Heretics of Dune

“The Missionaria Protectiva and the intentions of the Sisterhood counted for everything in Taraza’s universe. Whatever served those intentions, even the machinations of the long-dead Tyrant, could be judged good. All else was evil.”

From Odrade’s perspective, Bene Gesserit’s single-mindedness on securing power for power’s sake creates a worldview without ethical gray areas. Their dichotomous thinking disavows nuances and contradictions, and decisions are valued for satisfying the Sisterhood’s best interests in the long term. Accordingly, the Bene Gesserit represses the full spectrum of emotions that can jeopardize the organization and create torn loyalties. Their combative stance sees the world in an “us versus them” mentality that judges any obstacles to their agenda as “evil” rather than different.

“All of those other lives lay there just beyond the curtain of awareness, tools of survival, not a way to satisfy casual curiosity.”

The Bene Gesserit’s Other Memories allow the Reverend Mothers to access their female lineage’s rich and personal histories. However, retrieving these memories is for strategic purposes, not emotional fulfillment. The memories are called “tools,” suggesting a pragmatic and impersonal relationship with one’s heritage. Lineage can symbolize continuity, nostalgia, and intimacy, but the Other Memories represent another arena to practice discipline and self-detachment for the Sisterhood.

“He sensed the injustice in it, the lack of truthfulness. Something within him said he carried more human wisdom in his unawakened self than the ones who presumed themselves so superior.”

Duncan despises Schwangyu for her patronizing and degrading treatment of him. She makes no effort to hide her opposition to the ghola project and regards Duncan as less than human and undeserving of any explanation of what and who he is. However, to Duncan, Schwangyu’s behavior is entirely inhumane, and the more she insists on objectifying him, the more degraded she appears. Duncan focuses on denying justice and truth to him, two concepts that the Bene Gesserit hold at a distance, further antagonizing his frustrations with his upbringing. Instead of justice, the Bene Gesserit upholds advantage, and instead of truth, they operate in secrets and myths.

“Not a chairdog in the house, she would wager. Teg was an antique surrounding himself with antiques.”

Taraza regards Miles Teg with deep respect and compares him to his antiques as a compliment for his modesty, dependability, and high principles. Instead of being viewed as an old and out-of-touch relic, the 296-year-old Teg is depicted as having desirable qualities that feel increasingly rare in the modern world. Taraza interprets his refusal to use chairdogs as a sign of his compassion and moral stance against the mistreatment of living things. Teg also resembles Duke Leto I in attitude and appearance, and he is a ghostly representation of the greatness the Duke may have achieved had he lived longer. Teg represents the bygone days of House Atreides and the idealism of military service and honor. That Taraza recalls him from his retirement suggests that there are no more people like Teg whom she can trust.

“Mother Superior, if I thought you would produce another monster on Rakis, I would have said so. You trust my decisions; I trust yours.”

The relationship between Miles Teg and Taraza is one of the few instances in the novel where two people genuinely share an understanding and respect for one another. In a universe where hierarchies and ulterior motives reign, Teg and Taraza cast their suspicions and doubts aside and treat each other as equals. Teg’s ability to connect with Taraza is partly due to his mother’s unorthodox upbringing where she demystified the Bene Gesserit’s enigmatic ways to her son. In seeing the person behind the mask, Teg draws a more sincere connection with the imposing Mother Superior, and she returns his honesty in kind.

“Without self, they have nothing to esteem or even doubt. They are bred only to obey their masters.”

When Teg is seven, his mother, Janet Roxbrough-Teg, instructs him on the betrayal of the Tleilaxu Face Dancers. Lady Janet impresses on her young son that the enemies’ flaws are due to their lack of individuality and being merely followers. Although her lesson focuses on identifying a Face Dancer, she also instills in Teg the value of autonomy and a sense of self. Lady Janet’s instructions teach Teg how to detect danger and deception and foster his sense of integrity.

“Duncan focused on rolling slopes of forest climbing to rocky pinnacles. He found the forest compelling. The pinnacles beyond it possessed a magical quality. It was easy to imagine that no human had ever touched that land.”

Throughout the novel, nature is a sanctuary and a metaphor for art, freedom, and imagination. Duncan has spent his entire life in the Gammu Keep under strict surveillance. In moments of longing, he sneaks to a “Forbidden Window” to witness the expansive landscape and marvel at the wonder of the natural surroundings denied to him. The forest’s enchanting quality gives Duncan the imaginative setting to feel that he is unique in the universe and not a copy of a stranger he does not remember. After he visits the window, Duncan returns to his room and imagines the face of a woman who could be his mother. Like the mirage, nature is an imaginative mother figure that provides the lonely and distraught young Duncan with solace.

“I’m not one of them! […] He imagined his own purposes and projected his own images of himself triumphant over the Sisterhood, especially over Schwangyu.”

As Duncan undergoes his training in the Bene Gesserit arts by Teg and Lucilla, he grows to disassociate himself from identifying as one of them. Duncan is denied information to understand who he is and his original memories, and he intuits that the Bene Gesserit are only using him for their purposes. In her contempt for Duncan, Schwangyu unwittingly motivates Duncan to defy the Bene Gesserit and insist on defining his own identity in opposition to theirs.

