To Boldly Go by Jonathan Klug & Steven Leonard

Author:Jonathan Klug & Steven Leonard [Klug, Jonathan & Leonard, Steven]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781636240633
Published: 2021-06-14T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 20

I Exist Only to Serve

The Bene Gesserit and Informal Power

Julie M. Still and Kelly A. Lelito

Understanding the interplay of societal forces is better accomplished at a distance. Only the truly astute can do so in real-time. History provides an opportunity to look at how these forces emerge and interact at a remove, but even here prejudices and inherent biases come into play. Fictional worlds, however, provide a fresh canvas for study. Frank Herbert’s 1965 science fiction novel Dune is an excellent primer to consider the human dimensions of geopolitics. A pivotal mechanism of Herbert’s saga involves an interplanetary society that is ever-present but little-noticed, primarily because it is an all-female group in a patriarchal society. The Bene Gesserit, through a covert, centuries-long agenda they kept private, dramatically alter the geopolitical landscape. Examining their strategies and tactics offers an important lesson on the use of informal power and how the marginalized and overlooked can exert significant influence.

This novel is an excellent choice to study. The plot is complex but not distracted by detailed descriptions of technology or alien races. Dune is well-known in popular culture. It has never been out of print and has spawned sequels, prequels, and some dismal visual adaptations, such as the poorly-reviewed 1984 feature film.1 A much anticipated new film version is scheduled for release in the fall of 2021, which will introduce it to a new audience. The Bene Gesserit role within this larger story provides students and seekers of all levels an opportunity to examine social forces in a unique and appealing environment.

There are many seats of power within the societies and organizations depicted in the novel, and females occupy very few. Only the Bene Gesserit have any organized power, and their true intentions and influence are concealed and closely guarded. In the power structure of the Galactic Padishah Empire and within its diverse societies, women do not rule and have little political role other than to cement advantageous dynastic alliances through marriage. The sisterhood takes a different view.

As a very simple plot description for context, in the Dune franchise, space travel is dependent upon a substance known as “spice” found in only one place: the arid wasteland planet Arrakis, also known as Dune. The Emperor overseas spice production and controls the noble houses while the Spacing Guild enjoys a monopoly on space travel. The Emperor and the Guild operate in concert to consolidate and hold power. As the story begins, the Emperor has just decided to oust the governing Harkonnen family from Arrakis and replace them with their archrivals, the Atreides family. The Emperor is conspiring with the Harkonnens to eradicate the Atreides line and then return control of Arrakis to the Harkonnens. None of these nobles are aware that the indigenous population, the Fremen, has been working to turn Arrakis into a more hospitable environment, with an ultimate goal to dramatically alter both the climate and terrain. Duke Leto leads the Atreides family and brings his longtime concubine Lady Jessica and his heir, their teenage son Paul, to Arrakis.

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