The Golden Compass Morality and Ethics Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #7

"Whatever they were doing at Bolvangar, we felt it was wrong with all our hearts. Lyra is their enemy; so we are her friends. We don't see more clearly than that." (18.27)

The witches, too, show morality – they realize that severing a daemon from its child is wrong.

Quote #8

Lyra couldn't sit still. She got up and walked to the window, and stared over the wide bleak darkness with unseeing eyes. They were too cruel. No matter how important it was to find out about original sin, it was too cruel to do what they'd done to Tony Makarios and all the others. Nothing justified that. (21.140)

Lyra's understands that cutting is wrong, that there's no good reason to inflict that kind of pain and suffering on another human being.

Quote #9

"And even if – if Mrs. Coulter got to Roger first, there'd be no saving him, because she'd take him back to Bolvangar, or worse, and they'd kill me out of vengeance.... Why do they do these things to children, Pan? Do they all hate children so much, that they want to tear them apart like this? Why do they do it?" (23.6)

Lyra has a difficult time understanding the immoral actions of the General Oblation Board.