I’m reading La Belle Sauvage for the first time and I have some *thoughts* especially in the context of the tv show.
Through the books, there are constant references to Mrs Coulter abandoning Lyra when she was born, or being someone within whom ‘the flame of motherhood does not burn brightly’ and this is supposed to be a stain on her character, but I think it’s important to re-think this, especially in the light of the changing role of women, and the subtle references made to women’s suppression in s02e05. In the today of our world, how many ambitious young women ultimately decide motherhood is not something they desire? While to choose ambition over motherhood sadly still attracts scrutiny, it is increasingly recognised that motherhood is not something every woman desires, and to give up a child (whether through birth control, abortion or adoption) not an indication of some kind of moral default in a woman.
Consider this in the context of Marisa’s world, which is even more misogynistic than our own world in regards to women’s rights and the role of women in society. Given that Asriel was deemed an unfit parent, for Marisa to keep Lyra she would not only have become even more of a social pariah through being a single parent of a child out of wedlock, but would have had to carry this social stigma and therefore give up (probably forever) all her ambition and status she had worked so long to achieve. The fact that she gives up Lyra despite clearly caring about her welfare is actually sad and a reflection of the choices women in that world face if they have both intelligence and ambition. Which is why she was so moved when she visited Mary, and she realised that in this world she could have had academic and social success while also being a Mother at the same time.
Marisa will never come back from child murder - but all i’m saying is that Marisa not wanting to keep or take responsibility for Lyra should not be seen as villainous.
That’s the end of my essay
