His Dark Materials: Difference between revisions
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'''''His Dark Materials''''' is a [[trilogy]] of [[novel]]s by the [[fantasy fiction]] author [[Philip Pullman]], comprising ''[[Northern Lights (novel)|Northern Lights]]'' (released as ''The Golden Compass'' in the [[United States]]), ''[[The Subtle Knife]]'' and ''[[The Amber Spyglass]]''. The trilogy has also been published as a single-volume omnibus in the [[United Kingdom|UK]], titled simply "''His Dark Materials''". |
'''''His Dark Materials''''' is a [[trilogy]] of [[novel]]s by the [[fantasy fiction]] author [[Philip Pullman]], comprising ''[[Northern Lights (novel)|Northern Lights]]'' (released as ''The Golden Compass'' in the [[United States]]), ''[[The Subtle Knife]]'' and ''[[The Amber Spyglass]]''. The trilogy has also been published as a single-volume omnibus in the [[United Kingdom|UK]], titled simply "''His Dark Materials''". |
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Although ostensibly for children, the novels were written to be equally compelling for adults, albeit on a different level. The story initially begins in ''Northern Lights'' as a typical fantasy tale, but much of the trilogy develops [[allegory|allegorical]] layers of meaning. Pullman introduces ideas throughout the trilogy which have have a broader scope than those of a typical fantasy novel, dealing with such fields as [[metaphysics]], [[quantum physics]] and [[philosophy]], especially [[ |
Although ostensibly for children, the novels were written to be equally compelling for adults, albeit on a different level. The story initially begins in ''Northern Lights'' as a typical fantasy tale, but much of the trilogy develops [[allegory|allegorical]] layers of meaning. Pullman introduces ideas throughout the trilogy which have have a broader scope than those of a typical fantasy novel, dealing with such fields as [[metaphysics]], [[quantum physics]] and [[philosophy]], especially [[philosophy of religion|religious philosophy]]. Pullman himself describes the target audience range as [[Young adult literature|young adult]], and some say that the books are too intellectual or mature in content for most children, as they feature complex themes and deal heavily in [[Bible|Biblical]] [[symbolism]]. |
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==Plot summary== |
==Plot summary== |
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{{spoiler}} |
{{spoiler}} |
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The trilogy takes place across a [[multiverse]], moving between |
The trilogy takes place across a [[multiverse]], moving between many alternate worlds. In ''Northern Lights'', the story takes place in a world much like our own, though with a number of subtle differences. In ''The Subtle Knife'', the story passes into our world (what we might define as a break into reality), and in ''The Amber Spyglass'' it crosses through an array of diverse worlds. |
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One defining aspect of Pullman's story is his concept of [[dæmon (His Dark Materials)|dæmon]]s. In the alternate universe of [[Lyra Belacqua]], the story's protagonist, and many other universes not including our own, the human soul is manifested through life as a [[dæmon (His Dark Materials)|dæmon]], taking the form of an animal that is always near to you. When young, this animal can change forms at will, but after adolescence and the coming of a kind of life-wisdom, the animal takes a final form, symbolising how the person has progressed from childish haphazardness to the stability of an adult. |
One defining aspect of Pullman's story is his concept of [[dæmon (His Dark Materials)|dæmon]]s. In the alternate universe of [[Lyra Belacqua]], the story's protagonist, and many other universes not including our own, the human soul is manifested through life as a [[dæmon (His Dark Materials)|dæmon]], taking the form of an animal that is always near to you. When young, this animal can change forms at will, but after adolescence and the coming of a kind of life-wisdom, the animal takes a final form, symbolising how the person has progressed from childish haphazardness to the stability of an adult. |
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''Main article: [[The Amber Spyglass]]'' |
''Main article: [[The Amber Spyglass]]'' |
