The Golden Compass controversy
Sunday, December 2nd, 2007
There’s an email forward that’s been going around the internet for weeks now, telling people to boycott the film version of The Golden Compass as well as the books. The gist of the emails is that the author, Phillip Pullman, is anti-Christian. While it’s true that Pullman is an atheist, the anti-Christian statement is mostly based upon two quotes from the author. Both quotes, while certainly provocative in nature, are taken out of context, making them seem far more subversive and offensive than they are when the interviews are read in their entirety.
The His Dark Materials trilogy (The Golden Compass is the first book of the series) is the story of how a girl discovers a plot to separate children from their “daemons”, which are animal-shaped physical manifestations of the soul in the universe of the books. Both adults and children have daemons, but only children’s daemons can change shape, which makes them valuable to the villains, for mysterious reasons. The story is about the science and morality behind the existence of daemons (souls), and the power of these souls. It’s a profoundly moral story. There’s no question that there are anti- religious elements in the book. But in regards to those elements Pullman said in an interview, “As for what it’s against - the story is against those who pervert and misuse religion, or any other kind of doctrine with a holy book and a priesthood and an apparatus of power that wields unchallengeable authority, in order to dominate and suppress human freedoms.”
One of the quotes used to justify the boycott is “my books are about killing God.” But in the same interview Pullman says “That’s not to say I disparage the religious impulse. I think the impulse is a critical part of the wonder and awe that human beings feel. What I am against is organised religion of the sort which persecutes people who don’t believe. I’m against religious intolerance.” The “God” in his books isn’t the God worshiped by Christians. The God in his book is a God in an alternate universe with a corrupt church trying to stop the spread of good and wisdom.
Another quote the anti-Pullman camp is jumping on is from a different interview when Pullman says, “I’m trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief.” What the email doesn’t add is the rest of the quote that continues, “Mr. Lewis would think I was doing the Devil’s work.” Pullman is specifically answering a question about what C.S. Lewis would think of his work. He’s not saying that he’s trying to undermine Christian belief. He’s saying that’s what someone else would think. The author isn’t against Christianity, Catholicism or religion in general, he’s anti-religious intolerance and against the dogmatism and oppression of the church.
If you’ve read the complete interviews and still disagree with the author’s viewpoint and don’t want to read the books that’s one thing. It just irks me that based upon a few emails and memos from people who haven’t seen the movie or read the books that parents all over the country are going to forbid their kids from reading an award winning trilogy.
I should add that I am completely against censoring books for children for any reason except age-appropriateness. I am all for dialogue between parent and child and think that it’s imperative for parents to monitor what their kids read. But I think it’s most important for parents to read along with their children and discuss the books they read rather than forbidding them from reading them altogether. Though I wouldn’t necessarily agree with the decision, if a parent were to take the time and read the book before deciding they didn’t want their child to read it I wouldn’t complain. As a parent it’s your right to make decisions for your family.
As for the movie, it doesn’t bother me that parents may not want their children to see it. I’ve read the books and I don’t think they’re appropriate for young children. As far as I know the movie is rated PG-13, and if it’s true to the book I wouldn’t recommend kids much younger seeing the movie since the books were written for a young adult audience. Based on my classroom experiences, kids much younger than seventh grade wouldn’t even understand the books for the most part, so a PG-13 rating seems spot on. In other words, while I haven’t actually seen a movie in the theater for two years now, if I were to see this movie and parents with children under ten were in the audience I’d be annoyed.
I have to admit that I’m reticent to see the film because I don’t want it to ruin the books for me. The books are remarkable. I can’t recommend them enough. But I have hope. One blogger who has seen the movie writes, “It is gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Go see it in the biggest theater you can.”
Unless you’ve been media deprived the past few days you’ve probably heard that J.K. Rowling outed everyone’s favorite wizard, Albus Dumbledore. Frankly, I’m a bit underwhelmed by the news. Since the series has been completed and Dumbledore’s sexuality never came into play, why does it matter now?
“Maximum Ride” is the name of the book’s eponymous heroine, a 14-year-old wise-cracking girl who kicks serious butt. Genetically engineered to be two percent bird, she sports giant wings that let her fly into battle against evil scientists, robots, and other nefarious types. As a mother figure to the other bird children, she is alternately tough and tender, leading them on an escape from the lab where they were raised and into a campaign to save the world. 
