Dune's framework

[Egeides]

Here's how I see the whole Dune story, what I see as its general framework.

Herbert's Dune is about humanity. And it's humanity in its universality, which means infinitely in time and space. So the whole of all this is: Dune is about mankind's continuum.

Frank Herbert tries to show the constant human impetus on his environment (an important element) and the cycle of environmental impetus on human that continues the cycle of constant impetus, bringing this continuum.

Of course, we see that humans' wish in its complete depth is to strive for an impetus that will continue in time, permitting mankind's immortality and stabilization of the impetus that, until then, was fluctuating. The consequence is a warranty of an infinite continuum in time. Of course, many parties try to influence this in the way they wish (BG, Guild, Tleilaxu...).

Herbert's work is not a prediction of our future ("Herbert did not wish to provide any final answers"1), but an anticipe-fiction of possible futures, each anticipe Duniverse element from the fiction being part of the possibilities, directly or metaphorically. Now it's up to be seen which path through the nexus will become true.

Please, I would appreciate comments, critics and anything you may want to add. There's alot of things to understand from Dune, but we have to determine the framework to which attach all this first, so we can build an interconnection web. Up to be seen, but I may continue and build an article from this framework (just an idea I'm not sure about).

1. http://www.depauw.edu/sfs/backissues/58/ditom58art.htm

[Andrew]

I will reply :)

It was a bit confusing with some big words, but i got a dictionary to define them.

So what you are saying is that humanity will last forever? and you are reffering to the Duniverse?(not just first dune book)

It is interesting how we continue to live not as individuals, but as a species.

The bene gesserit have their Other Memory, the tleilaxu can reincarnate themselves, and the guild just have special mental powers that are not fully described in the books.(excluding prequels)

I have noticed that Leto II's "golden path" has something to do with humans living forever (as a species)

[Davidu]

I think I've found a conection between AmenofisIV (Akenathon) and LetoII. The Pharaoh declared him as being the equal of a single unique god, Athon. Eveybody had to bow and praise him instead of any god. Sounds familiar?

[Egeides]

Athon was an heretic in the religious history of ancient Egypt. In Ancient Egypt, religion was closely knit to politics since power was coming from religion, the scribes were the one ruling the whole place. Athon had a clergy behind him to keep him in place, but he finally felt since the other ones didn't liked it, and was declared prohibited, all trace possible was erased of him.

[Egeides]

Besides Davidu, what's the link with what I wrote about the framework? You didn't went intensively on this...

[Vanguard3000]

Tut-Ankh-Ammon (King Tut) did the same, if I recall correctly.

Almost all of the different factions in Dune tried to prolong human existence. Trouble is, they wanted humanity to exist by their own standards. The Tlailaxu, the Bene Gesserit, etc, wanted to continue their existence through their own "anscestral legacy" - Reverend Mothers used the life experiences of their anscestors to guide them, while the top of the Tlailaxu heirarchy consisted of the same people for millenia.

Leto, as well, attempted to preserve humanity through his Golden Path, which brings up the old clich

[Davidu]

Yes, Dune is about humanity, about the power of love in politics (!!!) and about the things a person has to do even if those things aren't moral. That's how I see it.

[Tio_Holtzmann]

For me, Dune just hits me with the message, that what you do today at the certain time you do it could have eternal consequences.

Akhenaten made himself a God, the ministers didn't like that, Ay called Akhenaten, put Tutankhamun on the throne, he did the same thing, killed him. Kinda like Paul being killed and Leto... not.... being killed. DAMN. Anyway.

If anything, Leto II's Golden Path was probably the best. Couldn't say why exactly. Out of all the other factions quoted in this post, BGs get the upper hand over the tleilaxu all the time, tleilaxu can't seem to anything except store cells away and never get to use them, and the guild tamper too much in the affairs of state without looking into the future. In one of the dune books (think its the preface to Dune in french) it states that the guild dont tamper with the future. they are kind of nearsighted to just think of the spice. in getting it for now they may damn it for later. leto had all the power in himself, and he had the future, didnt have to rely on human error as much cos he was the power in himself.