What Makes a Classic? Daemons and Dual Audience in Philip Pullman's <i>His Dark Materials</i>

  • Susan R Bobby Wesley College

Abstract

Scholars have spent a fair amount of time exploring Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, educating us on its weighty literary inspirations and why it is an important work of fiction. Explaining the necessity and appeal of daemons in the trilogy (which are probably the most fascinating aspect of the books for readers) has proved a more daunting task. Getting a good handle on daemons is like trying to grasp a child's daemon as its form continually morphs. In her article Susan R. Bobby pins down daemons for us, fixing them in a fresh light for us to observe.

Author Biography

Susan R Bobby, Wesley College
David Beagley is Lecturer in Children's Literature and Literacy at La Trobe University's Bendigo campus, Victoria, Australia, where he teaches units in Genres, History, Australian and Post-colonial children's literature. He has previously taught in secondary schools, and has been a school and university librarian.
Issue
Vol. 8 No. 1 (2004)
Section
Alice's Academy
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