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Essay / The Impact of Childhood Experiences on the Protagonist's Identity in "Coraline"
Neil Gaiman's books feature young protagonists who are unlike other "normal" children their age. The protagonists are precocious, naturally curious to explore. Neil Gaiman's books have a fairy tale feel combined with dark themes and follow a similar pattern. In Neil Gaiman's book, Coraline's parental neglect leads the protagonist to explore, which leads her to face evil and frightening challenges. The events of his childhood ultimately shape his own identity. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayIn the book Caroline, a ten-year-old girl named Coraline lives with her parents who have moved into an old house. She is an only child and is surrounded by old ladies who read tea leaves and the old man who trains mice as neighbors. Caroline loves to explore, but her parents are workaholics. The parents are represented in front of their computer, physically present, but mentally absent. “Coraline shook her head. “Why don’t you play with me?” » she asked. “Busy,” he said. “I’m working,” he added. He still hadn’t turned around to look at her.” Coraline asks her father to spend time with her, but he doesn't even look at her, busy with his work. Coraline needs attention as children her age usually do, but her father is unable to provide her with the care she needs. Coraline's mother doesn't seem to listen to her either and continues to ignore her. Coraline is often asked to “go away”, “draw something”, “read a book, watch a video” or even “count all the doors and windows” so that her parents can continue their work . Coraline feels ignored and has nothing to do since she has done these things before. Caroline goes on an exploration which leads her to an alternative reality. The house she lives in is dull and her parents are too busy to entertain her. She also exhausted all the exploring there was to do around the house. Upon moving into this house, Coraline notices a locked door in her house but there is a brick wall behind it. His curiosity for this forbidden space leads him to open it with a key. When she opens the door, there is a hallway there. It is a magical port that takes her to the Other World, a better reality that she has always dreamed of. At the end of the tunnel, Coraline's other parents are waiting for her. Coraline joins them in the alternate reality. “Coraline's other mother brought them lunch... It was the best chicken Coraline had ever eaten. His mother sometimes made chicken, but it was always wrapped or frozen, it was very dry and it never had any taste.” The other parents are nice, nothing like his real parents who are boring and indifferent. They fill Coraline's plate, flatter her and charm her, something her real parents never did. In this reality, she gets the best food her real mother could ever cook. The other parents are more attentive than Coraline's real parents, especially the other Mother, who does everything to impress Coraline. She seems like a perfect mom. Even though everything seems perfect in the alternate world, there is something wrong. Everyone has shiny black buttons for eyes, their other mother, their other father and their other neighbors. “On a china plate on the kitchen table were a spool of black cotton, a long silver needle, and next to them two large black buttons. “I don’t think so,” said Coraline. “Oh, but wewant,” said his other mother. We want you to stay.” In this scene, the other parents present black buttons to Coraline. They offer him a chance to stay in the other world forever if Coraline allows buttons to be sewn into his eyes. Today, the perfect world no longer seems perfect because the black eye symbolizes the theft of freedom. Coraline has always had the freedom to do what she wants because her real parents aren't attentive. Coraline realizes that the other mother binds her victims to herself in order to gain authority over them and is now taking her freedom. The other mother wants Coraline to see things only from her distorted point of view, without having her own thoughts, her own life. The consequences of Coraline's opening the door catch up with her and she is afraid of the alternate reality. “Coraline moved away from the other mother, left the living room and passed the hallway mirror. There was nothing but a young girl who looked like she had cried, but whose eyes were real eyes, not black spots. “I will be brave. No, I'm brave!'''. Coraline had realized that this alternate reality was only an illusion and a frightening imitation of the real world. She needs reassurance to look at her reflection and see that she still has her real eyes, not the black spots. She repeats that she is brave to convince herself that she can escape this reality and that she tolerates the other mother. Coraline also saw the other mother transform into a monstrous spider-like witch with a bony face and hands fashioned from sewing machines. This form is called beldam because its aggression and anger are presented very vividly. She shows courage to defeat the other mother. . Coraline's fear makes her realize that she just wants everything to go back to the way it was before opening the door and forgetting this alternate reality. At this point in the story, Coraline has already realized that she must overcome her fear and fight this horrible nightmare. Her parents are taken away by the mother and now she must overcome her fear, bring her parents back and return to the way she was before she opened the door. “Yes,” Coraline said. I'm not afraid, she told herself, and as she thought, she knew it was true. » Coraline says she's not afraid and then realizes she's telling the truth about how she feels. It’s an uplifting moment and character development. She becomes very perceptive, which she wasn't at first, she is more mature and aware of herself and others. Coraline's curiosity has led her into trouble and must rely on her intelligence and courage to save herself and others. She plays the evil mother in her own game to win. “What exactly are you proposing?” “Me,” Coraline said, and gripped her knees under the table to keep them from shaking. "If I lose, I will stay here with you forever...". In order to save her parents, Coraline challenges the other mother to a game, because she never refuses a good game. If she manages to find her parents and the eyes of the ghost children, everyone will be free; if she loses, she will stay forever in the other world and have the buttons sewn into her eyes. Although she is sacred about the outcome, she is dedicated to facing this frightening challenge and defeating the other mother. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay At first, she feels restricted by her real parents and made worse by the fact that they don't pay attention to her. Coraline's typical childish behavior and strong temperament transform into intelligence. Coraline's inner struggle and her deep unconscious desire to free herself from the other mother allowed her to.