The alethiometer—the titular golden compass—represents children’s unique ability to discern truth. The Alethiometer is a gold instrument with pictures and three needles that, if one knows how to read it, will answer any question truthfully. The fact that Lyra can read the alethiometer without study (Farder Coram notes that it takes adults years and a specific reference guide to learn to read it) suggests that given the way the novel conceptualizes childhood and innocence, the ability to ascertain the truth like this is something unique to children. In this way, the alethiometer more broadly makes the point that because of their innocent nature, children can, when given the correct tools, be the least biased and most effective judges of morality or truth.
The Alethiometer Quotes in The Golden Compass
The The Golden Compass quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Alethiometer. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter Two
Quotes
"Yes. Lyra has a part to play in all this, and a major one. The irony is that she must do it all without realizing what she's doing. She can be helped, though, and if my plan with the Tokay had succeeded, she would have been safe for a little longer."
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Chapter Twelve
Quotes
"Because, Iorek, listen: I got this symbol reader that tells me things, you see, and it's told me that there's something important I got to do over in that village, and Lord Faa won't let me go there. He just wants to get on quick, and I know that's important too. But unless I go and find out what it is, we might not know what the Gobblers are really doing."
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Chapter Thirteen
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"How do you do that?"
"By not being human," he said. "That's why you could never trick a bear. We see tricks and deceit as plain as arms and legs. We can see in a way humans have forgotten. But you know about this; you can understand the symbol reader."
"That en't the same, is it?" [...]
"It is the same," he said. "Adults can't read it, as I understand. As I am to human fighters, so you are to adults with the symbol reader."
"Yes, I suppose," she said, puzzled and unwilling. "Does that mean I'll forget how to do it when I grow up?"
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The Alethiometer Symbol Timeline in The Golden Compass
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Alethiometer appears in The Golden Compass. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter Two
...They discuss that Lord Asriel thwarted the assassination attempt, and the Master says that the alethiometer is showing that there will be awful consequences of Lord Asriel's research, and "the child"—Lyra—will...
(full context)
Chapter Four
...in a velvet case and says she needs to keep it private. It's called an alethiometer, he says, and it tells the truth. The Master begins to say something about Lord...
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...bathroom with pink soap and Lyra and Pan play in the bubbles. Lyra remembers the alethiometer in her coat pocket and feels confused, as she promised to keep it secret, but...
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Once Mrs. Coulter is gone, Pan pulls at Lyra's hair and they take out the alethiometer. It has needles pointing in different directions, small painted pictures, and three wheels. Lyra makes...
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Chapter Five
...her bedroom, dressed in her new dress and wearing a small shoulder bag with the alethiometer hidden in it, Mrs. Coulter tells Lyra to leave the bag in her room. Lyra...
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...says that the golden monkey was just in their bedroom and must know about the alethiometer. Lyra looks around for the professor who knew about the Gobblers, but she sees the...
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...their room and decide to run away. Lyra grabs her warmest clothes, money, and the alethiometer and when Pan says it's safe, they race outside.
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Chapter Six
Lyra wakes up in the morning, checks that she still has the alethiometer, and enters the kitchen. Ma Costa enters from the deck and starts to make Lyra...
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Chapter Seven
...the Master try to poison Lord Asriel, and says that the Master gave her the alethiometer. She pulls out the instrument and says she doesn't know how to read it.
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...book with all the meanings in a library somewhere. Lyra says that she kept the alethiometer secret, but the golden monkey found it. John Faa states what they know: the Master...
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They discuss what the Master intended in giving Lyra the alethiometer. Lyra thinks that the Master wanted her to keep it from Lord Asriel, but Farder...
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Chapter Eight
...what happened when Lord Asriel killed Mr. Coulter. When she's alone, Lyra pores over the alethiometer and tries to figure out how to read it. She discovers how to hold her...
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...her into danger and refuses, even when Lyra says that she's learning to read the alethiometer. He sends her away, and Lyra declares to Pan that they will go.
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Chapter Nine
Lyra begins to ask Farder Coram for help interpreting the symbols on the alethiometer. She explains how she asked the alethiometer a question about how Benjamin de Ruyter's mission...
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...He tells her to occupy herself until later, when they need to talk about the alethiometer. She and Pan sit on a bank and Lyra thinks that she's afraid of her...
