Plot Synopsis His Dark Materials is based on Philip Pullman’s trilogy consisting of Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. Its two central characters, Lyra Belacqua (11) and Will Parry (12) come from different but parallel worlds. Will’s world is essentially our world; but in Lyra’s world invisible realities such as the soul have visible forms called daemons. A central ‘reality’ called Dust is the essential mystery of the plays. Paradise Lost John Milton’s Paradise Lost tells the story of the origin of sin, in which the first woman, Eve, disobeyed God, ate some forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and gave it to her partner Adam. She was tempted to do this by a serpent, who Christians later identified with Satan, the Devil. See Issues - Sources and Influences. In HDM, the Church or Magisterium in Lyra’s world teach this view dogmatically. A newly discovered elementary particle is identified as ‘sin’ and called Dust in Lyra’s world and the church wants it destroyed. Lyra comes to discover that Dust is actually good, a form of consciousness and wisdom. The church’s view comes from The Authority (who is not the Creator) who wants obedient worshippers and not independent thinkers. The story is a struggle between unthinking obedience to an Authority; and personal discovery and imagination. It is not necessary for the teacher to read Milton in order to teach this unit. Authoritarian religion Authoritarian religion in the story demands a narrow-minded faith and unthinking loyalty, and it has shaped Lyra’s world. The enemies of rigid thinking are described by the Magisterium as ‘evil’. The church has ways of absolving sin, even murder, before it happens so that opponents can be assassinated without guilt or punishment. Dust is revealed to be human creative consciousness, the imagination, and its preservation gives the world new hope. In other words, the way forward for humanity is not in religious or ideological authoritarianism, oppression and force, but in us having the freedom and ability to use our brains fully, purposefully and wisely. The Wisdom of Eve Eve’s original act interpreted as disobedience in the Genesis story (retold in Paradise Lost ) was in actual fact the point when she began to develop her understanding and wisdom. Her choice of knowledge should have been praised as a sign of progress. Dogmatic religions emphasise disobedience and sin for reasons of control; rather we should focus on understanding, empowerment, wisdom and responsible free will. The Ancient of Days Daniel, the latest Old Testament book, describes a vision of heaven: “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool”. This was the court of judgement. Then there came “one like a son of man [a human], coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples and nations worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 7:9-10). In our story, The Authority is self appointed, and this human figure was Metatron, known in the Bible as Enoch, who did not die because “God took him” (Genesis 5.24). In The Amber Spyglass , the Ancient of Days is kept alive to be The Authority, very ancient now. When released, he just disintegrates and is blown away. Metatron is cast with Lord Asriel into the Abyss. With The Authority gone, people develop the ‘Republic of Heaven’ using reason and imagination in equal measure. |  | |
