From the beginning of the novel, we are introduced to this idea that the Bene Gesserit have been manipulating the genetics of the Great Houses and have planted ideas across the universe in order to gain control of the universe eventually. Jessica wonders, on more then one occasion, if the Bene Gesserits planted the idea of the Kwisatz Haderach centuries before on Arrakis. She believes that they can use it to their advantage, and Paul himself see's this as a way to manipulate things to his advantage. Once Paul figures out that they are all related to the Barron, their sworn enemy, we can see the idea of "plans within plans". After all, the Bene Gesserit wanted Jessica to give birth to a girl that they could wed to the Harkonnen.
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If I were to tell you the story of my life, I would probably come out looking pretty good. Mine would be an epic tale filled with wild adventures and derring-do, featuring a protagonist possessing rakish good looks, a devil-may-care attitude and an incorruptible code of honor. Someone else, on the other hand, might tell my story just a bit differently. I might come off a little less like a hero and a little more like...well, like an actual human being. That narrator, for example, might choose to include the story of the time I crashed a go-kart on a family vacation, then sat there crying for a solid half-hour and refused to remove my seatbelt and exit my sad, bent little vehicle until everyone stopped laughing at me. I would probably exclude that particular anecdote from the tale, but, hey - to each his own.
The point is this: narration is everything. We encounter the world in a book through the narrator's voice, and we trust them - unwisely, in some cases - to be our guide through that world, presenting it to us as it really is. On page 51 of How to Read Novels Like a Professor, Thomas C. Foster lists the drawbacks of the first-person narrator (frequently mistaken, may be hiding something, etc.). He then lists the advantages of the same narrator, and they are...exactly the same. It turns out that, sometimes, the story benefits from a narrower, more selective narrative lens. Where Dune is concerned, this is a moot point, because Frank Herbert decided not to utilize the first-person narrator. And it's hard to imagine such a massive, sprawling story being told by a single character. At least, it is for me. But what about you? Do you think this novel could be composed with any other narrative voice than the one chosen by Herbert? And which do you prefer in general: the broader scope of the third-person omniscient narrator; or the narrower, more intimate touch of the first-person narrator? Is the reliable-or-unreliable guessing game we must play when reading works utilizing the latter something you enjoy, or do you find it overly-complicated? Either way, once you've mulled it over and answered a couple of the above questions, give me an example of something you've read which you felt benefited greatly from first-person narration. And then, when the epic recounting of my rise from pint-sized hero to...I don't know, I guess, like, gallon-sized hero?...is finally written and published, you can add that to your list. The fiction book that we have asked you to read is Dune, a masterpiece of the Science Fiction genre, by Frank Herbert. He uses all of the aspects and characteristics of the genre in order to post great questions about society, life, ecology and religion. This book was so popular that it influenced David Lynch, a famous director, to create a screen version of the movie in 1984. This movies is important in that it allows the message of the novel (if it's handled correctly) to reach a wider audience. In fact, if you look below, you will see a six part interview from YouTub called "Dune: an Interview with Frank Herbert and David Lynch". You will hear the author talk about his motivation and the themes of the novel, and the director talks about the challenges of making this book vinto a movie. After you've read the book, we challenge you to watch the YouTube video interview and the 1984 movie of Dune. A word of warning, this movie is an adaptation, it will not follow the novel exactly. After you've read the book and watched the YouTube interviews and the movie, answer the following questions for you blog assignment. 1. Does listening to the interviews with the author help you in understanding the book or enhance your reading experience of the novel? 2. How close does this movie adaptation come to the novel? 3. Did the director take out vital information or just the fluff of the novel? 4. Was the director true to the message of the movie? If you answer no, why do you think he deviated from the main themes of the movie? 5. If you answered yes to question number 3, how did the director manage to get the themes across successfully? Science Fiction is an extremely important genre. If you think about it, Star Trek introduced the idea of a cell phone with it's groundbreaking show in 1963. Lucky for you, I've been kind enough to give you access to a brief power point on Science Fiction and a great video that discusses the importance of the genre. I highly recommend that you look over the power point and watch the video before you begin reading Dune.
I am so glad that each of you have decided to join us in a journey of enlightenment and fun. Get ready for a very busy year, full of lots of discussions (mind bending at times), reading, and writing. We ask only that you come with an open mind and the ability to clearly express yourselves. Keep your eyes on this blog page for discussion questions for both of the summer reading books. We just know that you'll love both of them. Here's to a great senior year for all of you. Let's start off with some frequently asked questions that we get every year at the beginning of the summer. 1. Do we have to read all of Dune or just the part called Dune? You will read all of Dune; part I: Dune, part II: Muad'dib, and part III: The Prophet. 2. When will the blogs be posted? A new blog will appear every Sunday and they will start on June 14th. |
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