"The Inward Eyes of the Kwisatz Haderach:" Jungian Archetypes and Individuation in Frank Herbert's Dune
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Authors
Elliott, Benjamin Bowers
Issue Date
2022-06
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Academic theses , Anima (Psychoanalysis) , Animus (Psychoanalysis) in literature , Dune (Imaginary place) , Dune series (Herbert, Frank) , English literature , Herbert, Frank , Individuation (Philosophy) in literature , Jungian psychology , Literature , Psychology
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Abstract
In this analysis, Jungian concepts such as the anima, animus, and individuation are placed onto the events, characters, and philosophies of Frank Herbert’s Dune. In its second chapter, Dune’s all-female monastic order, the Bene Gesserit, are connected with the Jungian anima and the unconscious. Here, the Bene Gesserit’s philosophy is shown to embrace many qualities of the anima, something that allows insight into their passive, observation-focused philosophy. In its third chapter, Dune’s all-male Great House leaders are analyzed through the Jungian animus and logos, something that helps explain Dune’s strength-based, shadowy politics. These two ideologies gestate within the psyche of the novel’s young protagonist, Paul Atreides, and, in this analysis’s fourth chapter, Paul’s character and actions are understood as an “individuation” process. Here, his relationship with each archetype/ their associated faction foreshadows Paul’s later actions, and, in understanding his development, audiences gain a deeper understanding of what qualities within Paul make him, ultimately, a destructive and power-hungry leader. The analysis closes by exploring the scholastic ramifications of a Jungian Dune reading.
Keywords: Anima, Animus, Dune, Herbert, Individuation, Jung
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This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.