness. So
having a son instead of a daughter was Jessica's own decision and she was fully aware of it.
This notion of activity was to be even more stressed in the Jodorowsky's prepared film
adaptation. In this version the Duke Leto should be a sterile man, castrated during the bull fight.
Lady Jessica has to use her Bene Gesserit abilities to get inseminated by the drop of Leto's blood. In
the script: "[t]he camera followed [...] the red drop through the ovaries of the woman and sees its
meeting with the ovule where, by a miraculous explosion, it fertilises it" (Jodorowsky 6). The
efforts that Jessica has to invest into having the son would be immense. Without her special abilities
and her decision, there would be no son, no hero and in effect no story. Her predestined female
passivity is openly opposed by the fact that she herself makes a choice and therefore her fitting into
the traditional role does not seem so smooth any longer.
42
There is a question that immediately rises when Jessica's disobedience is discussed. Why? What
was the reason she decided to disobey the orders from the sisterhood that brought her up and that
give her the immense abilities? The first possible reason is obvious, the relationship between her
and Leto is described as full of love so presumably she would do a lot to please him. In the society,
which is described in Dune and is so similar to the Middle Ages, sons are much more valued than
daughters. And thus, there are no doubts that the Duke Leto would prefer an heir instead of the
daughter. So, the first reason could be her love for the Duke. She uses it as an excuse when
confronted with the Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam:
`You were told to bear only daughters to the Atreides.'
`It meant so much to him,' Jessica pleaded.
`And you in your pride thought you could produce the Kwisatz Haderach!'
Jessica lifted her chin. `I sensed the possibility.'
`You thought only of your Duke's desire for a son,' the old woman snapped. (35)
It is obvious that the Reverend Mothers sees Jessica's feelings as the reason for her disobedience
and if this was the real reason, it would further support the notion of Jessica's submission to her
partner. But in this conversation one more reason is touched and it makes situation a bit more
complicated.
The second possible motivation for Jessica to have a son instead of a daughter obviously could
be the possibility that she may produce the Kwisatz Haderach. This would not mean anything to the
Duke, but for Jessica it would be a reason for a great pride because the Bene Gesserits were
carrying their breeding program for millenniums. Also, she as a mother of the Kwisatz Haderach
would enjoy the great reverence. It is interesting that, in the above quoted conversation with the
Reverend Mother, Jessica does not refuse her accusation. Her reaction is much closer to the
affirmation than to the denial. So it seems to me that the love to the Duke Leto is some kind of an
official reason that Jessica thought to be more easily accepted by the people, by the other members
43
of the sisterhood and also by the readers of the book. But the real grounds for her decision are
hidden in her wish to achieve something. And giving birth to the Kwisatz Haderach would surely
make her important. But her son is not precisely what the Bene Gesserits were aiming at, he is
something more, he says about himself: "You're thinking I'm the Kwisatz Haderach, [...] Put that
out of your mind. I'm something unexpected" (232). He has the power to see both future and past
and he is able to know his mother's thoughts. In this context, his accusation: "You didn't want a
son! [...] You wanted a Kwisatz Haderach! You wanted a male Bene Gesserit!" (229) have to be
viewed as the statement of fact. And it seems much more believable that the real reason for having a
son was not Jessica's love for the Duke, but her own interests. So, she has not only consciously
chosen the sex of her child, but moreover she was motivated by her own interests. Doing so, she put
herself in the center and the beginning of the whole story. Positively, this action counteracts the
assigned Mother/Wife role and Lady Jessica cannot be seen as passive and driven behind her
partner any more.
At the beginning of this chapter, I have described Jessica's relationship with Paul during their run
from the Harkonnens to the Fremen. I have shown that she follows her son, who makes the
decisions. So, when they first meet the Fremen troop in the rocks deep in the desert, Paul, as a
leader, should protect his mother. But the situation is different. She fights for herself and proves her
value. The Fremen have been told to seek Paul and protect him because he can be a messiah, who
will change the waste Arrakis to a flowering green paradise, but they are not sure about the value of
Jessica. In the harsh conditions of the desert, untrained people are generally a burden and they may
endanger the whole group. A non-Fremen woman is automatically thought to be untrained and
therefore worthless except for the value of the water that is incorporated in her body. Stilgar, the
leader of the Fremen troop, tells Jessica: "I can see possibility in this strong boy-man: he is young
and can learn. But what of yourself, woman?" (324). His statement shows that the value of the
person among the Fremen is directly proportional to his or her potential, both physical and mental
44
and that it is carefully judged. Physical strength of the woman is usually minor in comparison with
the man's force and so her worth has to be connected rather with the mental area. This can be
illustrated by the next part of the dialog between Stilgar and Jessica:
`The strength of a woman can be boundless,' Stilgar said. `Certain it is in a Reverend
Mother. Are you a Reverend Mother?'