“Curiosity unsatisfied tended to create its own answers. Guesses were often more dangerous than facts.”

When Sheeana appears in Keen atop a sandworm, the Rakian priests respond by keeping her shrouded in secrecy until they can determine if she truly is a child of God. However, their tactic backfires as stories about Sheeana spread, and her mythology grows. The Bene Gesserit have long mastered the art of mythmaking and regard the phenomenon as a form of “wish-fulfillment” in the people. They recognize the power of speculation in fueling popular beliefs and instruct Reverend Mother Tamalane to subtly direct the events unfolding on Rakis. Reality is often determined by those who control the narrative, and the Bene Gesserit have long kept their role as the creators of myths hidden.

“Have you any idea, Miles, how maddening it is to hear you argue both sides of an issue with equal force? But your simpatico is a powerful weapon […] it’s uncanny how you make us see things we have no other way of seeing.”

In her appraisal of Teg’s Mentat skills and amiability, Taraza suggests that Teg not only detects what the Bene Gesserit fail to see in their enemies but also in themselves. Taraza makes this declaration aloud so that Odrade will hear their conversation. Teg surmises that Taraza is encouraging them both to turn a critical eye inward on the Bene Gesserit. Her admission that they “have no other way of seeing” suggests that Taraza feels that the Sisterhood has become complacent in its doctrines.

“Humans have such a powerful need that their own belief structure be the ‘true belief.’”

Taraza discusses the role of the Missionaria Protectiva in giving people what they believe they need. She describes how religion satisfies people’s desires for security and pleasure, much like the physical requirements of food, water, and shelter. For the Bene Gesserit, the people’s dependence on religion is where the Sisterhood clandestinely draws their power and influence. Taraza reminds Odrade and Teg of the Bene Gesserit’s mastery in creating religions and warns them of the dangers of the Honored Matres. Instead of mediating religion, the Honored Matres have made themselves the actual objects of worship and are unwittingly dependent on the whims of their worshippers who can easily turn against them. The Bene Gesserit’s power is in the way they are unseen and can make religion appear as if it is natural.

“The Mentat rides Roman, one foot on each steed. Each foot is based on a different reality as the pattern-search hurtles him forward. He must ride different realities to a single goal.”

Odrade’s perspective of Taraza and the Bene Gesserit changes when she realizes that the Mother Superior requires Teg’s skills in negotiating disparate realities. Rather than see the world simply as an opposition between good and evil, Taraza searches for a solution that allows for a shared goal. The imagery of the Roman equestrian is a symbol of Teg’s mental agility. The scene also foreshadows events in the next novel, Chapterhouse: Dune, where Murbella symbolizes merging the Honored Matres with the Bene Gesserit.

“Some people never observe anything. Life just happens to them. They get by on little more than a kind of dumb persistence, and they resist with anger and resentment anything that might lift them out of that false serenity.”

In their conversation on the geriatric properties of spice, Taraza and Teg discuss what benefits accompany a longer life. Taraza commends Teg on his natural longevity and how much knowledge he has gained from his observations of human nature. Teg comments that living longer naturally provides this opportunity, but Taraza retorts that not everyone takes advantage of life to broaden their perspective. Taraza’s perspective on the complacency of human behavior is also a critique of the Sisterhood and its stagnation. The scene highlights the exceptionalism of Teg’s lifespan and his quality of life.

“Hatred was as dangerous an emotion as love. The capacity for hatred was the capacity for its opposite.”

When Sheeana expresses glee at the punishment of those involved in the attack on Rakis, Odrade quickly detects the need to harness the young girl’s emotions. Sheeana is petulant, demanding, and arrogant, and Odrade surmises that the priests have only encouraged such behavior in her out of fear. Odrade obeys the Bene Gesserit protocols to teach Sheeana emotional control, yet she later becomes aware that she is tempted to give the child love. Sheeana’s youth is a reminder of Odrade’s vulnerability and freedom from indoctrination.

“There were times when Odrade felt longingly that this failure might not be a bad life—fewer responsibilities, lesser goals.”

As Odrade prepares for Sheeana’s education, she recalls her process of becoming a Reverend Mother. Odrade spent at least 50 years training, and she ponders if her efforts and sacrifice were worthwhile. Sheeana awakens Odrade’s childhood memories as a series of grueling tests and demands. Rather than a sense of pride and accomplishment, Odrade envies how her success as a Reverend Mother deprived her of a simpler and more pleasurable life.

“You could never consult Archival Records in a straightforward manner. Much of the interpretation that emerged from that source had to be accepted on the word of the ones who brought it […] This, in its turn, required a dependency on those who maintained the system. It gave functionaries more power than Taraza cared to delegate.”

