Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials: A Multiple Allegory
Subtitle: Attacking Religious Superstition in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Paradise Lost
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Published: September 30, 2007
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 338
ISBN-13: 9781591025894
Subjects: Literary studies: from c 1900 -; Science Fiction & Fantasy; Children's Literature - General; Literary Criticism; Literature - Classics / Criticism; Allegory; Fantasy fiction, English; History and criticism; Young adult fiction, English
Description: Wheat demonstrates how Pullman retells two prominent works of British literature--C. S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and John Milton's Paradise Lost. Pullman's aim is to counter Lewis's pro-Christian allegory with his own anti-Christian allegory. Pullman does this in his second allegory by turning Paradise Lost upside down. Satan and his daughter, Sin, along with Adam's murderous son Cain, become heroes; God and Jesus become villains. This retold story depicts our society's warfare between knowledge (symbolized by Dust) and religious superstitions (symbolized by Specters). Pullman adds an original third hidden story featuring Christian missionaries, Charles Darwin, agnostics, and atheists. Wheat's intriguing interpretation of Pullman's work is the first to point out the many allegorical features of His Dark Materials and to highlight the ingenious ways in which Pullman subtly attacks religious institutions and superstitions.