St. Joseph College – Olongapo Inc.

Senior High School Department

S.Y. 2019 – 2020

“C O R A L I N E“
A Novella By Neil Gaiman

Passed By:
Rosel, Rian
Pineda, Richelle
St. John Bosco

September 20,2019

Passed To:
 Ms. Tessa See
Teacher
In
21st Century Literature From The Philippines And The World

AUTHOR
Neil Richard Mackinnon Gaiman
November 10 , 1960 – Age : 58
Portchester, Hampshire, England
Family: Polish Jewish and other Eastern European
Jewish origins
English Author of Short Fiction , Novels ,
Comic Books, Graphic Novels, Non Fiction,
Audio Theater and films
He has Won numerous Awards

WHYCORALINEISTHETITLEOFTHESTORY?
Coraline is handily named after the lead character in the story, Coraline Jones. It's a pretty basic title.
But it's important to notice that the title is just Coraline's name. The title Coraline emphasizes Coraline
the character above the wacky adventures she's going to have.

CHARACTERS
Coraline
The Other Mother
The Other Father
The Real Mother
The Real Father
Beldam
Wybie Lovat
Mr. Robinsky
Miss Forcible
Miss Spink
3 Ghost Children ( Tall Ghost Girl, Ghost Boy, Sweet Ghost Boy )
SETTINGS
The Pink Palace
The Other World

GENRE
A Dark Fantasy/ Thriller

LITERARY DEVICE
Personification
Parallelism
Paradox
Imagery
Allusions
Foreshadowing

SUMMARY
While exploring her new home, a girl named Coraline discovers a secret door, behind which lies an
alternate world that closely mirrors her own but, in many ways, is better. She rejoices in her discovery,
until Other Mother and the rest of her parallel family try to keep her there forever. Coraline must use
all her resources and bravery to make it back to her own family and life.

PLOT

Coraline Jones moves from Pontiac, Michigan, to Ashland, Oregon's Pink Palace Apartments. As her
parents struggle to complete their gardening catalog, Coraline is left to her own devices and meets
their new neighbors, including Mr. Bobinsky, a circus mouse trainer, Misses Spink and Forcible, two
once-famous actresses, Wyborne "Wybie" Lovat, the talkative grandson of Pink Palace's landlady, and
a mysterious black cat. Wybie gives Coraline a button-eyed rag doll he discovered that eerily
resembles her. The doll lures Coraline to a small door in the apartment that is bricked up and can only
be unlocked by a button-shaped key.

That night, a mouse guides Coraline through the door, now a portal to an “Other World” more colorful
and cheerful than her real home. Coraline meets her Other Mother and Other Father, button-eyed
doppelgängers of her parents that appear more attentive and caring. After dinner, Coraline goes to
sleep in her Other Bedroom, only to awaken in her real bedroom in the morning. Coraline's neighbors
cryptically warn her about the dangers of the Other World, while Wybie tells how his grandmother's
twin sister disappeared as a child. Undeterred, Coraline visits the Other World twice more, meeting the
button-eyed Other Mr. Bobinsky, the Other Misses Spink and Forcible, and the Other Wybie, who is
mute. The black cat follows her and is able to speak in the Other World.

The Other Mother invites Coraline to stay in the Other World forever, provided she has buttons sewn
over her eyes. Coraline attempts to flee, but the Other Mother has blocked the portal and transforms
into a menacing version of herself and imprisons Coraline behind a mirror. There, Coraline meets the
ghosts of the Other Mother's child victims, including the sister of Wybie's grandmother. The spirits
reveal that the Other Mother, whom they call the “Beldam,” used rag dolls like Coraline's to spy on
them, exploiting their unhappiness and luring them into the Other World with the promise of better
lives. The Beldam sewed buttons over their eyes and "consumed" them, leaving their souls trapped. To
free their souls, Coraline promises to find the children's real eyes

Coraline is rescued by the Other Wybie and escapes back to the real world. She discovers her parents
are missing, and realizes they have been kidnapped by the Beldam. Miss Spink and Miss Forcible give
Coraline an adder stone and she returns to the Other World. The Beldam locks the portal and swallows
its key, but Coraline, following the black cat’s advice, proposes a game: if Coraline cannot find her
parents and the ghosts' eyes, she will let buttons be sewn over her own eyes, but if she succeeds, the
children's souls will be freed. The Beldam reluctantly agrees.

Using the adder stone, Coraline finds the children's eyes, and discovers that the Other Wybie was
destroyed by the Beldam for helping Coraline escape. As Coraline finds the eyes, the Other World
gradually disintegrates until only her family's living room is left. Coraline sees the Beldam in her true
skeletal, arachnid form, and tricks her into unlocking the portal. While the Beldam is distracted,
Coraline finds her parents trapped in a snow globe, and throws the cat at the Beldam's face, ripping
her button eyes out. Blinded, the Beldam furiously feels for Coraline, but she and the cat manage to
escape and lock the door shut on the Beldam's hand, severing it.

