“Witch-oil” : subversive female mentors in Philip Pullman’s 'His Dark Materials'

摘要

Philip Pullman’s trilogy His Dark Materials follows Lyra Belacqua’s journey, where she meets adult figures who act as her mentors. This paper will focus on two of such women: Serafina Pekkala, a witch, but a benign figure; and Marisa Coulter, a villain who turns out to be her mother. In my view, Serafina and Coulter offer positive examples of the representation of women in fantasy literature, proved by their role as mentors and their personalities, which go beyond stereotypes. They will be analysed on their own, exploring the cultural tradition they draw from, and in comparison, studying their role as Lyra’s mentors.