Coraline
by Neil Gaiman

The Other Mother Character Analysis

Coraline’s other mother is an evil shapeshifting entity and the novel’s main antagonist. She is sometimes referred to by the trio of lost children she keeps captive as “the beldam,” another word for witch. The other mother, as her name suggests, appears at first as a copy of Coraline’s real mother, Mrs. Jones. When Coraline uses an old key to open a mysterious door in her family’s new home, Coraline finds herself in a parallel world that mirrors her own—a world of which the other mother is, without a doubt, the ruler. Coraline recognizes a few differences between the other mother and her real mother—the other mother’s fingers are longer and thinner than her real mother’s fingers, and the other mother has black buttons where her eyes should be—but the other mother has created a convincing-enough facsimile of Mrs. Jones in order to make Coraline feel safe. The other mother wants to keep Coraline in her world forever and tries to entice her with delicious food, remarkable toys, and the promise that Coraline can live by her own rules. When Coraline refuses to stay, however, the other mother becomes incensed, kidnapping Coraline’s parents and locking Coraline in a closet with the ghosts of the other children she’s kidnapped. Taking the advice of her new friend the cat, Coraline challenges the other mother to a game. As Coraline begins winning the hunt to collect the lost children’s souls, the other mother begins tearing the world she’s created apart out of anger—and her own appearance changes, too. The other mother becomes spiderlike, and the cat even refers to her world as a kind of “web.” As the other mother’s appearance and behavior become more and more horrific, Coraline becomes determined to vanquish her. Tricky, seductive, and yet fatally unable to resist a challenge, the other mother’s origins and motives are never explained, but the narrative suggests that along with her minions, the rats, she seeks to possess and feed upon the souls of all the children who come to live in the house.

The Other Mother Quotes in Coraline

The Coraline quotes below are all either spoken by The Other Mother or refer to The Other Mother . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
).

Chapter 3 Quotes

“Coraline?” the woman said. “Is that you?”

And then she turned around. Her eyes were big black buttons.

“Lunchtime, Coraline,” said the woman.

“Who are you?” asked Coraline.

“I’m your other mother,” said the woman. “Go and tell your other father that lunch is ready,” She opened the door of the oven. Suddenly Coraline realized how hungry she was. It smelled wonderful.

Related Characters: The Other Mother (speaker), Coraline Jones (speaker), The Other Father
Related Symbols: Buttons, Food and Drink
Page Number and Citation: 26
Explanation and Analysis:
When Coraline goes through a mysterious, previously-locked door in the corner of her new flat’s drawing room, she finds herself traversing a long dark hallway which leads to another flat—a flat that is an exact mirror of her own home. Inside there is an “other mother” and an “other father” who closely resemble Coraline’s own parents but for one major difference: the “other” parents have large black buttons for eyes. As Coraline adjusts to this strange new parallel world she’s uncovered, Gaiman introduces several of the novel’s major symbols and themes. Coraline, who has been uncomfortable in and uncertain about Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum

[Coraline’s] other parents stood in the kitchen doorway as she walked down the corridor, smiling identical smiles, and waving slowly. “Have a nice time outside,” said her other mother.

“We’ll just wait here for you to come back,” said her other father.

When Coraline got to the front door, she turned back and looked at them. They were still watching her, and waving, and smiling.

Related Characters: The Other Mother (speaker), The Other Father (speaker), Coraline Jones
Page Number and Citation: 30-31
Explanation and Analysis:
In the real world, Coraline’s parents are frequently busy with work and have little time to play with her or even pay her much passing attention at all. In this realm, however, her other mother and other father are downright obsessed with her. They’re constantly talking to Coraline, touching her, or observing her from afar. In this passage, as Coraline grows increasingly uncomfortable with the atmosphere in her other house and decides to go out exploring to escape for a while, her other parents watch her head into the woods. Coraline is beginning to realize that while she thought she Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta

Chapter 4 Quotes

The three of them walked back up to Coraline’s other house together. Coraline’s other mother stroked Coraline’s hair with her long white fingers. Coraline shook her head.

“Don’t do that,” said Coraline.

Her other mother took her hand away.

Related Characters: Coraline Jones (speaker), The Other Father, The Other Mother
Page Number and Citation: 42
Explanation and Analysis:
This passage expands upon the ideas introduced in the previous chapter by showing how the longer Coraline stays in the other mother’s world, the more physically and emotionally possessive the other mother becomes. Though the other mother claims to be a benevolent presence who loves Coraline and exists only to dote upon her, the other mother’s behavior is rapidly demonstrating that her real intentions are contrary to the ones she professes. The other mother wants to possess and perhaps even feed upon Coraline—her predatory body language, hypervigilance, and repeated insistence that Coraline verbalize her love for and loyalty to her Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit e

“If you want to stay,” said her other father, “there’s only one little thing we’ll have to do, so you can stay here for ever and always.”

They went into the kitchen. On a china plate on the kitchen table was a spool of black cotton, and a long silver needle, and, beside them, two large black buttons.

“I don’t think so,” said Coraline.

“Oh, but we want you to,” said her other mother. “We want you to stay. And it’s just a little thing.”

Related Characters: The Other Mother (speaker), Coraline Jones (speaker), The Other Father (speaker)
Related Symbols: Buttons
Page Number and Citation: 43
Explanation and Analysis:
In this passage, the other mother and other father attempt to coerce—or entice—Coraline into replacing her eyes with black buttons. The buttons that the other mother and all the creatures that populate her world wear instead of eyes are the novel’s central—and perhaps creepiest—symbol. The buttons’ practical use is never revealed. They may be hastily applied eyes meant to cover up the fact that the creatures who populate this world are unseeing and inhuman, or they may be devices of control. Because Coraline detects a presence in this world that is older and more powerful than the other mother, it's Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit u

Chapter 5 Quotes

“Why does she want me?” Coraline asked the cat. “Why does she want me to stay here with her?”