Coraline’s parents reappear in the real world with no memory of what happened. That night, the
ghosts warn Coraline that the Beldam will never stop looking for the key to the portal. As Coraline
prepares to drop the key down an old well, the severed hand tries to drag her back to the Other
World. Wybie smashes it with a rock, and they throw the remains of the hand and the key into the well
and seal it shut. The next day, Coraline and her parents, who have finally finished their catalog, host a
garden party for their neighbors, and Coraline prepares to tell Mrs. Lovat about her twin sister.

G U I D E Q U E S T I O N S : Combined Answers
 1) The protagonist has an unusual name. Why do you think it is spelled that way?

- I think "Caroline" should be the protagonist's name but, maybe the author misspelled or mistype it to
be "Caroline". And I think, the author got the idea of changing it into caroline because it's unique to
everyone

- The protagonist name is Coraline Jones. It is spelled that way because of the author who mistyped
the name that it has to be “ Caroline “ instead of Coraline but then he had the idea of creating the
character bearing that name

2) How would you describe the other mother? Why do you feel that way?

- The other mother look like an alien. She is tall and slender with long fingers. Her eyes is like a huge
buttons. Coraline believes that she has a similarities with her real mother.

- The Other mother is a bit creepy. Usually all of the characters on the other world is different they’ve
had this traditional thing that they’re eyes had to be buttons. Her real mother Actually was a really
busy person and sometimes a little inattentive. But really cares for coraline. Back to the Other Mother
she looked a like coraline’s mother. Only her skin was white as paper, she was taller and thinner. Her
Fingernails were too long and they never stopped moving and her dark red fingernails were curved
and sharp. Adding to the mothers creepiness. Is her lack of solid identity

3) Why does the other mother have significant differences in appearance from her real mother? What
could this mean?

- Because the other mother has button eyes and the real mother has the real eyes.

- The Other Mother, were taking her children’s eyes and sewing buttons instead. Its a way for her to
keep their souls with her and to be trapped in the other world. Then the other mother will eat the eyes
because they are her prey

4) How do you feel about the button eyes? What could this signify in the story?

- For me, the button eyes are weird because that is unusual in a story. And it is significant because this
will take away Coraline's sight and if it is sewed to coraline's eyes, the other will control her.

- They’re Black Button eyes looks creepy, This signifies as the buttons over eyes represents the other
mothers unlimited control. Eyes are very significant in this story. When coraline sees a persons eyes
she is in the real world, on the other hand when she sees Black eye buttons this means shes in the
other world

5) Have you ever fantasized about having another mother or father? Why?

- I've never fantasized about having another mother or father, because for me my parents are enough
even though they are not perfect. They give me so much love and support, they always sacrifice
everything for me or for us, and they give me everything I need as long as they can.

- No. Because It is a nightmare for me to lose my parents and change then with a complete different
person

6) How does this story feed on this fantasy?

- It's because of the flow of the whole story. The film has so many trick elements. The story itself
prevails over the form.

- In the opening scene of a stop motion coraline. A pair of spindly hands rips open and remakes a little
rag doll. The matter of fact with which the doll is turned inside and out and reassembled is mad even
more unsetting in 3D, as the dolls stuffing bursts richly forth and every seam

7) How is the chicken in the other family different from how chicken is usually served in her
household?

- The food that usually served in her household are not that good in taste while in the other world, its
the opposite of coraline's life to real world.

- The chicken or the food on the real world for coraline its cold and tasteless because of his fathers
culinary experimentation and her mothers busyness. On the other hand the food on the other world is
delicious and savory but these food wasn’t made with live. It was created to lure coraline and used to
bait her
8 ) What does the chicken symbolize?

- I don't think there's a symbol for chicken😂

- I think theres no symbol for the chicken. But based on my research people ask what is the symbolism
of the chicken. Its the key that serves as a plot device. So I’ll make my own symbol, For me i think that
which world should coraline should be into. Because in despite of her life in the real world she’s always
bored and her parents were always busy. But on the other world coraline was always happy. But in
return she should stay there forever. Its just like the chicken. Her real parents chicken were tasteless
and cold but on her other parents it was delicious and savory but theres a consequence in return

9) The other mother encourages Coraline to play with rats. What does this tell us about the other
mother's character?

- The other mother wants coraline to enjoy the other world and be with there forever. She wants
coraline to realize that the life in other world is happy and different from the real world

- The Other mother wants best for coraline, as the other mother wants a strong-bond with her
daughter

10) Why does Coraline respond the way that she does?
-
- Coraline Jones, A young explorer, Always Curious, she was intelligent and courageous. She often
irritated by rain and crazy grown ups and not being taken seriously because of her young age