On Tue, 23 Sep 1997, Sean Johnston wrote:
> Of course, Alia (St. Alia of the Knife) was even more powerful than Lady
> Jessica. Once she grew up, that is. Then there's the Reverend Mother
> Gaius Helen Mohiam--a little slimy, but still powerful. Finally, a very
> powerful woman was Paul Muad'Dib's wife Chani (and most of the other Fremen
> women--_now_ that's a society that is an example of equality in practice).
And yet... I did not see it as very feminist. Perhaps better than
some but, (I am about to try to remember details, forgive my mistakes)
There were two ancient schools, Bene Geserit and the other one that
handled interstellar travel. women => language, men => math. women =>
natural, men => self-chosen mutated freaks. Women less power than men.
Fremen. Women owned by men (Paul won his first wife by killing her
husband) polygamous, not polyandrous (as I recall and I am probably
messing up the formal definitions) Men were the warriors.
Social structure. Royal title through male descent. Women political
pawns (emporer's daughter), prostitutes, and playthings (emporer's
"gifts"). Mentats: men. Security: men. Soldiers: men.
The universe at large: Women fundamentally different than men.
Especially in the mystical parts of the Bene Geserit psychic stuff. Women
can't go to the place that the man can (though Paul is the only male Bene
Geserit).
So, my assesment is that it is extremely sexist. With some small power
given to some freakish women that no one much likes. Perhaps that is
better than much, but I think there is better still.
-- Joel VanLaven
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