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In ''The Amber Spyglass'', Will ignores the angels and rescues Lyra and with the help of [[Lord Asriel]]'s [[Gallivespian]] spies the [[Chevalier Tialys]] and the [[Lady Salmakia]], and they journey to the Land of the Dead, there to release the dead souls from their captivity imposed by the oppressive God-figure, The Authority. [[Mary Malone]], a scientist of our world interested in Dust, travels to a land populated by strange sentient creatures called [[Mulefa]], and there learns of the true nature of Dust, existing as panpsychic particles of self-awareness. [[Lord Asriel]] and a reformed [[Mrs Coulter]] team up to destroy The Authority's Regent, [[Metatron]], but are killed in the process. The Authority himself dies of his own frailty amongst a massive battle between the rebels and his servants. Post-climactically, Will and Lyra fall in love |
In ''The Amber Spyglass'', Will ignores the angels and rescues Lyra and with the help of [[Lord Asriel]]'s [[Gallivespian]] spies the [[Chevalier Tialys]] and the [[Lady Salmakia]], and they journey to the Land of the Dead, there to release the dead souls from their captivity imposed by the oppressive God-figure, The Authority. [[Mary Malone]], a scientist of our world interested in Dust, travels to a land populated by strange sentient creatures called [[Mulefa]], and there learns of the true nature of Dust, existing as panpsychic particles of self-awareness. [[Lord Asriel]] and a reformed [[Mrs Coulter]] team up to destroy The Authority's Regent, [[Metatron]], but are killed in the process. The Authority himself dies of his own frailty amongst a massive battle between the rebels and his servants. Post-climactically, Will and Lyra fall in love, marking their loss of innocence, but are irrevocably separated; for greater good, the Subtle Knife is destroyed and the passageways between worlds are sealed forever. |
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==Characters== |
==Characters== |
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The novels also draw heavily on [[Gnosticism|gnostic ideas]], and ''His Dark Materials'' has been a subject of controversy, especially with certain [[Christianity|Christian]] groups. Pullman has, however, also found support from more [[liberal Christianity|liberal Christians]], most notably [[Rowan Williams]], the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], who argue that Pullman's attacks are focused on the constraints and dangers of [[dogma|dogmatism]] and the use of religion to [[oppression|oppress]], not on Christianity itself. |
The novels also draw heavily on [[Gnosticism|gnostic ideas]], and ''His Dark Materials'' has been a subject of controversy, especially with certain [[Christianity|Christian]] groups. Pullman has, however, also found support from more [[liberal Christianity|liberal Christians]], most notably [[Rowan Williams]], the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], who argue that Pullman's attacks are focused on the constraints and dangers of [[dogma|dogmatism]] and the use of religion to [[oppression|oppress]], not on Christianity itself. |
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Some have called ''His Dark Materials'' the antithesis of ''[[The Chronicles of Narnia]]'', the seven-book fantasy series by [[C. S. Lewis]]. This image has been reinforced by Pullman making public statements accusing Lewis of being "blatantly racist" and "monumentally disparaging of women" in his novels [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,726739,00.html] |
Some have called ''His Dark Materials'' the antithesis of ''[[The Chronicles of Narnia]]'', the seven-book fantasy series by [[C. S. Lewis]]. This image has been reinforced by Pullman making public statements accusing Lewis of being "blatantly racist" and "monumentally disparaging of women" in his novels [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,726739,00.html]. Furthermore, the ''Narnia'' series distinctly favors faith and religion over exclusive rationalism, whereas ''His Dark Materials'' seems to advocate the opposite. |
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In terms of popularity, the trilogy is sometimes [http://www.sd68.k12.il.us/schools/orchard/LMC/fantasy.htm compared] with fantasy books like ''[[A Wrinkle in Time]]'' by [[Madeleine L'Engle]], the ''[[Young Wizards]]'' series by [[Diane Duane]] and even the ''[[Narnia]]'' books themselves. |
In terms of popularity, the trilogy is sometimes [http://www.sd68.k12.il.us/schools/orchard/LMC/fantasy.htm compared] with fantasy books like ''[[A Wrinkle in Time]]'' by [[Madeleine L'Engle]], the ''[[Young Wizards]]'' series by [[Diane Duane]] and even the ''[[Narnia]]'' books themselves. |
||
Revision as of 02:53, 18 November 2005
His Dark Materials is a trilogy of novels by the fantasy fiction author Philip Pullman, comprising Northern Lights (released as The Golden Compass in the United States), The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. The trilogy has also been published as a single-volume omnibus in the UK, titled simply "His Dark Materials".
