Author's note: I'm bored. Time for another essay. I like questions for titles.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What are His Dark Materials?
By E. C. Florek
What are His Dark Materials? Let me make myself clearer: what does the title mean? Sure, it sounds good and smart, but have you ever thought about it?
First theory: His is God. The entire series seems to turn around Christianity, and physics. But let's concentrate on the Christianity part. Religion is very present in every day life in Lyra's world, this goes without saying. They are under the constant supervision of some form of priest, monk, or other member of the Church, hence the moniker "Authority". Mary Malone herself, the Snake, the Temptator, used to be a sister. You see, it's all intertwined. It would be logical to include God in the title, just like physics were included with the word "Materials".
Second theory: His is Pullman. Less likely, but it's possible, since he is the author of the series. He invented the entire saga; therefore he is behind it all. Slightly far fetched, but still a possibility.
Moving on the "Dark Materials" part. Let's agree on it right now: Dark was simply put there as an adjective.
Third theory: As I said earlier, the word "Materials" could have been placed there because it gives us a link towards physics, which is one of the main themes exploited in our beloved series. THE BARNARD-STOKES THEORY IS AN ACTUAL ONE. Google it. I bet Pullman had to do a lot of research to get all his facts right. I saw somewhere that two scientists wrote a book about the facts in HDM (it's titled The Science of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials).
Fourth theory: Dark Materials... Dark Matter… See the resemblance? That would also be a perfectly logical thing to do, since the Dark Matter is the thing that holds all the worlds together, and is also known as Dust. Thinking about it, Theories Three and Four are pretty much the same.
Fifth theory: The first time I have read The Golden Compass, I had instantly taken the "Dark Materials" for planets (for my defense, I had just turned ten). It's probably false. Why did I even bother to add it?
Last theory: Well, the downer you go, the less plausible my theories get. By now, I am at the point of saying that Philip Pullman chose that name simply because it sounded clever. Some writers have been known to do so in the past, have they not?
But these are all ifs and buts and could bes. In the end, we will never know for sure what "His Dark Materials" are, unless someone actually asks the mastermind behind it all, Philip Pullman.
Did you ask him yet? Fine, I'll do it myself.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After many, many reviews proving my stupidity, I feel the need to say this: I did not have the American, or even British version of "The Golden Compass", thus there was no such "Paradise Lost" quote on the first page. On the first page of my copy, it says: Traduit de l'anglais par Jean Euch.