Comparing motifs in Neil Gaiman’s novel Coraline

Desires between fantasy and reality

Abstract

The primary goal of this study is to explore the possibilities of interpreting the motifs in the Neil Gaiman’s Coraline by comparing them with other works of literary and film fantasy. Furthermore, its aim is to argue that the story coincides with the structure and process of initiation rites and rites of passage. This study highlights the novel’s most important motifs: the door and its function as a poetic technique facilitating the passage between different worlds; the motifs of the fog and the mirror which are powerfully linked to the sense of sight; and the role of the cat and the mouse in literary works. The last section of this study looks into the differences between the novel and its movie adaptation. The story can be read as a tale intended for children; nevertheless, it also has considerable significance for adult readers. Therefore I analyse the work by considering it as transitional between a child’s and an adult’s perspective.