Dune

“Paul felt that he had been infected with terrible purpose.”

Paul is repeatedly worried about his "terrible purpose" (19). Throughout the novel, people herald him as a hero and a savior, though Paul cannot share their joy or their optimism. To him, these expectations are a burden as he has glimpsed a violent future in which he will play a key role. Paul is still a young man with little experience in the world. For all his potential and training, he recognizes that the power he possesses is less a gift than a curse. Rather than make him more powerful, his role in the prophecy and his training mean that he has become even more aware of how dangerous he could become in the future.

“The Imperium, the CHOAM Company, all the Great Houses, they are but bits of flotsam in the path of the flood.”

In the world of Dune, certain characters are important, but no individual can compare to the grander durability of institutions. Even Paul, a messianic figure with great power, is aware that he must adhere to the rules and expectations of institutions such as the CHOAM Company and the Imperial throne. These institutions have lasted hundreds of years and, in the greater scheme of history, are far more important than the actions of men like Baron Harkonnen or Duke Leto. Yet even these institutions pale in comparison to the “flood” (35) of history.