Pullman brings up two issues in Shadow in the North that will generate much discussion: women's rights and how fear can control society. In regards to women's rights, Pullman's leanings towards this issue can be found in his characters. Isabel and Lady Mary are products of their society, weak and unable to act for themselves. They rely on others to act for them, without testing to see if their trust is misplaced.

Pullman writes them as fairly lifeless characters. The stronger female characters clearly have more of his interest and sympathies. In addition to Sally, Pullman introduces two other strong, independent women. Miss Lewis is a "vivacious, bright-eyed Lancastrian girl who'd come to London to study" and Miss Susan Walsh is a retired teacher with a good memory for facts and a strong belief in female emancipation.

While each appears for only a brief time, Pullman...