Although ostensibly for children, the novels were written to be equally compelling for adults, albeit on a different level. The story initially begins in Northern Lights as a typical fantasy tale, but much of the trilogy develops allegorical layers of meaning. Pullman introduces ideas throughout the trilogy which have have a broader scope than those of a typical fantasy novel, dealing with such fields as metaphysics, quantum physics and philosophy, especially religious philosophy. Pullman himself describes the target audience range as young adult, and some say that the books are too intellectual or mature in content for most children, as they feature complex themes and deal heavily in Biblical symbolism.
Plot summary
The trilogy takes place across a multiverse, moving between many alternate worlds. In Northern Lights, the story takes place in a world much like our own, though with a number of subtle differences. In The Subtle Knife, the story passes into our world (what we might define as a break into reality), and in The Amber Spyglass it crosses through an array of diverse worlds.
One defining aspect of Pullman's story is his concept of dæmons. In the alternate universe of Lyra Belacqua, the story's protagonist, and many other universes not including our own, the human soul is manifested through life as a dæmon, taking the form of an animal that is always near to you. When young, this animal can change forms at will, but after adolescence and the coming of a kind of life-wisdom, the animal takes a final form, symbolising how the person has progressed from childish haphazardness to the stability of an adult.
Northern Lights
Main article: Northern Lights
In Northern Lights, the heroine, Lyra Belacqua, a young girl brought up in the cloistered world of Jordan College, Oxford, and her dæmon Pantalaimon—an animal-shaped manifestation of her soul—learn of the existence of Dust—a strange elementary particle believed by the Church to be evidence for Original Sin—that is less attracted to the innocence of children, giving rise to gross experiments being carried out by Church-controlled scientists on kidnapped children in the icy wastelands of the far North. Lyra and her dæmon journey to save their best friend Roger, and other kidnapped children, from this peril. After success, and dealings with Armoured Bears and Witches, Roger is killed by Lyra's own father Lord Asriel in his own successful experiment to create a bridge into another world. He and Lyra journey on through it separately, both in search of the source of Dust.
The Subtle Knife
Main article: The Subtle Knife
In The Subtle Knife, Lyra journeys to an otherworldly city called Cittàgazze that is bereft of adults due to soul-eating creatures called spectres that target post-adolescents. Here, Lyra meets Will Parry, a twelve-year-old boy from our own world who has stumbled into this one after recently killing a man to protect his ailing mother, also on a quest to find his lost father. Will becomes the bearer of the eponymous Subtle Knife—so called because it can cut through the barriers between the worlds—and, meeting with Witches from Lyra's world, they journey on, only for Will to find his father, his father to be killed, and Lyra to be captured and taken away by her sinister mother Mrs Coulter, who has learned that Lyra is prophesied to be the next Eve. Will is then instructed by a pair of angels that he must travel with them to give the Subtle Knife to Lyra's father, Lord Asriel.
The Amber Spyglass
Main article: The Amber Spyglass
In The Amber Spyglass, Will ignores the angels and rescues Lyra and with the help of Lord Asriel's Gallivespian spies the Chevalier Tialys and the Lady Salmakia, and they journey to the Land of the Dead, there to release the dead souls from their captivity imposed by the oppressive God-figure, The Authority. Mary Malone, a scientist of our world interested in Dust, travels to a land populated by strange sentient creatures called Mulefa, and there learns of the true nature of Dust, existing as panpsychic particles of self-awareness. Lord Asriel and a reformed Mrs Coulter team up to destroy The Authority's Regent, Metatron, but are killed in the process. The Authority himself dies of his own frailty amongst a massive battle between the rebels and his servants. Post-climactically, Will and Lyra fall in love, marking their loss of innocence, but are irrevocably separated; for greater good, the Subtle Knife is destroyed and the passageways between worlds are sealed forever.
