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Essay / Manipulation and Appreciation in Neil Gaiman's Coraline
Coraline introduces the story's antagonist long before that antagonist's evil intentions are revealed. In the novel, Coraline, a young girl, has just moved into an old house. She feels ignored by her parents who are too busy working to pay attention to her. When she comes across the door that leads to her other mother, who has too much time to spend with Coraline, it seems to Coraline that her wishes have been granted. The other mother uses manipulation to ease Coraline's concerns about the usual situation she finds herself in. Although Coraline quickly feels unsafe within her other mother's home, she is forced to return to save her parents. While the other mother has violent intentions, she primarily relies on manipulating and exploiting the negative feelings the children have toward their parents to achieve her goals. Even if the other Mother plays the role of the villain, it is thanks to her that Coraline learns to appreciate her own family more. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay When trying to persuade Coraline to join the other family, her other mother focuses on two main problems Coraline has with her parents. The first is the time they spend with her. Although not specifically stated in the book, it is clear that Coraline is frustrated with her parents not having time to play with her. On her first rainy day, Coraline quickly finds herself running out of things to do and tells both her parents that she is bored. Rather than engaging with her, as Coraline would like, both parents dismiss her by suggesting she read a book or count all the doors in the house. None of these active elements hold Coraline's attention for long. She finds her parents and the house boring. However, when one ventures into the other Mother's house, things are different. Coraline finds the house itself "much more interesting" (Gaiman 19) and finds more engaging activities there, such as the rats that her other mother suggests she play with. Coraline finds the other house to be a much more attractive and entertaining place, helping the other mother try to keep Coraline there. Coraline also finds problems with the food her family prepares for her. She doesn't like the recipes her father prepares, insisting that she should just prepare normal food. At the beginning of the novel, her father has prepared a leek and potato stew which Coraline refuses to eat. It is clear from her remarks about her father's cooking that she does not like the elaborate dishes he tries to create. When she visits the other house, her other father has prepared a much simpler lunch meal for her. The other family's lunch was tasty chicken with no "weird things" (19). This is the family meal that Coraline imagined her family to attend. The Other Mother prepared a meal tailored to Coraline's desires, highlighting the benefits of staying with the Other Mother rather than returning to her real family. By exploiting Coraline's complaints about her home life, the other mother attempts to persuade Coraline to stay with her. After Coraline defeats the Other Mother and returns home to her real parents, it is clear that there is a change in his personality, especially when it comes to her. interactions with his parents. Additionally, her parents seem to interact with her differently. Greeting her father for the first time since her adventure, Coraline notices that her father is coming to pick her up, which)..