The seminal 1965 science fiction classicDuneeffortlessly blends hard science elements with more mystical traits of old-fashioned fantasy. Advanced technology blends well with bizarre prophecies and arcane rituals in this universe. One of the strangest scenes in every interpretation of the story comes in the first act when the seemingly all-powerful Reverend Mother puts Paul through a nightmarish test to determine whether he’s human.
TheBene Gesserit is a bizarre element of theDunenarrative. They’re a religious order with incredible psychic powers and a great deal of control over the push and pull of the universe. They have the power to put the prince’s life at risk, which implies that their test is very important.
RELATED:Dune: The Voice, Explained
What does it mean to be “human” inDune?
The Bene Gesserit’s testis fairly simple. The subject stands eye to eye with the proctor, in this case, Paul and Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam. The subject must put their hand into a little gray box. Inside the box, a process called “nerve induction” is used to cause immense physical pain without leaving any lasting injury. The challenge for the subject is to keep their hand in the box, regardless of how much suffering it causes them. To enforce the rules, the proctor employs the gom jabbar. Also known as the “high-handed enemy,” the gom jabbar is a needle that’s tipped with an extremely deadly poison. If the subject removes their hand, the proctor grants them a swift death. It’s an endurance test. Can the subject endure immense pain if they know that the alternative is worse?
The human test examines the subject’s ability to stay aware under pressure.Paul manages to suffermore pain than any previous subject without withdrawing his hand from the box. The “humanity” aspect of the test is made clear by the Reverend Mother’s reference to a captured animal. A non-sentient creature, she argues, will gnaw off its own limb to avoid pain. A human must be able to understand consequences in difficult circumstances, their judgment must remain unclouded by pain, and they must be able to actively choose suffering over death. Paul’s ability to suffer willingly and actively pursue the best outcome ensures that he won’t be irrational in dangerous circumstances, but it also implies a larger body of endurance.Extrapolating from this test, Paul must be able to choose sacrifice and suffer when the alternative is worse. A human must always keep their awareness sharper than their instincts. A human must overcome their fear.
The Litany Against Fear, Explained
While Paul is undergoing the test that could decide his future, his mother Jessica sits panicking just outside the room. Her son’s life is on the line, and though she has faith in him, she’s still terrified of him making a mistake and suffering the high-handed death. To calm herself, Jessica utters the most iconic dialogue in the entire franchise. The Litany Against Fear was actually spoken by Paul in the book, but Jessica reads off the same practiced speech in the 2021 film. It’s a six-statement mantra, derived froma line from Shakespeare’sJulius Caesar. The Litany describes fear as “the little-death that brings total obliteration” and lays out the proper response to fear, allowing it to “pass over and through.” The Litany serves as a method of refocusing the mind, but it’s also one of the central themes of the film.
The test of humanity and the Litany are two parts of the central thesis ofDune. Paul demonstrates his capability as the chosen one by enduring the most terrible pain one could possibly suffer without withdrawing. He isthe hero of this story, not because he’s the most morally upstanding character in the cast, but because he’s capable of shutting out the instincts that make him vulnerable. Paul can rise above his base urges, and control himself as a human. This trait doesn’t make him a perfect person, but it makes him the ideal candidate for the Bene Gesserit.The Sisterhood’s definition ofhuman is very different from the typical one. Terms like “inhuman” or “humanize” frame humans with the connotation of empathy. The Sisters imagine it as the pure engine of logic. In many ways, that will be their downfall.
Duneis a fascinating sci-fi story that manages to capture large swaths of the human condition. It remains to be seen how much of Frank Herbert’s original storieswill make it to the big screen, but the first film has only scratched the surface. Even the strangest scenes reinforce the central themes, explore the characters' deep psyche, and impart sage wisdom with their clever writing. The test of humanity and the Litany Against Fear remain two of the most powerful moments in the franchise. Everything from their imagery to their unique underlying meaning earnsDuneits place in the annals of sci-fi history.
