This study will examine the interrelationship between social organization and the environment on the planet Arrakis in Frank Herbert's science-fiction novel, Dune. The study will explore how the society of the Fremen operates in order to fit into the hostile ecological realities of the planet, which is entirely a desert environment. The basis argument of the study will be that the survival of the Fremen on the planet, and their creation and maintenance of their society and social organization, depends on an ability to adapt to that environment, rather than control it forcefully by making it something other than it is. The harshness of the environment on Arrakis and the delicate balance of its ecology require that the Fremen, both before and after the coming of Paul to the planet, always heed that delicate balance lest they destroy the planet and themselves. In part, this deliberate, careful and conscious adaptability is what the author is saying is necessary to survive in any environment.
The book's story involves the coming to Arrakis of Paul Atreides, a boy who has been raised on another planet, Caladan, which has plenty of water. Paul has been trained to be a Duke of the Imperium, a vast empire with planets throughout the galaxy. It is not a galaxy of peace or security, however, but instead is run on fear and strict laws. It is also economically dependent on a spice which grows on Arrakis and nowhere else. Paul is the hero of the novel, but he is a warning from the author against making heroes into religious idols. Paul has to struggle against this tendency, fighting to be a good leader, but fighting against the tendency of the Fremen to turn him into a god who can magically transform their planet. It is never certain whether he can maintain such a balance, any more than it is certain the Fremen can maintain their survival balance between the harsh environment and the requirements of their social organization.
Paul is part ...