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Perhaps the difference between Pullman & Tolkien is in their view of the Universe itself. For Pullman it is a fantastic, awesome 'problem' to be solved, a mess to be tidied up & put in order (ie 'The Universe?'), whereas for Tolkien it is a fantastic, awesome work of (Divine) Art (ie 'The Universe!').
Pullman thinks he has the answer to the question – or at least knows the way to find the answer. Tolkien isn't even looking for an 'answer' because to him the Universe is not a 'problem'. It simply is. Tolkien is like a painter who sets down on canvas a wild meadow full of flowers. Pullman is the landscape gardener who comes along, sees the same meadow, & decides it should all be organised & made 'useful' by putting in flower beds, an ornamental fountain & a little café with swings & slides for the children. Fantasy must 'serve' reality, & 'reality' must 'serve' man.
Or perhaps we're dealing with something more like the incident in Leaf by Niggle, where the Inspector tells Niggle that he should have used his paint & canvas to repair Parish's roof, rather than painting silly pictures.
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