Characters
Lyra Belacqua is a savage 12-year-old girl who was brought up in the fictional Jordan College, Oxford. She prides herself on her own mischief, especially her ability to lie and invent complex stories with "bare faced conviction." Her constant companion is her dæmon Pantalaimon, who settles upon the pine marten as his final form at the series' conclusion.
Will Parry is a sensible, morally conscious, highly assertive 12-year-old boy from 'our world' who serves as the Subtle Knife's bearer. He is very independent, having looked after his mentally ill mother for many years. He is strong for his age, and knows how to remain inconspicuous. At the end of his adventures he discovers the name and form of his dæmon, Kirjava, a cat.
Lord Asriel is the father of Lyra, although she initially knew him as her 'uncle'. He opens a rift between the worlds in his pursuit of Dust. His dream of establishing a Republic of Heaven to rival The Authority's Kingdom leads him to use his considerable power and force of will to raise an grand army from across the multiverse to rise up in rebellion. In the end, he sacrifices himself to destroy the Regent Metatron, together with his estranged lover, Mrs. Coulter. Stelmaria the snow leopard is his dæmon.
Mrs. Coulter is the coldly beautiful, highly manipulative mother of Lyra and former lover of Lord Asriel, who serves the Church in kidnapping children for research into the nature of Dust. She later captures Lyra and secludes her away, perhaps seeking to protect her. Later in the story Mrs. Coulter switches sides regularly between the Authority and Lord Asriel's Republic. Her maternal instincts finally win out in the end, as she uses her duplicitous core to deceive the Regent Metatron, working together with her former husband to pull him down into the abyss. Her dæmon, never named, is a golden monkey with a cruel, abusive streak.
Mary Malone is a physicist and former nun from the same world as Will whose studies of Dust draw her into Lyra's adventures. She lives for a time amongst the mulefa, and constructs the Amber Spyglass in an effort to discern why Dust appears to be leaving the universe. Mary relates a story of a lost love to Will and Lyra, serving as the catalyst for their coming of age and the halting of Dust's exodus. With effort, she discovers that she too has a dæmon, which, though unnamed, takes the shape of an Alpine Chough: Lucifer's form upon entering Eden in the original Paradise Lost.
Iorek Byrnison is a massive armored bear who regains his armor, his dignity, and his kingship over the panserbørne through Lyra's help. In gratitude, he dubs her "Lyra Silvertongue". A powerful warrior and armorsmith, Iorek repairs the Subtle Knife when it shatters and goes to war against The Authority when Lyra and Will are threatened.
John Faa and Farder Coram are leaders of the community of river gyptians. When the gyptians' children are kidnapped by the Church to serve as experiments in the frozen outpost of Bolvangar, they mount a rescue expedition, bringing Lyra along.
Lee Scorseby is a rangy Texan aeronaut who pilots a balloon for Lyra and the gyptians in their expedition North; he is also a friend of Iorek Byrnison, and comes to aid Lyra in a number of her battles. His loyal dæmon Hester takes the form of a hare.
Serafina Pekkala is the beautiful queen of a clan of Northern witches. Like all witches, her goose dæmon Kaisa can travel much farther apart from her than the dæmons of normal humans. She comes to the aid of Lyra and her friends on a number of occasions.
Roger Parslow is a young boy, Lyra's best friend and loyal follower at Jordan College. His death at the hands of Lord Asriel tears open a bridge between the worlds, through which Lyra and Asriel travel in a search for the origins of Dust. Guilt-stricken over Roger's death, Lyra determines to travel through the Land of Dead to apologize and release him; in doing so, she and Will succeed in liberating the lost souls of the dead, allowing their essence to merge with the particles of Dust that permeate the universe. His dæmon was Salcilia, who frequently took the form of a terrier.