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...were back at Jordan College with Roger. She spends much of her time studying the alethiometer and finds that if she concentrates, she can read and interpret it. She tells Farder...
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...Coram stare at each other in awe, and Lyra says they should've listened to the alethiometer. They decide to shut the "spy-fly" in a tin.
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Chapter Ten
Then, Dr. Lanselius turns to Lyra and asks her about the alethiometer. She allows him to see it, but Farder Coram interrupts and says that Lyra can't...
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As Lyra and Farder Coram walk, Lyra says that the alethiometer told her that Dr. Lanselius knew the answer to his question already. They head to...
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Chapter Eleven
Back at the ship, Lyra consults the alethiometer and figures out where Iorek's armor is and why it will be difficult to retrieve....
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...that this isn't true; Iorek is an indentured laborer and dangerous. Lyra says that the alethiometer told her something different. Farder Coram says that the townspeople only haven't killed Iorek as...
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...Kaisa, who says that the witches are interested in Lyra in part because of the alethiometer. Farder Coram suggests that they trust Lyra and Iorek, and they ask Kaisa for his...
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Chapter Twelve
...stops after several hours to eat and rest. John Faa asks Lyra to ask the alethiometer about how Bolvanger is protected. She says that it's just like Kaisa said, but the...
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Chapter Thirteen
...Lyra wakes up, Farder Coram approaches. Lyra begins to tell him how she misinterpreted the alethiometer's reading about Tony, but Farder Coram says that Tony died an hour ago. The ground...
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...bears can see through tricks. He says it's similar to how Lyra can interpret the alethiometer as a child, while adults can't. Puzzled, Lyra wonders if she'll stop being able to...
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Chapter Fourteen
...she hides the spy-fly tin in her boot and checks that she still has the alethiometer. Lyra falls asleep and wakes up when she realizes that there are bright lights above...
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...small room where Lyra nervously undresses and Sister Clara herself unties the belt containing the alethiometer. She thinks it's a toy and assures Lyra that they won't take it away. Lyra...
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Chapter Sixteen
...of her furs and hide them in the ceiling of her dormitory. She hides the alethiometer with them. She and Pan decide to say that they were kidnapped, and Lyra realizes...
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Chapter Seventeen
...betraying Mrs. Coulter's impatience. Finally, Mrs. Coulter asks Lyra if the Master gave her an alethiometer. She says that it wasn't his to give, and that it shouldn't go to Lord...
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Serafina Pekkala confirms that Lyra still has the alethiometer. Kaisa flies up and Serafina passes on that Bolvanger is in ruins, the children are...
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Chapter Eighteen
...to another world and needs something to help him. Lyra is certain he needs the alethiometer and suggests that she can help him, but Serafina cannot confirm this. After a few...
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Lyra calls for Iorek and Roger, but no one answers. Pan checks the alethiometer and after a minute, they get up to try to find the balloon. They find...
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Chapter Nineteen
...in. Pan becomes a firefly so that Lyra can see. She sits and pulls the alethiometer out. It tells her that Iorek and Roger are a day away and that Iorek...
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The alethiometer tells Lyra that Iorek is four hours away and that she must trust him. It...
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Chapter Twenty
...Iofur test his claws' sharpness and excuses herself to go cry. When she consults the alethiometer, it again tells her to trust Iorek and reprimands her for asking again. Bears begin...
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...place worse than Bolvanger and do things that would be illegal elsewhere. Lyra consults the alethiometer and discovers that Lee Scoresby is airborne somewhere far away. She ascertains that Mrs. Coulter...
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Chapter Twenty-One
...forward and Lord Asriel's color starts to return. Lyra says that she brought him the alethiometer and introduces Roger. Lord Asriel goes outside to talk to Iorek and orders Thorold to...
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...he's more afraid of Lord Asriel than of Mrs. Coulter. Lyra offers to consult the alethiometer, but Roger says he'd rather not know the future after his horrible experience with the...
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...this off, but Lyra bursts out that she doesn't know why she even brought the alethiometer to Lord Asriel and put herself through so much danger only to be received like...
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...going to destroy death itself. Then he dismisses Lyra, insisting that he doesn't need the alethiometer. Lyra wonders what the Master really wanted her to do.
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Chapter Twenty-Three
...go it alone, even though they're never really alone. Lyra says they still have the alethiometer. She puts Roger's body down and she and Pan step into the sky.
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