j d worthington
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- Joined
- May 9, 2006
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All of that, though, is necessary to establish the nature of the society and the people it produces. Remember, this is a society where (for example) the Bene Geserit have refined knowledge of both psychology and semiotics to an almost unbelievable degree; and the people of the noble houses are forced, by necessity of survival (as well as to maintain something of a balance of power), to be almost hyperaesthetically aware of all these tiny nuances that we would either not notice at all or take largely for granted. In other words, they are consciously aware of all the tiny tell-tale signs of body language, tone of voice, even physical tonality, which we only register unconsciously. These are the things which we react to 90% of the time, after all; they are what provides a feeling of comfort, that "first impression" we have such difficulty in overcoming despite any subsequent evidence. In their society, the awareness and manipulation of these things has been brought to a near-perfect science, and is used to particularly devastating effect by the Bene Geserit and the Bene Tleilaxu.
In this little scene between Paul and his father, each is consciously aware of the unspoken, and yet striving to bridge that gap to communicate honestly. In Leto's case, both for love of his son and in order to prepare him for the trials ahead; yet he, like nearly anyone in a position of authority who is used to dealing with great numbers of people, also has formed habits of manipulating his own responses to reassure, to get the "proper" response, or simply to save time in explanations -- and now finds himself in a position where he has to (again, consciously) fight against a lifetime of learned habits in order to be honest with his son, in a society which is often predicated on false impressions, treachery, and violence. In going into such detail when describing the interactions between people, Herbert drives home the alienness of the world he's talking about, as well as showing the varying layers of interaction, depending on the strata of society or the type (not necessarily socioeconomic) of person being dealt with. So I'd argue that there is very little wasted verbiage here, as each tiny bit adds to the distancing effect while at the same time giving us a window into the protagonists' way of thinking... which we, by dint of following the tale to a certain point, begin to truly understand and even to find ourselves anticipating the "correct" responses. It's a subtle tool, and through it, Herbert allows us to both see and become the alien....
