The Golden Compass

Lyra’s curiosity and spirit of adventure propel much of the plot: She transitions easily from wandering the streets of Oxford to pushing to go north to see the Aurora. Her eagerness to explore, spurred on by her naivete, causes her to ignore the inherent risks that her adventures pose for herself and others.

Pullman clarifies in the opening scene, with the near poisoning of Lord Asriel, that the novel’s environment is dangerous and politically charged, despite the protagonist’s childlike innocence and curiosity. The risks of this particular quest are dire for such a young protagonist. Lyra faces her own death as well as the death of her loved ones. Lyra’s safety is threatened repeatedly throughout the novel: She is kidnapped, attacked, threatened, assaulted, imprisoned, and almost severed from Pan.

The nature of the antagonists in the novel also contributes to the mounting risks of the quest. Soon after the poisoning scene with Lord Asriel, Mrs. Coulter’s golden monkey lunges at Pan and grabs his ear “as if he intended to tear it off. Not angrily, either, but with a cold curious force that was horrifying to see and even worse to feel” (86).