The Golden Compass

by Philip Pullman

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The Golden Compass Questions and Answers

Discuss the role of "daemons" in Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass.

Why is it called His Dark Materials?

What is the conflict in The Golden Compass? 

Philip Pullman’s novel Northern Lights. ‘What is lurking behind the apparently innocent children’s book is in fact something very intrusive, controlling, and often downright sinister.’   Discuss this statement from Peter Hunt’s article ‘Instruction and Delight’ with reference to Philip Pullman’s novel Northern Lights.

Why would imagination be dangerous for Lyra in The Golden Compass?

Why was The Golden Compass banned/challenged? I read the book and could find any example in the text of any reason it could be banned or challenged, If possible could you please tell me where to find as many evidence as possible to support why it was challenged, thanks.

What are similarities between Lyra's world (from the Golden Compass)and our world in the categories of education and technology?

Who are the characters in The Golden Compass?

Discuss the theme of journey in The Golden Compass.

“Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass celebrates love and loyalty as well as intellectual curiosity.’’ Discuss with reference to episodes from the novel to support your stance.

In The Golden Compass, what daemons do they have and what are their names?

Family ties seem to be rare in fantasy novels. What is the role of family in The Golden Compass? How does the family function add to or take away from the story?

“If children’s literature fails to offer young people ways of thinking about themselves and their world that suggest that they can make a difference and help them construct a discourse of their own to empower them as political subjects, it cannot be excluded from the other social forces implicated in the gelding of youth and youth culture” (Keenan and Thompson). Does The Golden Compass fail or fulfill this function?

Discuss how The Golden Compass may be read as a fairy tale and how Lyra differs from a Cinderella.

religious institutions what commentary does the golden compass make about the church?

How does the use of second person add to the book's themes?

To what extent is The Golden Compass an example of Peter Hunt’s statement that “children’s literature is inevitably an oxymoron”?

The figure of the orphan is central to many children’s books, along with the child who can go on adventures or undertake a quest without parental involvement. To what extent is Lyra a prototype of this character in The Golden Campus? Explain.  

Does The Golden Compass belong to children, or is it merely aimed at them?