I stay here and drink spirits because the men here took my armor away, and without that, I can hunt seals but I can't go to war; and I am an armored bear; war is the sea I swim in and the air I breathe.
In Philip Pullman's "The Golden Compass," a character expresses a deep sense of identity tied to their armor, which symbolizes strength and the ability to engage in battle. The absence of this armor isolates them from their purpose as a formidable warrior, comparing their role in the world to that of a bear, emphasizing their natural inclination for conflict and survival. Without it, they can perform basic tasks like hunting, but...