Gom Jabbar Symbol Analysis

The gom jabbar, a poisoned needle that is mounted on a thimble and worn on a Bene Gesserit’s finger, symbolizes self-mastery. In the universe of Dune, it functions as a test of humanity: an individual is placed in a crisis situation of immense stress, and if they cannot overcome their instincts with their mind, they will meet death at the poisoned needle’s tip. In the case of Paul Atreides, Reverend Mother Mohiam places the gom jabbar at his neck while forcing his hand into a nerve-induction box that causes excruciating pain. Paul knows that if he yields to the physical pain and withdraws his hand from the box, he will die; therefore, he wills himself to endure the physical agony through sheer mental toughness.

The Reverend Mother observes Paul’s response to this stress, noting that his ability to ignore the fierce instinct to withdraw his hand from the box proves he is a human capable of absolute cognitive control and awareness. She explains: “You’ve heard of animals chewing off a leg to escape a trap? There’s an animal kind of trick. A human would remain in the trap, endure the pain, feigning death that he might kill the trapper and remove a threat to his kind.” Paul passes the test and is allowed to withdraw his hand (which is unharmed) from the box, with the threat of the gom jabbar removed. The Bene Gesserit program therefore uses the gom jabbar to verify if an individual is human, or a baser being of mere animal instincts such as fear and pain. By their definition, and that of the gom jabbar’s test of “human-ness,” to be human is to have total self-mastery. The gom-jabbar further symbolizes self-mastery in the Reverend Mother’s revelation that none of the Bene Gesserit are animals; even if a Bene Gesserit was struck by the poisonous gom jabbar, they have all mastered the ability to metabolically neutralize the needle’s poison through their heightened mental and physical abilities, thus proving themselves human and in control of their minds and bodies.