THE GOLDEN COMPASS by Philip Pullman

1. Bibliographic data

Pullman, Philip. 2003. The Golden Compass. New York: Laurel-Leaf. 0-4402-3860-9 .

2. Plot summary

The Golden Compass begins with the relatively simple life of a little girl named Lyra Belacqua. She lives at Jordan College in Oxford and keeps company with professors and her friend Roger, a kitchen boy. After the visit of Lyra's uncle, Lord Asriel, she is swept up into an adventure. With her dæmon Pan - a manifestation of Lyra's soul in animal form - by her side and her alethiometer in her pocket, Lyra embarks on an adventure to save her friend Roger and other helpless children who have been captured by "the Gobblers." As she journeys north, Lyra makes friends along the way and learns about the evil nature of people such as Mrs. Coulter, who befriends Lyra but only wishes to use the little girl for her own selfish and deluded means. Lyra also learns that she is special and has a certain destiny to fulfill, but she has no idea what this means. Lyra befriends the Gyptians - a nomadic people who swear to protect her - and a polar bear named Iorek Byrnison as she nears her destination. Lyra barely misses the opportunity to save Roger, who is separated from his dæmon and killed by Lord Asriel as he seeks to discover worlds beyond. Lyra is sent to another realm in the sky and her story continues in The Subtle Knife.

3. Critical Analysis

Being a big fan of fantasy and science fiction, I jumped at the chance to read The Golden Compass. An entirely unique and exciting tale, I found this book to be a joy to read. I just couldn't put it down!

Within Lyra's world, I found the plot to be believable and internally consistent. Nothing occurred that did not make sense in the context of the story. Although it was difficult to become acclimated to this new and strange environment in the beginning, I soon became immersed and delighted in Lyra's world of dæmons, talking polar bears, and magical other-worlds. I was never bored and was 100% caught up in Pullman's plot.

Although this is a fantasy novel, it is the people and events that take place in the book that are unreal; the setting isn't necessarily fictional. Lyra lives in England and plays on rooftops and in alleys with other children. She journeys north to the ice and snow, and doesn't meet another world until the very end when she is sent into the realm in the sky. Only at this point does the setting fully take part in the fantasy:

"The city hanging there so empty and silent looked new-made, waiting to be occupied; or asleep, waiting to be woken. The sun of that world was shining into this, making Lyra's hands golden, melting the ice on Roger's wolfskin hood, making his pale cheeks transparent, glistening in his open sightless eyes."

We identify with Lyra, the main character, as she experiences her great adventure. Lyra deals with so many conflicts in this book, and through them so much is learned about her courage and strength. Most of Lyra's thoughts and feelings are illustrated through narration. When Lyra seeks to find the mysterious child in a northern village, we feel her fear:

"She was horribly nervous...Lyra's heart was beating so fast that she could hardly breathe. She raised her hand to knock at the door and then, feeling that that was ridiculous, took a deep breath to call out, but realized that she didn't know what to say. Oh, it was dark now! She should have brought a lantern...There was no choice, and anyway, she didn't want the bear to see her being afraid."

Through passages like these we learn that Lyra has flaws -- she is fearful and wary of danger like any of us would be. However, Pullman gives Lyra such foresight, imagination, courage, and strength that she is distanced from us even though we know her emotions. She does things that we would be fearful of doing -- standing up to a polar bear, devising an escape plan for the children at the Station, and venturing out into an unknown city in the sky. Like Harry Potter, Lyra is a special and set apart from the other children. Although we do not know her destiny, we know that something extraordinary is in store for her in the remaining His Dark Materials series. While I observed growth in Lyra's character throughout The Golden Compass, I think there is so much more for her to learn in the two remaining books.

We learn of other characters through descriptions and actions. Oftentimes, descriptions are contrary to actions. While Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter appear to be sane and controlled people, they are both delusion and out of their minds, as evidenced by their selfish and, in my opinion, evil actions.

I think children will enjoy this story. It is a little more difficult than the other books I have read for this class, but nothing too hard. The storyline is incredibly original and refreshing. I especially like the Pullman's creation of dæmons. The plot is original and makes sense, and the climax at the end is very appropriate. I found it sad that Roger dies and that Lord Asriel is who he is. There was no resolution, really, on account of this book being first in the series. Although this book is well-constructed on its own, I believe its story will fit better within the context of the series.

Sadly, I am not very aware of what the theme of this book is. Perhaps I will have a better idea when I have finished the series. I have a few guesses. Perhaps a theme would be that children should enjoy their childhood and not hurry to grow up (they shouldn't feel rushed to commit their dæmon to one form)? Perhaps the sanctity of childhood should be preserved, instead of cutting (or severing it, as it is referred in The Golden Compass) it off too early. I think this is the general idea of the novel, but I could be wrong. I know that there is no moralizing and the theme obviously doesn't overpower the story since I can't seem to think of one!

I found the style of writing to be appropriate for this subject. Pullman's words never struck me as odd, and I found the dialogue natural and suited to the characters. There wasn't an overabundance of narration or dialogue -- both were equally matched. The mood of The Golden Compass -- mystery, wonder, and suspense -- made the book really fun and exciting to read. I was so eager to learn more about Lyra's world, and I wanted to know what was going to happen! Hearing the story from Lyra's point of view is important. In order to fully grasp the meaning of events, it's so important to experience them with someone, like you, who has never experienced them before.

I would recommend these books to anyone. This story is magical and beautiful, and I can't wait to read the remaining two books of the His Dark Materials series. After all, who could resist reading more after the end of The Golden Compass?

"So Lyra and her dæmon turned away from the world they were born in, and looked toward the sun, and walked into the sky."

4. Review Excerpts

"As always, Pullman is a master at combing impeccable characterizations and seamless plotting, maintaining a crackling pace to create scene upon scene of almost unbearable tension." - Publishers Weekly

"A totally involving, intricately plotted fantasy that will leave readers clamoring for the sequels." - Booklist

"This is a captivating fantasy, filled with excitement, suspense, and unusual characters." - School Library Journal

5. Connections

Related Activities:

Ask students to write about what animal form they think their dæmon would take, if they had one. Also ask them to draw a picture of their dæmon and give him or her a name.

Related Books:

Pullman, Philip. 2005. The Subtle Knife. New York: Scholastic. 0-4399-5462-2.

Pullman, Philip. 2005. The Amber Spyglass. New York: Scholastic. 0-4399-5463-0.