Armored Bears Make Everything Better

        Mystery, conspiracy, oppressive regimes, and armored bears. What's not to like about The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman? During this year, one of our projects is to write our own story while pulling inspiration from various pieces of literature that are similar and add ideas to our own work. In my previous blog, I explained how Wizard's Hall helped me gather more ideas and inspiration for Librarium while making comparisons in the process. While reading The Golden Compass, I was able to draw more ideas and noticed shocking comparisons to my story Librarium. Not only has The Golden Compass been a pleasure to read, but has benefited my ideas and plot development.
        The main protagonist of the The Golden Compass is a young girl by the name of Lyra. Overall, her personality and character aren't drastically similar to Roland of my story, but their early childhoods and attitude towards family are somewhat on par with each other. Lyra is raised by the scholars of Jordan College in Oxford, England and grows up not knowing the truth about her parents who are presumed to be dead in an air ship accident. Lyra is quite care free and content with having things remain the way they are. Before the shocking turn of events that are thrown upon Lyra, she's very much content with spending the rest of her days frolicking around Jordan College with her ragamuffin friends. "That was Lyra's world and her delight. She was a coarse and greedy little savage, for the most part. But she always had a dim sense that it wasn't her whole world; that part of her also belonged in the grandeur and ritual of Jordan College."(Page 36, The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman). While Lyra adores the environment she has grown up in, the same could not be said for Roland of Librarium. Since members of the Librarium aren't able to converse freely, restricted to the walls of the academy, and heavily encouraged to follow the Librarium's propoganda, Roland feels like a bird in a gilded cage at best. While all of the Librarium's academies offer some of the best educations in the world, Roland feels that sharing magic with the world's regular citizens is a much better use of spreading knowledge rather than keeping it all to one's self.
         One of the things I'm really trying to emulate from my mentor text is emulating a creature, weapon, or force that creates as much fear as armored bears do in The Golden Compass. Armored bears are intelligent polar bears that act as mercenaries and body guards and make themselves even more fearsome by donning themselves in plated armor. "They been raiding the Skraelings for centuries. They're vicious killers, absolutely pitiless. But they keep their word."(The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman, Page 109). My goal is build up the hype of the Wings of Justice in Librarium the way armored bears are hyped up in The Golden Compass. The Wings of Justice will serve as the strongest military power the Librarium has and are constantly on witch hunts to oust those who would oppose the Librarium and seem like a legitimate threat.
        There are also other elements that I haven't included in my story that I hadn't have even considered. In the Golden Compass, the Gobblers are a group of people that steal young children on the Church's behalf for reasons unknown to the populace and isn't revealed until near the end of the novel. Not to spoil the novel, but what they do with these stolen children is not pleasant in the slightest. "As for where they took these lost children, no two stories agreed. Some said it was to Hell, under the ground, to Fairyland. Others said to a farm where the children were kept and fattened for the table. Others said the children were kept and sold as slaves to rich Tartars...And so on."(The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman, Page 45). I would really like to incorporate something as despicable as kidnapping in my story. I feel that it will really paint the Librarium as completely pitiless and be seen as a "ends justify the means" kind organization.
        With excellent and inspirational ideas from both Wizard's Hall and The Golden Compass, my story can only benefit from these masterful works of literature. I would recommend both books to anyone looking for an exciting story about overcoming seemingly impossible circumstances and the supernatural. Not to mention armored bears because who doesn't think that's cool?