Analyse af 'The Consul and the Bear' fra 'Northern Lights'

Identity, innocence, love and ethics are just some of the main themes in Philip Pullman’s award-winning fantasy novel Northern Lights from 1995. Northern Lights is the first book of trilogy, ‘His Dark Materials’. The novel takes place in a alternative reality which have some resemblances with the modern day world but with a culture that reminds more of the 19’th century. In the novel’s 10th chapter called ‘The Consul and the Bear’, the characters discuss the concept of dæmons, while we follow the main character young Lyra Belacqua on her adventure. Northern lights narrates the journey from childhood to adulthood, by comparing the two contracts innocence and experienced.

A dæmon can be defined as a visible part of the human soul, that takes the form of an animal, reflecting a person's emotions and inner-self. A dæmon have human intelligence and is capable to communicate with humans. In this universe, every individual has their own dæmon, a life-companion that stands by their side from the minute they are born. A human and a dæmon suffers with each other, and if one of them die, the other does too.

Unlike adults, children dæmons can change form, these changes can due to an emotion or in need for a particular skill. Change shifting dæmon represents children’s journey in life seeking to find their own identity, and define who they are as a person.