His Dark Materials - Why the Controversy? - Part 3

In my last blog, I talked about the five religious reasons or themes people may find offensive in the fictional fantasy trilogy, His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman.

They were:
1 - The God Killer (or the Subtle Knife)
2 - The Authority (or the God-like character)
3 - The Magisterium (or the ruling Church)
4 - Lucifer's Fall From Grace (or a biblical fractured fairytale)
5 - Original Sin (or Lyra’s prophetic role as the new Eve)

I have to admit that I have found it basically impossible to stereotype peoples’ ideological beliefs or possible triggers based on their main religious affiliation (i.e., Christian, Muslim, or Jewish). I would hazard to guess that many people in the same parish or temple would have differing opinions on the issues raised in The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass.

For example, look at the first two themes mentioned above. In the second novel, The Subtle Knife, the object with the same name as the title, is also referred to as the “God Killer “or the “God Destroyer”. If the God of the Bible was in fact the admitted antagonist in these novels, and if the children protagonists were actually trying to kill this “Authority” or loving, graceful, merciful, God, then many followers of an Abrahamic religion would probably take offence or at least pause to consider the author’s intent for including this plot in his stories. More on my thoughts and documented statements by the author later…

The next issue, the immoral Church, would only “offend” a certain section of the Christian religions population. Here, Pullman does seem to take a direct shot at Catholicism or at least the structure of Catholic authority and use this as a scaffold for his plot (i.e. think Da Vinci Code and hundreds of other novels in western literature). The term “Magisterium” is used in the novels to describe the religious and social authority in Lyra’s world. At the very top levels of this patriarchy are ruthless, brutal, and downright criminal leaders on a quest for maintaining power. In our world, the term Magisterium is used by the Catholic Church and represents the teaching authority of the church with regards to spiritual truths. Had His Dark Materials trilogy been published prior to 1948, they would have surely been given a prominent spot on the infamous “Index of Forbidden Books”.

Our cultures’ prominent identification with the “Fall of Lucifer” is an interesting study in early Jewish theology and how stories that are only briefly referred to in scripture become secular legend. Most of my research on this issue pointed to the time of the Jewish Exile and their struggled to explain the “problem of evil.” Meaning, in a world where God is good, why is evil still allowed to exist. However, I have to admit that I am not academically inclined to delve into this subject with respect to doctrine in any Abrahamic religion due to its complexity. But suffice it to say that depending on your flavor or theology, you may or may not take the story literally.

Only Christians and Jews would possibly take offense at the twist in the biblical story of Adam, Eve, the Serpent, and the true meaning of Original Sin. In Islam, at least according to my research, there is no doctrine of Original Sin as we have in Christianity and Judaism.

So, in a very quick nutshell, these are the groups who may upon hearing the media hype, and possibly, even from reading all three novels in their entirety, form a challenge based on religious viewpoints.

In my next blog I will talk about how these themes play out in the novels. I will also discuss how I, as a YA Librarian and avid fantasy fiction reader, interpreted these subjects in relation to Pullman’s fictional world.

Until then, keep reading!

His Dark Materials: Why the Controversy? - Part 2

Ah, it is Spring Break in Indianapolis and I am back to my blog on His Dark Materials.

In my last blog, I started to write about some of the controversy that has surrounded "His Dark Materials" trilogy, especially since the December 2007 release of the "Golden Compass" movie. Now, I will define what I think are the major issues and who might be offended by this series.

Books are challenged in school and public libraries for several reasons. The rationale for most modern challenges tend to be because a parent, teacher, or other adult believes the book is inappropriate or unsuitable for the targeted age group, that the book contains offensive language, or because the book contains subject matter that is considered sexually explicit. However, in the case of the His Dark Materials, most of the arguments seem based on the idea that the storyline promotes a religious point of view different from that of the person issuing the challenge.

But don’t be fooled avid teen fantasy readers and YA librarians! As with most wildly popular YA novels, these books contain a smattering of words one would not use in polite society, tender and unapologetic passages that encompass adolescent sexuality, the awful and intriguing business of murder, and of course the presence of witches and other magical and personified creatures. However, in the case of these novels, the would-be-censors seem to grab hold of the more prevalent stigma of deviant dogma.

There are five themes or subjects in this series that seems to offend and anger the religious faithful, scare parents of young children, and frighten librarians with the threat of challenges. These themes are:

1 - The God Killer (or the Subtle Knife)
2 - The Authority (or the God-like character)
3 - The Magisterium (or the ruling Church)
4 - Lucifer's Fall From Grace (or a biblical fractured fairytale)
5 - Original Sin (or Lyra’s prophetic role as the new Eve)

In my research I have found these themes to mainly touch the nerves of Christians, especially Catholics. However, some followers of Islam or Judaism might also find offense with some of the literary themes depending on their own personal ideologies.

Tomorrow, I will talk specifically about how these themes are represented in His Dark Materials, and why one might take offense from these themes.

Until then, keep reading!

His Dark Materials: Why the Controversy? - Part 1

Book #1 - The Golden Compass
A couple months ago I was involved in various conversations with fellow Library Media Specialists (LMSs) about the potential challenges of having Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy on the shelves in our library media centers. This in itself was nothing out of the ordinary. At times, our occupation demands that we explore controversial writings, discuss the literary scandal de jour (think Harry Potter), and share tips about how to handle demands for the removal of these materials from the library. What was out of the ordinary was that several highly educated and experienced LMSs were seriously considering removing these titles from their shelves, or not purchasing other books by Pullman, simply because of the controversy.

I had not yet read the series, so without much delay I enthusiastically devoured all three books. There is nothing like a good controversy and a bit of censorship to peak my interest. In that way I am a lot like my YA students. At around the same time an article was published in my local paper, the Hendricks County Flyer, titled: ‘Golden Compass’ movie stirs controversy. This article, clearly playing off of the hype generated by the movie, included cautious and somber quotes from both a local religious leader and an upper elementary LMS (see: http://www.flyergroup.com/archivesearch/local_story_344165234.html).

In this article, Greg Otolfki, director of communications for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, was quoted as saying of The Golden Compass, 'It is not simple fantasy.' Thankfully for fantasy fiction fans like me, he is so right! Far from simple, I found the series rich, complex, and more than a bit challenging. The controversy surrounding the storyline of this trilogy is most definitely a testament to Pullman's brilliant craft. He takes the biblical stories of Lucifer's fall from grace and original sin, and winds around these a fantasy tale about the preadolescent life of one innocent child.

Before anyone falls pray to the fear mongering of the censors or the media they should first ask themselves this fundamental question: Why do young people and adults read fantasy fiction? I believe that those of us who are attracted to this genre read it because fantasy fiction allows us to momentarily escape reality and dream of a world where the laws of nature, science, religion, and society are turned upside down and inside out. And when the novel is really good, this parallel world of "unreality" exposes symbolic, but recognizable, elements of human nature that help us better know ourselves and imagine our own miraculous possibilities.

Still, I find myself curious about the controversies surrounding these novels. After all, ignorance breeds contempt, right? I believe most literary controversies (especially when a movie version is released) are based more on propaganda and sensationalism than fact. In my next post I will uncover some of the hullabaloo surrounding "His Dark Materials" trilogy. Warning - If you have not read this trilogy, the next couple of blogs will contain TONS of spoilers!

Until then, keep reading!