In recent months, the book trilogy known as His Dark Materials, written by Philip Pullman between 1995 and 2000, has attracted harsh critics and loyal supporters from everywhere. The trilogy targets younger audiences with its detailed accounts of fantasy and realms of the imagination, but includes elements of physics, philosophy, and theology suitable for more mature readers. Pullman’s opinions and perspectives on the third concept have emerged as a notably controversial issue, especially when New Line Cinema released a movie adaptation of the first installment several days ago.
Before continuing my critique of Pullman’s opinions, I should inform you that Philip Pullman represents the British Humanist Society and is often recognized as one of Britain’s most outspoken atheist. Pullman’s trilogy, His Dark Materials, introduces a provocative challenge to Christianity that increasingly undermines the faith as the trilogy progresses. Whether he publishes these narratives with the intent of arguing his aesthetic perspective or simply for hopes of a more significant profit gain appears unclear, as he has stated both as motives. However, I would hazard to say that Pullman harbors an agenda that intends to debase the values of Christianity. “Meanwhile, I’ve been flying under the radar, saying things that are far more subversive than anything poor old Harry has said. My books are about killing God,” Pullman states proudly, regarding his book compared to the Harry Potter series
SPOILER ALERT!!!
Philip Pullman starts his saga in a parallel world with his female protagonist named Lyra spying on a meeting of scholars hosted by Lord Asrael (who oddly enough decides to hide in a wardrobe. Sound familiar?). Early in The Golden Compass, a worried scholar gives Lyra an alethiometer, a device which divulges the truth if she has the experience to interpret it. As the plot unfolds, Lyra ventures from her home at Oxford University to search for her missing friend but then lives with mysterious and wealthy Mrs. Coulter, who turns out to be her mother. While unknowingly living with her mother, Lyra is caught up in a conspiracy involving the kidnapping of children and the identification of a strange substance known simply as “Dust.” A menacing group of scientists and militants have found a connection between children and their growing attraction to Dust as they mature. Apparently, the Dust represents the physical manifestation of Original Sin, which most Christians believe has plagued every individual since the Garden of Eden. The story closes with Lyra, her daemon, and alethiometer passing into another parallel world that her father, Lord Asriel bridged through his hideous experiments with the Dust.
The second novel titled The Subtle Knife introduces several new characters that encounter Lyra as she continues to investigate the mystery behind Dust. One such significant character, Will Parry, coincidentally stumbles into the same world Lyra entered. Will made the transition between worlds when authorities from his world came searching for information about his late, arctic explorer father, but meets Lyra and their destinies merge into a single quest. Lyra and Will leave the strange world of Ci’gazza, venturing back through Will’s world to search for evidence about Dust and Will’s father. While searching for answers the deceptive Lord Boreal steals the alethiometer from Lyra, but, when the two children attempt to retrieve the device, Boreal demands that Will and Lyra steal special knife known to have extraordinary powers, locked away at a tower in Ci’gazza. The children retrieve the knife, learning that the blade can open portals to different worlds and slice through any known matter. They return to Boreal, and manage to reclaim the alethiometer along with the knife, escaping both Boreal and Lyra’s mother, who had allied with the man. During the children’s flight, Mrs. Coulter captures a witch friendly to her daughter and determines Lyra’s ultimate destiny: Lyra will serve as the new Eve. The final chapter ends with Lyra in the captivity of her mother and Will confronted by two angels (that supposedly possess homosexual tendencies) who want the boy to follow them and relinquish the knife to their master, Lord Asriel. Wielding the knife as his own, Lord Asriel intends to muster his interdemensional army and slay God with the weapon.
The Amber Spyglass concludes Pullman’s trilogy with the events and characters of the previous two stories converging into one epic conflict. Will denies the request of the two angels, Baruch and Balthamos, and insists that they help him recover Lyra from her mother. The angels agree to help Will, and they divulge that their “bodies” are composed of Dust and that God is only an extremely ancient angel who claims to have created the universe. However, God no longer rules over the universe; Metatron, another powerful angel keeps God trapped in a glass case and rules in his stead. Will seeks out Lyra, who Mrs. Coulter keeps imprisoned and drugged in the Himalayan Mountains of Lyra’s world. With the help of several allies, Will manages to free Lyra and open a portal to another world, while Lord Asrael’s army clashes with the forces of the
Consistorial Court (an arm of the Church) under the command of Mrs. Coulter. Meanwhile, a minor character from the previous story, Mary Malone, travels into a strange world occupied by elephant like creatures known as the mulefa that can see the Dust, discovering that the Dust is departing from this world at an alarming rate. Lyra and Will decide to visit the land of the dead and consult with two lost loved ones, and, aided by a host of harpies, choose to free the dead with the powers of the knife. Mary Malone constructs a spyglass out of sap from the trees of the mulefa that allows her to see the Dust as the mulefa have for thousands of years. She discovers that the Dust allows the trees to flourish and grow and without the trees the mulefa will lose their consciousness and capacity for knowledge. After freeing the dead, Lyra and Will travel to the world where Lord Asriel has begun to establish his Republic of Heaven which will replace the Kingdom of Heaven currently ruled by Metatron. Lord Asriel’s fortress, the
Adamant
Tower, is under siege by Metatron, but, when both Metatron and Asriel realize that Lyra and Will have entered the world, each factions attempts to capture them. Asriel comes across a bottomless pit, which the Church meant to kill Lyra with. Mrs. Coulter, having escaped Lord Asriel, leads Metatron to the endless pit to bring the two enemies face to face. Mrs. Coulter, Lord Asriel, and Metatron all begin fighting, and the two humans cast the angel into the pit while throwing themselves in to ensure he never rises again. The children come across decrepit and demented form of God and release him from his chamber. The form of God dissipates with the wind and becomes one with all of nature. In the aftermath of the battle, Will and Lyra once again travel to another world, this time entering the same world as Mary Malone and the mulefa. After speaking with the children, Mary suddenly remembers that the eldest mulefa told her the trees began to sicken nearly three hundred years ago, when the alchemists first created the knife. Having heard about Lyra’s destiny, Mary intends to play the role of the serpent and force the new Eve into temptation. Lyra and Will listen to how Mary surrendered her life as a nun for a man who brought her happiness, and as a result, Lyra expresses her love for Will and they kiss passionately after she gifts him with a piece of fruit. After accomplishing her task, Mary convinces Lyra and Will that they must prevent the destruction of the mulefa by never using the knife again. However, this agreement comes at a steep cost, as Will and Lyra must return to their original worlds or suffer an incredibly short life. The two lovers separate, preventing the Dust from escaping through the rifts between worlds, and the story ends with Lyra aspiring to create the
Republic of Heaven.
