How I enjoy the precious little clues that Herbert
provides the reader. But you almost have
to already know what is coming in order to see the clues. Like this thought of Odrade’s during her
first conversation with Dortujila about the Honored Matres:“The oppressed will have their day and heaven help the oppressor
when that day comes.” (Chapterhouse:
Dune, p. 147) She continues this
train of thought by noting how “the oppressed always learned from and copied
the oppressor.” (Chapterhouse: Dune,
p. 147) After just having watched the
movie Argo last night, the truth in this is so painfully clear. But what does this have to do with Honored
Matres? Who was oppressing them in their
past?
In this part of the book, Odrade is developing her
plan for drawing the Honored Matres in to a battle with Odrade picking the time
and place without the Honored Matres realizing it. Understanding the development of that plan requires such
careful reading. Again, so easy to miss
if you don’t already know where it is going.
One evening, as the plan is crystallizing in her mind, she imagines
talking with the Honored Matre commander.
The following passage of Odrade speaking to the imagined commander, I
think, gets at why some of my family and friends teasingly call me a Bene
Gesserit.
“It is
difficult for us to let you make your own mistakes. Teachers always find this hard. Yes, we consider ourselves teachers. We do
not so much teach individuals as the species.
We provide lessons for all. If
you see the Tyrant in us, you are right.”
(Chapterhouse: Dune, p. 164)
No comments:
Post a Comment