Influences and reactions
The three major literary influences on His Dark Materials acknowledged by Pullman himself are the essay On the Marionette Theatre by Heinrich von Kleist; the works of William Blake; and, most importantly, John Milton's Paradise Lost, from which the title of the trilogy, "His Dark Materials", as well as many of its basic ideas, derives. Pullman's stated intention was to invert Milton's story of a war between heaven and hell. In his introduction, he adapts Blake's line to quip that he (Pullman) "is of the Devil's party and does know it."
The novels also draw heavily on gnostic ideas, and His Dark Materials has been a subject of controversy, especially with certain Christian groups. Pullman has, however, also found support from more liberal Christians, most notably Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who argue that Pullman's attacks are focused on the constraints and dangers of dogmatism and the use of religion to oppress, not on Christianity itself.
Some have called His Dark Materials the antithesis of The Chronicles of Narnia, the seven-book fantasy series by C. S. Lewis. This image has been reinforced by Pullman making public statements accusing Lewis of being "blatantly racist" and "monumentally disparaging of women" in his novels [1]. Furthermore, the Narnia series distinctly favors faith and religion over exclusive rationalism, whereas His Dark Materials seems to advocate the opposite.
In terms of popularity, the trilogy is sometimes compared with fantasy books like A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, the Young Wizards series by Diane Duane and even the Narnia books themselves.
Awards
The Amber Spyglass won the 2002 Whitbread Book of the Year award, a prestigious British literature award. This is the first time that such an award has been bestowed on a book from their "children's literature" category.
The first volume, Northern Lights, won the Carnegie Medal for children's fiction in the UK in 1995.
On May 19, 2005, Pullman was invited to the British Library in London to be formally congratulated for his work by culture secretary Tessa Jowell "on behalf of the government"; he is to receive the Swedish government's Astrid Lindgren memorial award for children's and youth literature. The prize, second only to the Nobel prize for literature, is worth £385,000.
The trilogy came third in the 2003 BBC's Big Read, a national poll of viewers' favourite books, after Lord of the Rings and Pride and Prejudice. It was the only book in the top five not to have a screen adaption at that time.
Adaptations
His Dark Materials has been made into a radio drama on BBC Radio 4 starring Terence Stamp as Lord Asriel and Lulu Popplewell as Lyra. The play was broadcast in 2003 and is now published by the BBC on CD and cassette. In the same year, a radio drama of Northern Lights was made by RTE (Irish public radio).
A theatrical version of the books was produced by Nicholas Hytner as a two-part, six-hour performance for London's Royal National Theatre in Q1 of 2004. The play returned for a second run between November 2004 and April 2005.
A film adaptation, titled His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass, is slated for release in 2007 by New Line Cinema, the company behind the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, and will be directed by Anand Tucker. The film will take the title of Northern Lights in the UK. The original director, Chris Weitz, announced his resignation from that position on December 15, 2004. Comments by Weitz in an interview[2] prior to his departure from the project suggested that its film treatment might minimize the explicitly religious character of The Authority so as to avoid offending some viewers. Weitz remains listed as a screenwriter, but with Tucker's appointment on August 8th, 2005, it is unclear to what degree the movie screenplay will continue to follow Weitz's treatment. As of 2005, the film is in pre-production, and actors have not been cast. The latest information on the film be found on Internet Movie Database [3].
Terminology
Esoteric renaming
To enhance the feeling of being in a parallel universe, Pullman renames various common objects of our world with historic terms or new words of his own, often reflecting the power of the Church in Lyra's world. The alternative names he chooses often follow alternate etymologies, while making it possible to guess what everyday object or person he is referring to. Below are some of the significant renamings.
- Anbaric: Electric. From amber, which the ancient Greeks in our world thought was the source of electricity.
- Atomcraft: Research into particle physics, specifically using uranium.
- Brytain: A phonetically identical respelling of the country Britain.
- Celestial Geography: Celestial navigation.
- Chapel: A scientific laboratory.
