Friday, February 27, 2009
Zac Muad'Dib's Question
Alright, so I have read Dune now. I have, I believe, come to understand most of the plot and sub-plots pretty well, however, I cannot understand the Bene Gesserit thing yet. I understand that the Bene Gesserit practice Controlled Genetic Breeding so that they might create the Kwisatz Haderach, which is the name for the prophesized messiah, yet, I do not understand the purpose of the Bene Gesserit doing this, or why the Bene Gesserit look down on Paul and Jessica after Paul turns out to be the Kwisatz Haderach.
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I see it as they thought that they were taking precautions to "save" themselves when the time came. By manipulating literally everyone on Arrakis they were able to create a cushion of safety anywhere they may need it..... The legend to me was never really supposed to come true so to speak there for they look down on Paul and Jessica out of fear.... And to address the issue of selective genetics just take a look into some theories of people like Hitler... the idea of creating the "perfect" civilization can over power ones mind easier than we might think I do believe
ReplyDeleteI think that they were trying to create the Kwisatz Haderach so that they could use him for their own purposes. I can especially see this appealing to them considering how the Bene Gesserit were all powerful women, I imagine that controlling the most powerful man in the world would be a great accomplishment to them and perhaps prove that they were above all others.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the Bene Gesserit looking down on Paul and Jessica I'm not sure that it was that as much as it was that they are afraid of them both. Jessica was not supposed to give birth to a boy and when she chose to she produced the most powerful man of all. And as Paul was raised by his mother and not by the Bene Gesserit he has no sense of duty to them and they have no control over him. I think this lack of control over both Jessica and Paul, two extremely powerful people, is what causes the Bene Gesserit to despise them both.
Like RC said I don't believe that they ever thought the legend would come true they did it for their own caution. In the case that a Bene Gesserit was ever put into a new situation she would fit this legend, ideally having the Fremen see her as something she may or may not be. And also if they did look down on them it would have been because Jessica intentionally had a son instead of a daughter to please Leto, knowing that she was going against the Bene Gesserit..but I think I agree more with Mallory that instead of them looking down on them they were instead intimidated by them and their power.
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