More on Daemons & Some About Quizzes

Sep 16, 2016

As a fan of Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, I have taken at least a dozen different quizzes to identify my “true” Daemon. Sometimes even, I retake a quiz multiple times to get a more desired result. In Pullman’s work characters do not have this same opportunity to change their daemon once it has been derived, but this fact does not mean that daemons cannot change before they settle.

In the Golden Compass, Pan shifts according to Lyra’s behavior and circumstance, but Lyra never really responds to his changes. As a result, readers never really know whether Lyra likes the forms that Pan takes (ex: she might not actually like moths). In the end Pan represent who Lyra is; even if he becomes something that she does not like. Just as many quizzes claim that my results represent who I am and not what animal I want to be described as, characters in Pullman’s world might have to cope with having a soul whose form they are not fond of.

This understanding has caused me to question the consequences of seeing a physical representation of myself. For just a moment, I ask you to do the same: Would you attempt to change your own soul if your daemon changed into a form that you did not like? And if you said you would change, would you expect your actions to achieve the desired results?

If you’re curious ~ these ideas are shown in the song Seen And Not Seen by the Talking Heads. I really recommend looking at the lyrics while listening.

4 responses to “More on Daemons & Some About Quizzes”

lbekowitz

September 19, 2016 at 1:38 am

I really loved your post and it made me think deeper about the truthfulness of an expression of one’s inner self that remains stagnant despite many years and many changes in a person’s life.
If we are assuming that a daemon is the true representation of a person’s inner self then, yes, if my daemon were something I did not like, showing me that inside I was a person that I did not want to be, I would try to change myself, if not my daemon. And yes, I do think that it is possible for people to change; is the ability for grownups to change, find themselves, rediscover a truth, or be “reborn”, not the reason why so many shelves at Barnes and Noble are filled with inspirational books by authors who have reinvented who they are and want to help others who desire the same thing? Albeit, I cannot personally testify to just how “changed” these people are from their original selves, at least they believe that they are changed. So, although Pullman’s decision to create a universe where adults’ daemons are a fixed form suggests that people cannot change who they essentially are after they have matured, I do believe that, to differing degrees, people can still change. So if my daemon were a form that I did not like, I would strive to improve myself, and maybe my daemon would change, even in the subtlest of ways. Regardless of whether a daemon would or would not change, I never want to stop striving to improve who I am.

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1. remashha
  
  September 19, 2016 at 7:42 pm
  
  Wow. That’s quite inspirational (I for one would have probably just looked for ways to appreciate my daemon rather than trying to change it).
  You bring up an interesting point by questioning just “how changed” people are after they “remake themselves.” The way you worded your response made it seem as if you were considering different types of changes (such as differences in the way that you perceive yourself rather than in your actions). Do you believe that there are certain changes that are more important than others? (example, a change in confidence level vs. work ethic or a change in attitudes vs. one in outward appearance).
  
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johnzbaracki

September 20, 2016 at 12:49 am

Very interesting question you pose at the reader. I’ve wondered myself about where I will settle in life, and if I will be happy with that place in life. In the book, a seaman talks to Lyra about the settling of Daemons. He speaks of those who do not agree with their daemons final forms, and it is apparently a very trying experience, but he also says that everyone eventually settles into their daemons place. I feel even if I struggle and fight my future, it will come around one way or another. And, I will find happiness in that place – as it is what my soul desires.

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Francess Dunbar

September 22, 2016 at 6:49 am

This post reminded me of something Dumbledore said to Snape in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: “Sometimes I think we sort too soon.” I very firmly believe that our souls are malleable and grow and change with us. The daemon form I would have quizzed as having when I was thirteen would almost certainly be different from the one I would have now, and I believe that holds true for most people. Fundamental changes can occur at any age, and the idea that you are somehow “fixed” as the person you once were goes against most sane concepts of free will and identity. I would welcome a changing daemon – I think having one that was stuck would start to feel wrong after a while.

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