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Book 3, Part 8
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Dune, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Power and Violence
Free Will and Fate
Environment and Human Culture
Human Cognitive Advances
Summary
Analysis
The epigraph from Princess Irulan’s text “Arrakis Awakening” reads, “And that day dawned when Arrakis lay at the hub of the universe with the wheel poised to spin.”
Arrakis becomes the one planet that will determine the rest of the Imperium’s fate.
Themes
Paul, Stilgar and Gurney Halleck sit on high rock at the Arrakeen Shield Wall, surveilling the enemy encampment. Despite the Guild’s threat, Emperor Shaddam IV has landed on Arrakis along with Baron Harkonnen and five legions of Sardaukar. They have set up camp behind the Shield Wall, with Paul and Stilgar watching to learn more about the forces they will soon engage.
Like Paul and the Guild, the Padishah Emperor takes a great risk in defying the Guild’s ban on Arrakeen landings. Paul’s future visions are shown to be limited in some ways—he must observe the enemy’s military set up as he cannot see immediate movements in the possible futures that spread out before him.
Themes
Stilgar is concerned for Paul’s safety as it grows light, but Paul is carefree. He knows that if they are spotted and attacked, his troops have ornithopters to spare. There is also a “great grandmother” of a sandstorm on its way to the area that will favor the Fremen’s fighting style.
Paul is confident in his fighters, weapons, and the incoming weather shield to protect him from enemy attacks.
Themes
With the impending arrival of the great desert sandstorm, Paul plans to use the epic weather to attack the Imperial and Harkonnen forces by blowing up the Shield Wall with atomics. Fremen will continue the attack by targeting firearms at the spaceships’ noses to cripple them for flight. The Fremen will fight to overpower the Sardaukar, while the rest of the Arrakeen populace will confront the Harkonnen forces. Gurney Halleck can also sense the sandstorm approaching, and like Stilgar he urges Paul to retreat and take cover.
Combining his own military strategy with that of his advisors, Paul creates an ambitious plan to defeat the Imperial and Harkonnen forces. Unlike the enemy’s first attack on House Atreides in Arrakeen city, this time Paul is prepared for conflict.
Themes
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Paul receives a report from a messenger that the Fremen have their rocket launchers and projectile weapons in place, ready for battle. The messenger also relays that the “pet” Sardaukar the Fremen previously captured masquerading as Arrakeen smugglers have been released to return to the Padishah Emperor. Paul wants the Emperor to know his identity in order to give the Emperor the chance to raise the Atreides flag to restore House Atreides to the Great Houses and as the ruling body on Arrakis. If this was to occur, Paul would order his Fremen warriors to only move against the Harkonnen forces. However, the Emperor chooses to refrain from formally acknowledging the Atreides heir.
Paul acts honorably by offering the Padishah Emperor a safe exit from the approaching battle. He doesn’t bother to offer the treacherous Harkonnens the same courtesy. In a scene that echoes Paul’s fight with Jamis, the Emperor refuses the opportunity to forego the battle.
Themes
Halleck and Stilgar worry about the Guild and Great Houses that are still poised in a fleet above Arrakis. However, Paul knows that they can’t risk involving themselves in the fight with their powerful atomic weapons because Paul is holding the previous spice to ransom. Paul is blackmailing the Imperial and Harkonnen forces in the same way—they know he has threatened to destroy spice forever if they use atomics on his forces.
Despite no direct communications with the Guild, Paul is able to blackmail them into submission through his will alone—the Guild’s gift of foresight ensures that they can see his future promise of destroying Arrakeen spice crops forever.
Themes
The sandstorm arrives, and Gurney Halleck pulls the trigger to hit the Shield Wall with atomics, blowing it up. Fremen immediately target the spaceships with heavy fire as planned. As Paul and his soldiers prepare to meet the Sardaukar in battle, they receive a garbled message from the sietch where the Fremen women and children are taking refuge—a Sardaukar raiding party attacked, killing many Fremen including Paul and Chani’s son Leto. The Sardaukar have also captured Alia; there is no word in the message about Jessica and Chani.
About to lead his forces to a great victory, Paul is struck by personal loss. Again, his gift of foresight is shown to be limited—he did note foresee the attack in which his enemies kill his son and kidnap his sister.
Themes
Paul feels detached and empty at the devastating news, believing that everything he touches brings destruction and grief. He knows, too, that his influence is “like a disease that could spread across the universe.”
Paul’s comparison of his influence as a “disease” that will infect the Imperium is suitable because it fits the Fremen religious crusade that he knows is fated to cause death and destruction throughout the galaxy.
Themes
