Pullman and his subplots

[Sinitar]

While I was brushing my teeth, I kept thinking about the subplots of the books. I reached the conclusion that while most were useful for the story, either by enriching it or providing good means for character development, they are quite optional. Lets start with the first book, Northern Lights.

The whole General Oblation Board subplot was the heartbeat of the novel. Around it, the other subplots revolve, such as Iorek Byrnison and his predicament and the rest. At first, it's pretty straight forward and everyone knows what Gobblers do, but when you finish reading the book, and ultimately the series, you can't help but ask? What was their purpose in the first place? There is no explanation at all why they were actually performing intercision, it's more of a clutter of possibilities and theories, but a light as day explanation? Nope.

TSK seemed the best book for me in terms of subplots. Most of them made sense, even though the Mary Malone part was disappointing in the end. But eh, that enters TAS, so I'll discuss it over there. Here, most of the subplots help the story in one way or another, such as Charles stealing the alethiometer and Will discovering the knife, the witches coming to Cittaggaze and then guide the two protagonists etc.

In TAS, there's a major subplot that, to me, it seemed added for the sake of adding something, and that's the whole Mulefa part. It barely contributed to the plot; its role was solely to provide an enjoyable read, and that's it. Now, there's the question: But how were Lyra and Will supposed to meet with Mary so that she can tell Lyra the marzipan story? Simple: It could have happened in her own world, anywhere, or maybe she could even reach Asriel's fortress somehow and provide a new reason for Lyra and Will to go there.

There was also the mission of that priest, father Gomez, which was added without a purpose. Everyone has a grudge against Lyra, the whole world wants a piece of her, but this subplot failed to deliver. Not only that it had absolutely no impact on the story, but the threat represented by Father Gomez made no connection with Lyra in the first place. At no point in this priests search did she feel endangered, which was the whole point of it. So I'm asking myself: When armies come after her, zeppelins and samoyeds and the Magisterium and everything else, was it very necessary to provide another subplot to make us fear for her safety?

The whole series has elements which are ambiguous. The Magisterium does have an impact on the world, but it's never detailed so that it matters, the General Oblation Board kidnapped kids to do what with them? Asriel decided to take down the Authority on a whim, which led to an unfinished war that was supposed to change something we did not know about in the first place(supposedly, the Magisterium was bad, but its actions were never actually detailed)

[faze]

The GOB was an attempt by the church to create humans without 'sin', which their actions show would neccesitate removing free will. Remember as well that science (well, experimental theology) is quite advanced in Lyra's world, and so it is quite likely that there have been several other studys into the link between Dæmon and humans, the proccess of Dæmon 'settling' and so forth in the past. We know that other cultures have experimented similarly- view how Shamans seperate themselves from their Dæmon.

In TAS, there's a major subplot that, to me, it seemed added for the sake of adding something, and that's the whole Mulefa part. It barely contributed to the plot; its role was solely to provide an enjoyable read, and that's it. Now, there's the question: But how were Lyra and Will supposed to meet with Mary so that she can tell Lyra the marzipan story? Simple: It could have happened in her own world, anywhere, or maybe she could even reach Asriel's fortress somehow and provide a new reason for Lyra and Will to go there.

The Mulefa show a 'simple' world without the influance of the authority- one where the fall of Eve is celebrated rather than regretted. The Mulefa have none of the war, murder and so forth that Asriel's uprising brings. Why? because his uprising doesn't need to take hold there- the authority already has no power over the mulefa. To a certain extent, I think this world is shown as a sort of pastoral Utopia, a world we could have achieved without the negative influance of religion. Through Mary and the Mulefa we also learn a lot more about the nature of Dust and the Fall.

The Father Gomez subplot is not about Lyra per ce. Gomez provides a stark contrast to the Mulefa- he shows the worst that the Authority can do to a man. It is very telling that he arives in the Mulefa's world, and that when he does, he instantly, instinctively knows that the Mulefa's use of Wheels is 'Abominable and Satanic', as it represents (to the mulefa) their autonomy and ability to percieve Dust.

In the series, Asriel literally plays the part of Lucifer, leading the rebellion against the Authority on principle. It is consistantly (if subtly) implied that Asriel is more than human- his uncanny ability to get what he needs, for example. Also, it would seem that preperations for Asriel's fortress and rebellion have been going on for a lot longer than the plot of the books- centuries perhaps. To my mind, whilst the man Asriel is maybe 50 years old, there is a force [focused in Asriel] which is much vaster and older.
As for why the magesterium is bad- they serve the Authority. Their overall aim is to completely subjugate all human free will, and it is shown that they will gladly sever a human from their soul to do this. In HDM, the Authority (and his servants the Magesterium) represnt the evil in the world, just as Morgoth does in Middle Earth and the White Witch does in Narnia.