For the moment, Jessica put aside the implications of the question, answered truthfully, `No.'
(324)
Obviously, Jessica's credit after this answer gets very low and Stilgar has decided according to the
Fremen rules to `take her water,' which means to kill her. At this point, Paul tries to step into the
discussion, but "Stilgar flicked a glance across Paul, but kept his attention on Jessica" (324-25).
Paul is clearly put out of his chief position and Stilgar becomes his and also Jessica's leader. He is
going to decide about her as it would be appropriate for her female role.
But Jessica does not behave according to her role at all. She does not conform to the rules and to
Stilgar's decision. On the contrary, she physically fights him:
Jessica's motion started as a slumping, deceptive faint to the ground. It was the obvious
thing for a weak outworlder to do, and the obvious slows an opponent's reactions. [ ...] She
shifted as she saw his right shoulder to drop to bring weapon within the folds of his robe to
bear on her new position. A turn, a slash of her arm, a whirling of mingled robes, and she was
against the rocks with the man helpless in front of her. (325)
In the blink of an eye, Lady Jessica has defeated the leader of the Fremen troop. It means that she
mastered the strongest and the most experienced man among them. So, her value has increased
steeply, and, after the fight, she is the most powerful person on the scene. She has proven the
physical strength, more precisely the ability to fight, and for sure, these are not included in the
characteristics of the Mother/Wife role. The only instant when, according to the stereotypes, woman
fights is when her child is in danger. Then she is able to sacrifice herself to protect her offspring.
45
But clearly, Jessica has not fought to save Paul because his life was not in danger as Stilgar clearly
stated. She has attacked Stilgar and has mastered him to prove her value and save her own life. This
is in outstanding opposition to the passivity and self-sacrificing that are typical for the Mother/Wife.
If she was to resign, she would not fight and would die for her son. So she has not obviously chosen
sacrificing herself to Paul because her attack endangered her son's life. To sum it up, she has
decided to fight for herself and this way she contradicts more of the defining features of the
Mother/Wife role.
I would like to illustrate her strong will and independent decision making on one more example.
After the meeting in the desert, the group of Fremen with Paul and Jessica goes to the sietch, city
dug in the rocks, where the Fremen live. But the Fremen are about to leave this one and move
deeper to the desert to hide from the Harkonnens. Before the departure, Lady Jessica decides to
undergo an unknown rite and this way become the Reverend Mother, which will secure her stable
social position. I will show that also in this case she decides on her own and choses the possibility
that is the best for her. By doing this, she endangers her unborn daughter and thus she counteracts
her characteristics as nurturing and life producing.
In the novel, there is not described the situation where Lady Jessica is asked or offered to
undergo the rite. The reader is only informed that she will do it. So, her decision making is left
completely to her and it is hardly even mediated to the reader. The first instant, where the reader
gets familiar with the fact that she made a decision, is following dialog:
`Your son has been summoned from his rest, Sayyadina,' Stilgar said. `Do you wish him to
share in your decision?'
`Could he change my decision?'
`Certainly, the air with which you speak comes from your own lungs, but -'
`The decision stands,' she said. (402)
It is obvious from this quotation that the rite she will have to go through is dangerous, that is the
46
probable reason why Stilgar offers her a possibility to consult her decision with Paul. But what is
interesting, Paul cannot change her decision against her will, he can only give her an advice, but the
decision has to be her own. This is interesting difference between the traditional stereotype and the
situation in the Fremen culture. Lady Jessica chooses to make use of this tradition and takes it even
further by not discussing her decision with her son at all.
The value of the Reverend Mother has been implied in the paragraph on the fight in the desert. In
the quotation, Stilgar has said that the Reverend Mother's strength is `boundless' and so her value is
also eminent. This perception gets stronger during the beginning of the rite. Stilgar speaks to the
Fremen of the sietch, who have gathered in the great cavern:
`The Reverend Mother tells me she cannot survive another hajra,' Stilgar said. `We have
lived before without a Reverend Mother, but it is not good for people to seek a new home in
such straits.'
Now, the throng stirred, rippling with whispers and currents of disquiet.
`That this may not come to pass,' Stilgar said, `our new Sayyadina, Jessica of the Weirding,
has consented to enter the rite at this time. She will attempt to pass within that we not lose the
strength of our Reverend Mother.' (404)
The quotation shows that the image of long and probably very dangerous travel without a Reverend
Mother is very disquieting and depressive for the gathered Fremen. This disquiet very openly
implies the value and powers of a Reverend Mother, it is clear that the Fremen are aware of the
deep knowledge that a Reverend Mother gets during the rite. It is very similar to the process of
becoming the Reverend Mother of the Bene Gesserit that I have described in Chapter 4. During the
rite, the adept gets memories of all the Reverend Mothers that have preceded her. So, a Reverend
Mother in one moment acquires the store of knowledge of the whole tribe. And this knowledge may
appear essential during their travel to a new home. It needn't to be deduced from the reaction of the
gathered public because Stilgar admits it openly, too. So, the Reverend Mother's position in the
47
Fremen society is unique and Jessica's try to become the Reverend Mother, if completed
successfully, will bring her respect and safety with all the Fremen.
