The Novel of Spirtual Education

The Golden Compass is at a glance a re-examination of world building. Taking our preconceptions and twisting them (Dust, dæmons, airships, and "Gyptians," not at all how we see them). There are kingdoms, a magical compass, and mighty armored bears. But upon closer inspection, we can deduce that it's really just a book about a horrible little girl who begins her journey by being selfish and lying about her life. Of course, as her character develops, she becomes more wholesome, but It never really settled with me. This is a book, to me, that critiques the complicated world in which we live, and postulates how we must all put up our own battles to conquer the harsh realities of life in our own ways. This is made obvious by the incredibly dense plot that is somewhat hard to follow (as with how we begrudgingly come to discover the true nature of our own world) that is combined with characters who must overcome their own trials and tribulations in order to allow for their lives to go on. My favorite example of this is Iorek, who has inadvertently traded what is most important to him for the temptations of alcohol, and must essentially overcome addiction (in a way) to function like a normal... armored bear prince... would. More so, Lyra constantly struggles with who she should trust, what she should do, and most importantly, who she actually is. In that respect, as unlovable as she is, she represents what is most important in our own lives: ourselves. Indeed, she is not only the most important person in her mind (for a long while, if not for the entire book) but she is also literally one of the most important people in the world various worlds. Important to note also is the notion of dæmons, as well as the armor worn by creatures like Iorek, which as stated represent our souls, our drives. Those without this drive suffer and die, while those who grow with it will watch it grow with them (settling down at the same rate humans do). It's an interesting principle, and one can assume Pullman is a huge believer in choosing one's own fate. These creatures can be physically seen, manipulated, and turn the idea that we have no say in the world on it's head.

This was a long read. I'm not going to pretend that I didn't end up just glazing over parts of it, and so I have no problem saying it was too girthy. It establishes this fantastic, bizarre universe very quickly and never really drops pace. It has lore and science, neither of which we would be familiar with. When relating it to our own world, you have to take what you know and ignore it, focusing on what you don't know in order to relate. There is a lot to be learned about ourselves in reading this. I just wish I had been more serious about analyzing it, while slogging through it instead. I'll be sure to watch the movie one of these days I guess.