#but I’m hoping we get the Jessica quote about history seeing them as wives

[peachesofteal]

Dune posting (and semi spoilers):

I’ve seen a lot of discourse and I got into it tonight with a friend about Dune being a white savior narrative and I totally get it. The way it looks, and the story the movie has told so far, it’s pretty much impossible to not perceive it that way.

Additionally, it’s a disservice to say the books are not influenced by Islamic culture. I’ve read some arguments that say the genetic engineering is not a presence in Islam so it can’t possibly be (ridiculous, it’s a weird reach for me because it’s more of a sci-fi theme than anything. Theme in books is not one size fits all) but that not does take away from the VERY strong themes that blatantly expose the influence of Islam in the story. You’d have to be blind to not realize the author utilized Islamic teachings and history in this series/story.

However, the books are complex. The entirety of the story, while in the beginning may not, it does paint a white savior, Paul (in my opinion) is an anti-hero (mostly, a lot of people use jihad as a word to describe Paul’s actions, but I don’t like using that word considering how it’s perceived in my country) and is certainly not a savior. He has a downfall and it’s very “hero worship gone wrong”.

I am worried that the movies won’t tell the story the way it is written (and the way I interpret it) because Paul does become an enemy. A universal dictator. The theme of “thinking for yourself” needs to become present in order for movie viewers to understand the story. At the end of the day, the book series is a warning about relying on religious and governmental overreach.

Regardless I find the Bene Gesserit very fascinating even though they’re the cogs of the machine. I love the idea of women manipulating and shaping the world (I’m not saying it’s good, okay? It’s not. But I am very intrigued by their possibilities and effectiveness) and I really enjoyed Chapterhouse: Dune for these reasons.