Lady Jessica does not know the concrete process of the rite, but she is aware of the danger that is
hidden in it. Stilgar speaks about it as about a try, therefore the possibility of failure is probably
quite high. And Jessica is pregnant for a few weeks so her unborn daughter is very vulnerable. Lady
Jessica is conscious of the danger after she have rejected consultation with Paul and she is aware
that "[t]here was an unborn daughter to think of as well. What endangered the flesh of the mother
endangered the flesh of the daughter" (402). She has not told the Fremen about her pregnancy
during the meeting in the desert, probably, there was no time to do it and moreover she would be
considered even weaker person and greater burden for the tribe. But she has not told Stilgar even
when she has decided to undergo the rite. This surely was the proper place and time to tell him and
this way she could protect her daughter's life as she, according to her Mother/Wife role, should. But
Lady Jessica drinks the Water of Life and thanks to her Bene Gesserit training she is able to change
poison in it into more or less harmless mind-expander. After the change, she gets connected with the
dying Reverend Mother who is horrified by Jessica's pregnancy. They both see unborn Alia by their
inner eyes:
The other mote darted wildly here, there, circling. It radiated pure terror.
`You'll have to be strong,' the old Reverend Mother's image-presence said. `Be thankful it's
a daughter you carry. This would've killed a male foetus. (410)
By drinking the Water of Life, Jessica has awakened her daughter far before her birth and scared her
almost to death. I think, she has not thought about the proportions of the danger before. She as a
fully mentally developed adult woman with the Bene Gesserit training was prepared for a change
that has come after drinking the Water of Life, but her daughter gets changed, too. And to her, it has
been done without any preparation and in a wrong time. Moreover, Jessica did not know the process
so she was unaware of the fact that it would kill `only' the male fetus, so the threat to her daughter's
48
life is very close Jessica realizes all these facts after accepting the old Reverend Mother's
knowledge and memories: "I did it, my poor, unformed, dear little daughter. I brought you into this
universe and exposed your awareness to all its varieties without any defences" (411). So after her
deed, she comes back to her Mother/Wife role, she comforts her daughter and stays in close contact
with her, but her decision to undergo the rite and take the risk of drinking the Water of Life goes
directly opposite nurturing and life-producing characteristics of the stereotypical role.
So together with her refusal to let Paul participate on her decision, which shows her activity and
opposes the feature of being driven, she once more reveals herself as counteracting the stereotypical
role of the Mother/Wife. She has not drank the Water of Life for her son's behalf as Jack Hand
argues in his article. She has done it to secure her own position among the Fremen. Paul was
perfectly safe at the moment she decided to go through the rite and thus the argument that "[she]
invites the dangers of the sandworm-derived water, not primarily for her own benefit, but in order to
consolidate Paul's position among the Fremen" (Hand 27) seems absurd to me. Paul's position is
stable almost from the first moment they meet the Fremen in the rocks in the desert, Lady Jessica is
the person in the danger. And becoming the Reverend Mother gives her shelter and respect, so she
herself has the greatest benefit from taking the Water of Life. The situation is very similar to the
fight with Stilgar, once more Jessica has to fight for herself to secure her position and life among
the Fremen.
Jessica as a parent of Paul is supposed to educate him, but after the run from the Harkonnens,
when he became a leader and Jessica followed him the roles have swapped. I would like to present
an example of Jessica educating Paul, and therefore, getting the dominant and active role. The
situation takes place between the fight in the desert and Jessica's change to the Reverend Mother. In
the desert, Paul shames one of the Fremens and later he has to meet him in the single combat. Paul
has easily won even though it was the first man he has ever killed. After the victory, everybody
praises him, but Jessica is conscious of the importance of that moment: "He has killed a man in
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clear superiority of mind and muscle. He must not grow to enjoy such a victory" (352). She does not
want her son to enjoy killing people and so she decides to step in and remind him what he has just
done:
She compressed ultimate scorn into her voice and manner, said: `We-l-l, now how does it
feel to be a killer?'
Paul stiffened as though he had been struck. He met his mother's cold glare and his face
darkened with a rush of blood. (353)
Lady Jessica acts dominant and seemingly without sympathy for her son, but her utterance was
precisely aimed and it works out. Paul awakes from the euphoria and realizes all the consequences
of his deed. It is interesting that at this moment, he becomes again a small child that can be scold
and who is ashamed of his fault. That is in the opposition to the distribution of the roles after the run
from Harkonens and it makes Jessica, a woman, active and Paul, a man, passive. The stereotypical
roles are reversed for this moment.