The odyssey of Dune : epic, archetype and the collective unconscious
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Authors
Rafala, Carmelo
Issue Date
2001-09
Type
Dissertation
Language
en
Keywords
Epic literature , Epic impressions , Comparative literary studies , Homer , Classical heroes , Science fiction , Frank Herbert , Jung's archetypes , Collective unconscious , Feminism
Alternative Title
Abstract
This thesis examines epic impressions between two disparate literary genres, the classical
Homeric epic and the science fiction novel, Frank Herbert's Dune in particular. This is done by
applying Jung's archetypes and his notion of the collective unconscious to both literary works.
This thesis argues that, through intertextual dialogue, continuities can be seen to exist between
the Homeric epic and Dune and other science fiction texts of a similar nature.
Chapter one examines epic impressions through a study of the classical heroic
superhuman. This superhuman, his birth, divine attributes and heroic adventures shall be
isolated and applied to both the classical hero and the hero of Herbert's narrative. Chapter two
will examine the relationship between prescience ("hyperawareness") and the divine oracle of
the classical epic. Chapter three will examine the archetype of the "Terrible Mother" and the
masculine fear of feminine powers that works to keep the feminine subordinate.
Description
Citation
Rafala, Carmelo (2001) The odyssey of Dune : epic, archetype and the collective unconscious, University of South Africa, Pretoria, <http://hdl.handle.net/10500/15848>