DUNE: Chapter Nine Thoughts

And so we continue with the reading of Dune.

The Opening Quote

Irulan, who has Bene Gesserit training, says Muad’Dib could learn fast because he’d had Bene Gesserit training. Send your kids to Bene Gesserit schools, and they can learn just as fast as Paul Muad’Dib did.

I don’t know this should be taken to be wrong, though. I suppose it’s possible that he doesn’t actually learn. In fact, that is probably correct. He doesn’t learn. He just knows what to do because he is prescient. That wouldn’t lead families to send their kids to be trained by the Bene Gesserit, though.

Muad’Dib knew that every experience carries its lesson.

—Irulan setting up the events of the chapter are a lesson

Hunter-Seeker

Paul is still immature enough to enjoy tricking people.

The headboard and its aquatic features were likely designed to attract Paul. And they worked. Though, why was this bed in the house if it hadn’t been torn apart by Thufir Hawat’s people?

Names and pictures, names and pictures from man’s terranic past—and many to be found now nowhere else in the universe except here on Arrakis.

—A filmbook on the fauna of Arrakis

I was wrong. Terranic does, indeed, mean relating to Terra/Earth. That means Earth is a thing in the Dune universe, but it’s in the past. Arrakis is one of the few places that has lifeforms like those that arose there. I’m sure it would be well known were it possible that Arrakis is Earth, but it’s weird to bring it up here unless it’s a possibility.

Children of royal blood are taught about common assassination tools at a young age. It’s a little amazing any of them make it to adulthood.

Who is operating the hunter-seeker? Yueh would seem like a likely option, but it would seem reckless of either him or the Harkonnens to risk burning himself at this point.

Laser beams and shields don’t play nicely together. This seems a way to keep knife-fitting and physical prowess relevant. If the best option was to sit back with a sniper rifle, it would be a much less exciting novel.

Shadout Mapes discharges her debt with the knowledge there is a traitor in their midsts. Trading a definite saving of a life for a vague bit of information seems like an unbalanced trade. But, then it’s probably clear to both of them that Paul isn’t interested in pushing the matter. She’s also annoyed at receiving orders from him, which may play a part here, too.

Conclusion

This mainly seems like an avenue to display Paul’s abilities and build a connection between him and the Fremen. No real deep questions arise here beyond:

• Why do Earth-like creatures appear on this world more than other worlds?