Taraza expresses frustration at the bureaucracy of the Bene Gesserit Archives and the way information is never neutral but always mediated. Rather than function as an objective repository of records and evidence, the archive holds different narratives filtered by individuals with biases and personal investments. Taraza holds the highest authority as the Mother Superior. Yet, she acknowledges that anyone who works in the administrative operations of the archives has a great power in being the custodians and gatekeepers of knowledge.

“Never Again! That was the operational motto. Never another Kwisatz Haderach or another Tyrant. Control the breeders: Control their offspring.”

The Bene Gesserit’s breeding programs have consistently been failures, especially in their inability to control Paul Atreides and Leto II. Yet rather than abandon or reform their eugenics program, they hold an even tighter grip on people’s lives. Instead of seeing the humanity in individuals, they categorize people based on their genetic potential or defect. The more control the Bene Gesserit exercises, the more inhumane and authoritarian they become to their members.

“‘I don’t hate you,’ Duncan said, looking once more at Teg. 

‘I resented it when you said ghola to my face. But Lucilla’s right: We should never resent the truth even when it hurts.’”

Duncan’s maturity keeps his relationship with Teg intact. The Bashar does not hide anything about the process of awakening from Duncan and even admits to feeling dirty about the project. Teg prepares Duncan for the pain, and in being told the truth, Duncan respects him. Lucilla likewise treats Duncan with honesty, and he learns to value truth more than being told what he wants to hear. In a universe prone to using secrecy to secure power, Teg and Lucilla opt for transparency and give Duncan the knowledge he needs to understand himself and accept his identity. As Atreides descendants, Teg and Lucilla embody the values of honesty and fairness. Through these traits, they build Duncan’s respect and self-esteem.

“‘Reputation can be a beautiful weapon,’ Teg said. ‘It often spills less blood.’”

Duncan reads about Teg’s many exploits in the records at Gammu Keep and marvels at the Bashar’s universal appeal to his followers and enemies. Teg is a direct descendant of Ghanima and possesses the “Atreides charisma.” His diplomacy has made him legendary and an invaluable asset to the Bene Gesserit. Teg’s success is a foil to Duke Leto I’s tragic end. The Duke possessed similar traits of honor and integrity but was murdered by the more ruthless Harkonnens. Teg’s success in the post-Tyrant era suggests that humanity has become more receptive to diplomacy, and the Tyrant’s repressive regime may have conditioned humanity to revile authoritarianism and seek a more peaceful existence.

“‘A little pain to remind me of the pain I caused you,’ Teg said.”

During Duncan’s physical training, one of the devices short circuits and delivers a shock to Teg’s arm. True to his equitable nature, Teg comments that he should not be spared any pain given the pain he caused Duncan in awakening his memories. In his military and interactions, Teg follows the ethics of reciprocity and does not uphold a hypocritical stance where he exempts himself from the consequences of his actions. Although Teg possesses extraordinary skills that make him superior to those around him, he nevertheless recognizes the dignity in others as a natural right.

“The Tleilaxu take shortcuts. Their view of genetics is not our view. It is not a human view. They make monsters.”

Reverend Mother Bellonda protests against Odrade’s alliance with the Tleilaxu and regards their gholas as monsters. However, she disavows the Bene Gesserit’s role in creating the Kwisatz Haderach and the Tyrant and unleashing individuals with powers beyond their control. Bellonda’s hypocrisy highlights the ways the Bene Gesserit have lost self-critical sight of their breeding program. Throughout the novel, Herbert draws similarities between the two organizations to emphasize the Bene Gesserit’s flaws. Bellonda and Schwangyu may demean the Tleilaxu and their gholas for not being human, yet Teg regards the Reverend Mothers as not being fully human either.

“And the lives of the serial gholas were like melange, presenting a different taste in different surroundings.”

Odrade compares the differences in the Duncan gholas to the subtleties in the taste of melange. Her comment reveals how unique each ghola is to himself, the Atreides, and the Bene Gesserit who reincarnate him for their purposes. Odrade’s comparison also emphasizes the way Duncan is treated as a commodity. He is prized for his loyalty to the Atreides, and his existence is predicated on serving authority and not living his own independent life. In Dune Messiah, Paul Atreides refused the Telilaxus’ offer to make a Chani ghola after his beloved’s death. The serial resurrection of Duncan Idaho highlights the novel’s explorations of what it means to be human and have free will and the ethics of biotechnology.

“The Honored Matre and Muzzafar had forgotten or, most likely, abandoned everything that supported the survival of joyous humans. He thought they probably no longer were capable of finding a real wellspring of joy in their own flesh.”

Teg realizes that the ultimate power of the Honored Matres and their mastery in subjugating men through sex amounts to a life depleted of happiness. The Honored Matres, theorized to be an offshoot of the Bene Gesserit out in the Scattering, represent a version of the Sisterhood that has lost sight of its purpose and only pursues power for power’s sake. Both Taraza and Odrade represent the melancholy of an unfulfilling life despite being in the highest positions of power. Their disenchantment functions as a sign that the Bene Gesserit still retain their humanity. The Honored Matres are a warning of what they may become if they abandon their desires and imagination to obey the precepts of emotional control.