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
In the epigraph from Princess Irulan’s text “The Sayings of Muad’Dib,” Muad’Dib claims that humans subconsciously always desire a rational universe. However, the universe is “always one step beyond logic.”
Paul’s philosophical commentary suggests that the universe is driven by an irrational higher power.
Themes
Baron Harkonnen meets with Mentat Thufir Hawat. Hawat wants a message sent to Count Rabban on Arrakis but has not revealed why. The men discuss their suspicion that there is a connection between Arrakis and the Padishah Emperor’s prison planet, Salusa Secundus. Hawat thinks that the Emperor trains his fearsome Sardaukar fighters on the prison planet.
The Baron and his Mentat have realized the Padishah Emperor’s hidden source of power—the desolate prison planet Salusa Secundus. Its harsh environments shape the Imperial Sardaukar forces into lethal soldiers. The Emperor thereby relies on a power that is similar to the “desert power” Duke Leto and Paul Atreides recognize immediately on Arrakis—the harsh and unforgiving desert has the ability to produce elite fighting forces.
Themes
Hawat also believes that there was more to the Imperial aid in betraying House Atreides than Baron Harkonnen ever realized. Hawat knows that a small group of Duke Leto’s soldiers had trained to an elite level of skill that could rival the legendary Sardaukar fighters. This threat resulted in the Emperor’s collaboration with Baron Harkonnen to wipe out House Atreides.
Despite Baron Harkonnen’s impressive intelligence, it takes the skill of a powerful Mentat to realize the Padishah Emperor’s true fear of Duke Leto’s growing power before his death. Despite Duke Leto’s honorable leadership and his obedience to Imperial rule, his growing power scares the Padishah Emperor and results in Leto’s violent death. Once again, violence is a tool for maintaining political power.
Themes
Hawat also reveals that he believes Arrakis is a planet of harsh conditions that, like Salusa Secundus, has bred an elite fighting force. Baron Harkonnen is astounded to learn that there are likely ten million Fremen on Arrakis, a number wildly larger than his earlier population estimates. Hawat thinks that the Fremen may be better warriors than the Sardaukar.
Hawat continues to prove his value as a Mentat, sourcing valuable information and processing it to understand the truth of the Fremen threat to the Harkonnens and the Padishah Emperor. It is unclear why he reveals so much to the Baron when he despises the man.
Themes
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Baron Harkonnen remembers a conversation with Count Hasimir Fenring on Giedis Prime. The Count reacted strongly to the Baron’s joke that he should turn Arrakis into a prison planet to oppress people. The Baron now understands that he had hit on a truth or a concern felt by the Padishah Emperor.
The Baron believes his Mentat’s astounding claims because it is based on logic and because it explains Count Fenring’s strange behavior in their previous meeting.
Themes
Hawat recommends that Baron Harkonnen should indeed turn Arrakis into a prison planet that creates powerful military forces by abandoning Arrakis to Rabban’s oppressive leadership for some time without offering aid. Then the Baron, or Feyd-Rautha, can take over rule of Arrakis and its strong soldiers. Secretly, Hawat is hoping that some of House Atreides have survived and are now thriving on the desert planet.
Hawat encourages Baron Harkonnen’s original plan to replace the much-hated Rabban with Feyd-Rautha to rule on Arrakis. The narrator reveals that Hawat still desperately hopes that the noble Great House he served loyally for three generations survives in exile on Arrakis—little does he know of Paul’s powerful new status among the Fremen.
Themes
