DUNE: Why Couldn't Paul Stop The Jihad?

With the help of the imperial Sardaukar the Harkonnens lead a raid against House Atreides. Paul and Jessica were forced deep into the desert. It is here in the desert that Paul sees the full scope of the terrible purpose which he had first glimpsed after meeting the old Reverend mother Gaius Helen Mohiam. He sees the Jihad, the religious war in his name stretching throughout the universe, plaguing every inhabited world. By the time Paul realized that he couldn’t stop it, the momentum was such that even if he had died he would be martyred, and the Jihad would continue in his name and perhaps be even worse. Perhaps if Paul had died before he came into to contact with the Fremen, the Jihad could have been prevented, but Paul had no way of knowing at the time that this may have been the only solution.

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[philipchurch]

In becoming the Fremen super leader he didn't actually have the power to choose their course but only to lead the Fremen on the course they would already be inclined towards. I think it's like the worm and riding it. A wormrider can steer a worm but not contrary to the worm's nature. It cannot be made to cross water, for example. I think the worms are allegorical in this way of political power and the limitations of it.

[SuperNovaJinckUFO]

I would say it creates a contrast between Paul and Leto II. Paul attempts to be the benevolent leader, but in doing so, he brings about the greatest atrocity in history, while Leto sacrifices his image and becomes a ruthless tyrant, but insures humanity's success in the long run

[paulholland]

"To know the future, is to be trapped by it."

[YouTubdotCub]

When Stilgar takes Jessica and Paul down into the water storage area at the end of Jamis' funeral rites, Paul recognizes this is a nexus of choice which could avert the Jihad but is unsure what choice to make. They leave the water storage and Paul recognizes that he missed his chance to make a choice, still unsure what it was he had a choice in.

My read of that chapter is that Paul had the choice to continue Kynes and Liet-Kynes in leading the Fremen down a slow, defensive pth, paying off the Spacing Guild and doing the intergenerational work of bringing more water and more life and greenery to Arrakis. He was meant to speak there against Jessica's wishes for vengeance against the Harkonnens and for staying the course set by Liet-Kynes and Kynes before him, but he could not see it. The way that chapter ends, with Paul perceiving his mother (and the way she shaped/shapes him) as his enemy is telling.

[DoubleK]

Fremen: "I've only had Paul for a day and a half, but if anything happened to him, I would kill everyone is this universe and then myself."


Paul: "Please no"

[superstring]

Paul was born with one voice and prescient love for Chani. That was it. He could've chosen the sandtrout skin but all he wanted was Chani and his corporeal life. Leto II was born of the horde, he was never a single person and all he knew was the inner lives and himself. He made a bargain and became the horde and that's all he ever was. He was the nexus between the past voices and his visions of the future. Paul, Ghanima (and Alia with the right state of mind) could've become the Kwisatz Haderach if he wanted, but he never wanted it. It's all that Leto ever knew.

[gorilladisco]

"How many future you have seen?"
"14, 000, 605."
"How many did humanity survive?
"One."

[jamesburke]

If Paul Atreides is a hero then he is a tragic one. Both Dune Messiah and Children of Dune make it clear how his own prescience had painted him into a corner. I had to reread those books a few times over the years to really understand. At the end of the first book Paul can foresee the Jihad and realize that he can't stop it but I think for some people getting intp the series those facts might be overshadowed by Paul's struggle with Shaddam IV and the Harkonnens, although I was still somewhat crest-fallen when I first read Dune Messiah and saw not only the Tleilaxu, the Bene Gesserit, and the Spacing Guild conspiring against him but other Fremen, too. It became pretty obvious that Muaddib's reign did not bring utopia of any kind to the known universe. Great video. Keep up the great work.

[JCRS]

I'm reading Chapterhouse at the moment and seeing this video about Paul makes it feel like the first three books were eons ago.
Herbert was a master even at this!

[fumarc]

The Fremen were their own worst enemy. Their dream would have always destroyed them, as well as the Sand Worms.

[jvaish]

Dune in two phrases: "Don't follow leaders; watch your parking meters"

[Kemot]

Paul was a pawn in the hand of destiny. A "King pawn" with self-awareness (needed to win the chess game) but still a pawn.

[dldavis]

Me: Scientologists are so dumb for getting caught up in the religion of a science fiction author!

Also Me: please teach me everything you can about the religion in Dune!

[avidian]

He was the victim of his own prophecy and he was afraid to walk the golden path. That's why he waited for his son to make the sacrifices...

[beberivera]

First: this was a beautiful video and thanks for sharing!
Second: I think it's also important to note that Paul couldn't bring himself to take "The Golden Path" bc he knew that any deviation from his prescient knowledge of the future would result in truly devastating repercussions for the ones he loved most as well as the complete destruction of the Imperium. He couldn't live with the consequences of such an action and so rejected The Golden Path in favor of something personally terrible but with less immediately far reaching results. I think he also understood that he wasn't equipped to handle becoming The God Emperor himself, and wanted nothing more than to simply fade away and just be with Chani. There was so much nobility in his actions with just a trace of cowardice. #justmy2cents

[SerbianSabre]

I believe that the breaking point in Paul was when Emperor launched a Sardaukar raid and killed his firstborn infant son - Leto Atreides II the Elder. After that I think that Paul only wanted for the galaxy to burn... I mean - he knew that even in his own death the Jihad will carry on, but after that, he just gave up on stopping it...

[Black_pearl_adrift]

Imagine watching something happen knowing it's "in your name" but not being able to control it at all. That so tragic. So interestingly written!

[martincerny]

According the book, fremen Jihad lasted for twelve years. Entire Fremen population on Arrakis was five milion people (more or less). During the Jihad, this fighting force conquered milions of planets and killed around sixty billions people.
By knives... I guess...
Am I the only one here, who finds these numbers little weird?

[bradleyj.fortner]

Paul couldn't stop the Jihad because every time he tried, mundanematt would flag his videos.

[Rrrrufus]

It's amazing to see how much warhammer 40000 was inspired by Dune

The Emperor, a powerful psychic super-human, leading a crusade to reunite mankind in his Imperium, using legions of super soldiers, banishing all religions and cults in favour of the "Imperial Truth", and unwillingly being seen as a God by the citizens of the Imperium.