In the first book of the universe, there are very few female characters and even fewer female characters with important roles in the book. One character, Harah, is given to Paul after Paul kills her husband. Stilgar states "Do you accept Harah as woman or servant?"(Herbert 556). Women are total property of their husbands until he dies or a man accepts her as a servant, like Paul does. Jessica, Paul's mother, has been the subject of many arguments over her character's status. Some argue that she is the second main character of Dune and is equal to her son. Others say that she is not, since she experiences relatively little character development. Jessica is often called "Bene Gesserit Witch". She is a member of an all-woman religious group and shadow government called the Bene Gesserit. While some critics praise Herbert for his inclusion of women in positions of power, others criticize his use of the Bene Gesserit, for although they are extremely powerful, their ultimate goal is to integrate a man into their religion. The man would be more powerful than all the women who had gone before, which hits a nerve for some feminist critics. Reverend Mother states "It is said a man will come one day... He will look where we cannot-into both feminine and masculine pasts"(Herbert 19).
WARNING: MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD
At the end of the book, after Paul defeats Baron Harkonnen and the Padishah emperor, he negotiates with the Emperor and decides to marry the Princess Irulan. This marriage would be one of political convenience; Irulan has no say in the matter. Paul says "Shall we now discuss what must be? Your daughter wed to me and the way opened for an Atreides to sit on the throne"(Herbert 790). Chani, Paul's unofficial wife and lover, is worried she will be cast aside as a concubine. However, in one last burst of feminine power, Jessica states
WARNING: MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD
At the end of the book, after Paul defeats Baron Harkonnen and the Padishah emperor, he negotiates with the Emperor and decides to marry the Princess Irulan. This marriage would be one of political convenience; Irulan has no say in the matter. Paul says "Shall we now discuss what must be? Your daughter wed to me and the way opened for an Atreides to sit on the throne"(Herbert 790). Chani, Paul's unofficial wife and lover, is worried she will be cast aside as a concubine. However, in one last burst of feminine power, Jessica states
"Think on it Chani: that princess will have the name... While we...we who carry the name of concubine-history will call us wives" (Herbert 794)