Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Dune reflective post

In any piece of literature that you read, the person telling the story inevitably shapes how the story is told and how the reader perceives the events unfolding. As I read Dune, this seemed to be a very point aspect of the story to keep in mind. The fact that Paul, who is such a one of a kind and unique character in the world of Dune, is our narrator, plays a big role in how we view the story. The fact that Paul is part of the nobility and that we know from the beginning what his fate will be shapes how we respond to the story. I think Rinske made an interesting point connecting this to the fact that the characters seem to have no free will because of their feudal duties. Would this have been the same if Paul wasn't so bound to his fate? Or does this same lack of control over the future apply to everyone in the world of Dune?

1 comment:

Liz said...

But is Paul actually our narrator? Throughout Dune we see the events unfold through the Baron's,Yueh's, and Jessica's perspectives, just to name a few. We don't really know who is telling the story, but this implied writer seems to know everything about everyone.