greetings! im a new fan of the golden compass . i was just wondering maybe i can ask you some questions like what is dust that his dark materials talk about and what are the features that you like about mrs, coulter
;; of course you can! let me just first say how surprised i am to get a message on this blog! i had been so inactive there, but i was really thinking about bringing it back once i finished this assignment. it mist be a sign! i’ll try to keep this as spoiler free as i can, seeing as you’re a new fan!
ok, so: onto dust; it’s a fictional elementary particle that surrounds people & their dæmons but is invisible to their eyes, unless using a special instrument. some other creatures can see dust, though. unlike ordinary particles, dust is conscious. it falls from the sky, is attracted to people, and wears off onto objects made by people. this makes it of great interest to the church in this series, who believes that it may be the physical manifestation of original sin. dust is what connects humans to theirdæmons. if the bond between a child and their dæmon is severed, both the child and the dæmon will eventually die.
& now as to why i like love marisa coulter. so pullman introduces marisa as this beautiful, enchanting woman who really is quite extraordinary. she is intelligent, witty, but what i like the most is how she has created the world around her. in a society where women are seen as less ( no women ever sit at the high table in jordan college, yet she does; hardly any women explore the north with such gusto as she does ) marisa has constructed the church to do her bidding, essentially. ok, i’m going to stick to the first book here so that there aren’t any spoilers for the next two, but if you have read the 2nd & 3rd book let me know so i can elaborate! they give her funding for such horrible tasks that she has essentially thought up herself, she uses her sensuality to manipulate them, i just— #rolemodelmaterial?? no, that’s probably wrong. i don’t care. anyway, in the end of the first book, though, she becomes more human. we see her motherly instincts shining through as she takes care of lyra, we see how the regret of her past choices impacts her daily as she saves lyra, yet most specifically, when she pulls away from asriel on top of that mountain before he climbs into the new world. i don’t want to spoil anything for you!! BUT she really does redeem herself, in my eyes. we see her grow from this power hungry, church-following, dominating woman to someone who can realise her mistakes, someone who is compassionate, a warrior, and most of all SELFLESS. & that, dear anon, is why i adore mrs. coulter! the film did not do her, or anything really, any justice!