The Subtle Knife | Topics for Discussion & Projects

The Subtle Knife Topics for Discussion

What is the importance of angels in this story? Recall that the tower in Cittàgazze is named the Torre degli Angeli, there is an angel on the handle of the subtle knife, and angels are beings with physical bodies that move between the worlds.

The Church is obsessed with the relationship between children and their daemons, which stop changing shape after puberty. Does this have something to do with knowledge or a fear of maturity? Both? Neither?

The author of this book, Phillip Pullman, has used a famous piece of English literature for much of the structure of this story. Do some research on the phrase "His dark materials" and find out about what it means.

When Dr. Malone talks about the Rebel Angels and the Garden of Eden, to what is she referring?

What is the I Ching? Why is it significant in this story?

When...
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