THE END!!!
Where do I begin? I hope most readers will be able to grasp the basic plot and central themes behind Pullman’s trilogy through my extremely abridged version. Before I start spearing Pullman’s ideology, I should give a brief history lesson.
During the 1920s, the famous science fiction writer H.G. Wells published his book titled The Outline of History, sparking a conflict between advocates for scientism (primarily atheists) and Christian apologists. The Outline of History was countered by The Everlasting Man, a work piece by G.K. Chesterton, a prominent Catholic theologian. The argument continued for years, until C.S. Lewis wrote The Chronicles of Narnia and his space trilogy based on the travels of the fictional character Elwin Ransom. After the release of these novels, primed with the message of Christianity, few notable scholars pursued the argument initiated by Wells. However, in the 1990’s, Philip Pullman felt obliged to rekindle the fires of debate, and, in rebuttal to Lewis’ beloved stories, he published His Dark Materials, deriving the name from a passage in Paradise Lost. When asked about his opinions of Lewis and his writings, Pullman answered “I think Lewis was a remarkable man. But when it came to the Narnia books, I think he was actually dangerous because those books celebrate death. As an end-of-term treat the children are killed: that to me is disgusting.”
Personally, I find Pullman’s falsification and mockery of Narnia immature and deserving of the ardent controversy swallowing the trilogy. But, I’ll set that aside and focus on what the atheist has spoken through the words of his novels. The whole trilogy is seeping with problems, but I selected a few that grasped my attention.
The first problem I encountered came when reading the portion about the alethiometer and the manner in which the device is operated. Only the alethiometer will reveal the truth, and only Lyra has the capacity to find truth, which generally resonates Pullman’s idea of truth. Truth is only acquired through observation and human perception, negating from the concept of mystery and faith. Later in Pullman’s trilogy, I detected his attempt to explain sin through scientific observation and felt the presence of scientism. Proceeding to The Subtle Knife, my reading uncovered more about the central characters of evil, Mary Malone and Lord Asriel. Mary comes to term that she must serve as the serpent and tempt Lyra to fall from grace and Lord Asriel symbolizes the figure of Satan, both of which organize a rebellion against God. During Lyra’s quest to unveil the mystery of the Dust, she confers with the alethiometer and discovers that humans have existed for over 30,000 years but only obtained a consciousness in recent history, indicating the emphasis on macro evolution. On another note, the angels introduced at the end of The Subtle Knife divulge an account that Pullman has derived from truth but is the farthest thing from it. The Amber Spyglass grows more explicit in opposition to Christianity than the previous two stories. Perhaps the most stunning decision comes when Lyra recognizes that she must sin, in order to save conscience beings by preserving the Dust, otherwise known as sin. Lyra’s character serves as the antithesis for Lewis’ Eve in Perelandra, when one overcomes temptation and the other embraces it. In the ending, Lyra maintains the idea of Lord Asriel, the representation of Satan, of forming of Republic of Heaven, where all people are equal, but there is no God.
Although Pullman recently states that his series are “not promoting anything of that sort (atheism),” Pullman obviously wrote to refute the beliefs of Christians long dead. As he chose to associate with the legendary line of atheists and Christians, His Dark Materials represents Pullman’s intent and aspirations to undermine Christianity. The most despicable portion of Pullman’s trilogy isn’t even his argument against Christianity; he curses readers with his perversion of the truth and justification of sin. I fear for the younger audiences reading the trilogy, which Pullman has brought under his dark influence. Any fool can replace the truth with lies, but blending lies with truth requires a cunning serpent capable of unfathomable subversion.
- Kyle Smith, Co-Editor
The girl's basketball season started in the first week of November. The Varsity team lost a lot of seniors that had played key roles from last season, which could have created an obstacle. The team is still doing well with a team of eight. This year there were only six home games planned, and so far three have taken place. According to junior Jennifer Leaman there is a possibility of going to states in the future. Before that there are eight BRC games.
