Dune
A report by Alex Trobley
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Setting
• The story begins on the Planet Caladan.
Caladan is a luscious planet full of water and
plant life.
Caladan, The Atreides Home planet
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Setting
• The story then moves to the planet Arrakis.
Arrakis is a desolate planet with little water
but it holds the only known source of the
mineral spice at the time. It is called Dune.
Arrakis, The planet used for the mining of spice.
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Characters
• The first character shown in the book is Paul Atreides,
he is a main character who is dynamic. He is a young
boy who wants to do nothing but please his superiors.
Later he becomes the hardened leader known as the
Lisan Al-Gaib. He is training to be a Bene Gesserit, a
leader of politics and a person capable of seeing
through lies as well as looking into the past of their
family tree, as well as a Mentat, a person who can
accomplish great logical feats. He is thin, has blue eyes
and has black hair. He is believed by many to be the
prophesized Muad’Dib who will save Arrakis and its
people.
Paul Atreides, Lisan Al-Gaib and Kwisatz Haderach
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Characters
• Another character is Duke Leto Atreides he is a
main character, he is also dynamic. He is the
father of Paul and was sent by the Padishah
Emperor to control mining operations on
Dune. He starts of as a solid figure who has no
worries but then becomes a weaker figure
who is just struggling with his surroundings to
survive. He is slim with an angular face and
has black hair.
Duke Leto Atreides, father of Paul
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Characters
• Paul’s mother, Jessica, is a Bene Gesserit as
well, she, however, is very limited in her
abilities. She is not married into the Atriedes
family to keep other families wanting to wed
Duke Leto, however, she is an implied member
of the family and is trusted completely by Leto
and Paul. She is a main character but she is
staticshe is slim and has long black hair. She
later becomes the Reverend Mother of
Arrakis.
Lady Jessica Atreides, mother of Paul, concubine of Leto, Reverend other of Arrakis
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Characters
• Duke Vladmir Harkonnen is the rival duke of
Leto. He is portrayed as the evil character
who’s only goal is to mold his heir into a hero
of the people in the public’s eyes while work
behind the scenes to wreck havoc. He is so fat
that he requires special suspensor’s to remove
some of gravity’s force to prevent his body
from collapsing in on itself. He has a horribly
disfigured face. He is a main character. He is
static
Baron Vladmir Harkonnen, enemy of Leto
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Characters
• Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen is the heir of Vladmir
Harkonnen. He is thin, young, vain and is wild
at heart. He constantly challenges his peers
and superiors and revels in battle. He despises
his uncle Vladmir but puts up with him to
advance himself to the seat of Duke. He is
cunning and conniving. He is the rival of Paul
Atreides. He is a main character and is
stationary.
Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, nephew of Vladmir,
enemy of Paul
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Characters
• Thufir Hawat is a trainer to Paul and an
advisor to Leto. He has a scar and is stocky, he
is a secondary character and is static. He has a
hard exterior but a cultured soul. He is tricked
by the Harkonnens into hating Jessica,
believing that she betrayed Leto.
Thufir Hawat, Mentat and
royal advisor of the Ateides
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Characters
• Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam is a
Bene Gesserit teacher. She taught Jessica and
tested Paul. She is old. She is a secondary
character who is static. She is harsh in her
ways for the purpose of protecting the Bene
Gesserit title. She is described briefly at the
beginning of the story but is often referenced
later. She reappears later in the novel as an
evil character allied with the emperor.
Reverend other Gaius
Helen Mohaim,
truthsayer of the
Padishah Emperor
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Plot
• Rising Action: The span of the story that
stretches from the beginning to the climax.
This includes the problem and setting.
• In Dune the rising action introduced Paul,
killed his dad and caused Paul to lead a jihad
against the Emperor and the Harkonnens.
Paul Muad’Dib leads his jihad
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Plot
• Climax: The turning point in the story. This solves
the problems in the story.
• In Dune the climax causes Paul to drink the mystic
water of life causing him to become a messianic
character, Kwisatz Haderach. Paul’s son Leto II is
killed and his sister Alia is captured. Paul then
leads his jihad to defeat the emperor’s troops,
the Sardaukar, and the Harkonnens and enter a
final battle with Feyd-Rautha.
Paul’s final battle with Feyd-Rautha
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Plot
• Falling Action: This is when the story wraps
up. At this point loose ends are tied up.
• In Dune the falling action causes Paul to wed
the Emperor's daughter, Princess Irulan and
become the new emperor.
Princess Irulan, Padishah Emperor’s daughter, concubine of Paul
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Conflict
• Character vs. Nature: Paul is forced into the
dessert and must learn how to survive.
• Character vs. Society: Paul gets pulled into the
society of the Fremen as a messiah even though
he doesn’t believe himself to be a messiah.
• Character vs. Character: Paul is trapped in a
struggle against Baron Harkonnen.
• Character vs. Self: Paul wrestles with himself in
an internal struggle as he decides whether to
accept his role as messiah or not.
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Resolution
• Thufir Hawat dies of poisoning he suffered at
the hands of the Harkonnens. Paul secures his
spot as the Padishah Emperor by marrying
Princess Irulan. Paul, seeing into the future,
senses that his journey has just begun giving
leeway for future books.
Dune Book Two
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Theme
Dune was made to show a few things. Such things are the
complete ruthlessness of politics as well as how people in
positions of power truly manipulate events behind closed
doors while making people think that they are in control. It
also shows how a seed planted in the minds of many is
nurtured and developed into a religion. Ultimately though,
Dune is a metaphor for the Middle East and the spice mining
is the drilling for oil or the use of drugs to control vast
majorities of people. Evidence of this is the constant
references to common day economy. A quote that shows the
manipulation for one’s own goal is when Jessica thinks to
herself “I could control him, but he’s a strong man… worth
much more to us unblunted and with full freedom of action.
We shall see.”
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Mood
• The mood is ominous. It is a looming presence
hanging over the head of the main character
Paul. Sometimes this is the presence of a bright
future and at other times the future is bleak.
• “They’re in league with the future, she thought.
They have a mountain to climb. This is the
scientist’s dream… and these simple people, these
peasants, are filled with it.” (Dune, p.319)
Citations
• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b0/CaladanDune2000.jpg
• http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1413217/paul1.jpg
• http://suvudu.com/files/2011/02/Paul-Atreides.jpg
• http://www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/ActorsP/13800-5459.gif
• http://www.duneinfo.com/arrakis/actors/zoom/leto.jpg
• http://htopia.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/jessica.gif
• http://www.usul.net/film/images/baron.jpg
• http://nefer-temu.8m.com/Feyd-Sting7.jpg
• www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/ActorsJ/8912-5459.gif
• http://media.theiapolis.com/d8-iL8A-k9-lMWX/sting-feyd-rauthaand-kyle-maclachlan-paul.html
• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ec/Princess_irulan_wa
llpaper.jpg
• http://images.wikia.com/dune/images/c/c1/Dune_messiah_cover_
art.jpg