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Lalwendë · 07-31-2006, 04:50 AM

So Pullman is putting forward the Protestant Work Ethic?

I suppose this is the danger of trying to get across a complex message in a clever way. People just might not get it. Or else they'll grossly misinterpret or even choose to ignore it.

I 'got' that he was having a pop at the Catholic church, but not having a pop at christianity/spirituality as a whole. Forming a 'Republic' of Heaven seems a bit Unitarian to me to be honest, in that it aimed to allow people to make their own choices rather than have them imposed by birth (by parents' religions), culture or by having to follow the rules to be included as part of a religion. Not so bad a concept in my view, though poorly articulated I thought. Blake does that kind of idea much better!

If he was trying to get young readers to reject fantasy then that badly misfired. He created some horribly evil and repellent adult characters, just the sort of people that children might find they need to retreat into childhood and childhood pursuits or indeed, fantasy, to escape.

He also created the Daemons, which while they might be read as physical manifestations of the Anima/Animus to some older readers, kids would read as simply really cool, amazing little cuddly friends. In the scenes where the scientists try to separate Daemon from child, i detect Pullman is making the point that kids should not be separated from fantasy and dreams at a young age. But by showing the adults who work there as almost zombie like with their obedient terrier like Daemons, who have actually been through some kind of 'separation process' he makes an odd point. Does he mean that the chruch makes adults like that by separating them from dreams/fantasy and filling their heads with notions of 'sin'?

It's all far too contradictory.

07-31-2006, 04:50 AM	#44
Lalwendë A Mere Boggart Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: under the bed Posts: 4,814	So Pullman is putting forward the Protestant Work Ethic? I suppose this is the danger of trying to get across a complex message in a clever way. People just might not get it. Or else they'll grossly misinterpret or even choose to ignore it. I 'got' that he was having a pop at the Catholic church, but not having a pop at christianity/spirituality as a whole. Forming a 'Republic' of Heaven seems a bit Unitarian to me to be honest, in that it aimed to allow people to make their own choices rather than have them imposed by birth (by parents' religions), culture or by having to follow the rules to be included as part of a religion. Not so bad a concept in my view, though poorly articulated I thought. Blake does that kind of idea much better! If he was trying to get young readers to reject fantasy then that badly misfired. He created some horribly evil and repellent adult characters, just the sort of people that children might find they need to retreat into childhood and childhood pursuits or indeed, fantasy, to escape. He also created the Daemons, which while they might be read as physical manifestations of the Anima/Animus to some older readers, kids would read as simply really cool, amazing little cuddly friends. In the scenes where the scientists try to separate Daemon from child, i detect Pullman is making the point that kids should not be separated from fantasy and dreams at a young age. But by showing the adults who work there as almost zombie like with their obedient terrier like Daemons, who have actually been through some kind of 'separation process' he makes an odd point. Does he mean that the chruch makes adults like that by separating them from dreams/fantasy and filling their heads with notions of 'sin'? It's all far too contradictory. __________________ Gordon's alive!