- Chaplain: The head of a scientific laboratory.
- Chocolatl: Sometimes hot chocolate, sometimes "a bar of chocolatl" (a chocolate bar). From the nahuatl (Aztec) word for chocolate.
- Chthonic Railway Station: A Tube-station (or, to Americans, a subway station).
- Coal-silk: Carbon-fibre (coal as in carbon, silk as in soft, like carbon-fibre coats). An artificial fibre similar to rayon, which was once known as art-silk in our world.
- Corea: A phonetically identical respelling of the country Korea.
- Electrum: Amber.
- (Experimental) Theologian: A physicist.
- Gyptians: Boat-dwelling "Gypsies".
- Lascar: An East Indian.
- Muscovite: A Russian, a reference to the Grand Duchy of Moscow.
- Naphtha: Oil (as in oil-lamp, rather than naphtha-lamp).
- Nipponese: Japanese. From Nippon, the local name of the Island of Japan.
- Oratory: An individual church.
- Philosophical: Having to do with the study of physics. In our own world, physics was once a part of philosophy.
- Poppy: Opium, which is made from poppies.
- Roman: Specifically, the Latin language.
- Skraeling: A Native American/First Nations person, particularly one from Greenland. Natives of Greenland were once named similarly by the Vikings of our world (see Skræling).
- Tartar: A Mongol.
Pronunciation
The pronunciations given in italics below are, for the most part, drawn from BridgetotheStars.net. The pronunciations in both the radio plays and the audio book readings of the trilogy (by Pullman himself) are those given, some of which are technically incorrect under standard pronunciation rules. The transcriptions surrounded by square brackets are in the International Phonetic Alphabet, as spoken in Received Pronunciation.
- Alethiometer: al-eth-ee-OM-et-er [əˌliːθɪˈɒmɪtə]
- Æsahættr: ASS-hat-ter [ˈæshætə]
- Aurora Borealis: uh-ROR-uh bor-ee-AH-lis [əˈɹɔːɹə ˌbɔːɹɪˈɑːlɪs]
- Chthonic (see above): kuh-THON-ic [k(ə)ˈθɒnɪk]
- Cittàgazze: chee-tuh-GAHT-s(z)ay (as Italian) [ˌtʃiːtəˈgætse]
- Dæmon: DEE-mon [ˈdiːmən]
- Iorek: YOR-ick [ˈjɔːɹɪk]
- Iofur: YO-fur [ˈjəʊfʊə]
- Kirjava: keer-YAH-vuh [ˌkiːrˈjɑːvə]
- Lyra: LIE-ruh [ˈlaɪɹə]
- Mulefa: m(y)ool-EFF-uh [ˌmuːˈlɛfə]
- Panserbørne: PAN-ser-born-eh [ˈpænsəbɜːnə]
- Pantalaimon: pan-tuh-LIE-mon [ˌpæntəˈlaɪmən]
- Quantum: KWON-tuhm [ˈkwɒntəm]
- Salmakia: sal-MACK-ee-uh [ˌsælˈmækɪə]
- Serafina Pekkala: SEH-ra-fee-nuh PEK-kah-luh [ˈsɛɹəfiːnə ˈpɛkələ]
- Tialys: tee-AH-lis [tɪˈɑːlɪs]
- Torre degli Angeli: TOR-ay DAI-(y)-lee A(H)N-juhl-ee (as Italian) [ˈtɔːre ˈdɛlɪ ˈændʒɛlɪ]
- Xaphania: zaf-AY-nee-uh [zəˈfeɪnɪə]
External links
- Randomhouse: His Dark Materials, the official site.
- Philip Pullman, author's website.
- His Dark Materials: BridgetotheStars.Net, a fansite.
- His Dark Materials.org, a fansite.
- The BBC's His Dark Materials pages
- The Archbishop of Canterbury and Philip Pullman in conversation, from "The Daily Telegraph".
- BridgetotheStars.net An interview with Chris Weitz and a report on this interview from "The Times", December 2004.