“She wants something to love, I think,” said the cat. “Something that isn’t her. She might want something to eat as well. It’s hard to tell with creatures like that.”

Related Characters: Coraline Jones (speaker), The Cat (speaker), The Other Mother
Related Symbols: Food and Drink
Page Number and Citation: 63
Explanation and Analysis:
Back in the other mother’s world, Coraline takes a walk on the grounds beyond the house. The cat accompanies her and, in this passage, begins to explain just a little bit more about the other mother’s true origins and true desire. The cat never reveals the full truth about the other mother, and her exact history and purpose remains unclear throughout the novel, even at the very end. Yet in this passage, the cat does suggest that the other mother is a “creature” which feeds on the love—or the life force—of children. As Coraline continues to gather information about the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut al

Chapter 6 Quotes

“If you won’t even talk to me,” said Coraline, “I am going exploring.”

“No point,” said the other father. “There isn’t anywhere but here. This is all she made: the house, the grounds, and the people in the house. She made it and she waited.” Then he looked embarrassed and he put one finger to his lips again, as if he had just said too much.

Related Characters: Coraline Jones (speaker), The Other Father (speaker), The Other Mother
Page Number and Citation: 69
Explanation and Analysis:
In this passage, Coraline speaks with her other father—who gives her some illicit information about the other mother’s motives and actions. The other father previously said something the other mother didn’t want him to about the key to the door between worlds the night before, and, in this passage, seems to have been punished for doing so by being transformed into a dulled, “doughy” version of himself. Even so, the other father seems unable to stop himself from offering Coraline helpful information in direct defiance of the other mother—to a certain point. This passage demonstrates several important things. It shows Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corru

The cat dropped the rat between its two front paws. “There are those,” it said with a sigh, in tones as smooth as oiled silk, “who have suggested that the tendency of a cat to play with its prey is a merciful one—after all, it per­mits the occasional funny little running snack to escape, from time to time. How often does your dinner get to escape?”

Related Characters: The Cat (speaker), The Other Mother , Coraline Jones
Related Symbols: Food and Drink
Page Number and Citation: 74
Explanation and Analysis:
In this passage, as the cat traps and plays with a sinister black rat—one of the other mother’s minions and spies—it talks to Coraline about playing with its food. This passage suggests that the other mother, too, is playing with her food—and Coraline is what she’s planning on eating. The cat seems either unable or unwilling to give Coraline direct information about this place or the other mother’s powers or origins, but in this brief monologue, he gives Coraline a major clue about the other mother’s motivations and Coraline’s own role in her world. The cat suggests that Coraline can Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis.

Chapter 7 Quotes

And then [Coraline’s] hand touched something that felt for all the world like somebody’s cheek and lips, small and cold; and a voice whispered in her ear, “Hush! And shush! Say nothing, for the beldam might be listening!”

Coraline said nothing.

She felt a cold hand touch her face, fingers running over it like the gentle beat of a moth’s wings.

Another voice, hesitant and so faint Coraline wondered if she were imagining it, said, “Art thou—art thou alive?”

“Yes,” whispered Coraline.

“Poor child,” said the first voice.

Related Characters: The Lost Children (speaker), Coraline Jones (speaker), The Other Mother
Page Number and Citation: 81
Explanation and Analysis:
In this passage, Coraline is thrown into a cupboard behind the hall mirror in the other mother’s house as punishment for rejecting the other mother’s love. Here, she meets a trio of “lost children” who have been trapped in this room for centuries in some cases. The lost children are the first real human entities Coraline has encountered in the other mother’s world, and the first individuals other than the cat to show her any measure of support or sympathy. The lost children sometimes refer to the other mother as “the beldam”—another word for a witchy old woman—even though they’ll Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi a

Chapter 8 Quotes

[The other mother] picked Coraline up, just as Coraline’s real mother had when Coraline was much younger, cradling the half-sleeping child as if she were a baby.

The other mother carried Coraline into the kitchen and put her down very gently upon the countertop.

Coraline struggled to wake herself up, conscious only for the moment of having been cuddled and loved, and wanting more of it, then realizing where she was and who she was with.

Related Characters: Coraline Jones, The Other Mother , Coraline’s Mother/Mrs. Jones
Page Number and Citation: 87
Explanation and Analysis:
In this passage, the other mother retrieves Coraline from the cupboard behind the mirror after sending her there to teach her about manners and respect. As the other mother carries Coraline into the kitchen, Coraline is, in her drowsy, dreamy state, reminded of the love, care, and affection her real mother used to show her. Coraline feels betrayed by her own body and her own memories once the other mother sets her down—she longs for the other mother to hold her some more and show her more of that affection, even as she knows that any displays of warmth or Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptate

“I think I like this game. But what kind of game shall it be? A riddle game? A test of knowledge or of skill?”

“An exploring game,” suggested Coraline. “A finding-things game.”

“And what is it you think you should be finding in this hide-and-go-seek game, Coraline Jones?”

Coraline hesitated. Then, “My parents,” said Coraline. “And the souls of the children behind the mirror.”

Related Characters: The Other Mother (speaker), Coraline Jones (speaker), The Lost Children, Coraline’s Father/Mr. Jones, Coraline’s Mother/Mrs. Jones
Page Number and Citation: 90
Explanation and Analysis:
In this passage, inspired by the cat’s suggestion and the lost children’s encouragement, Coraline decides to challenge the other mother to a game in which she might win her freedom. The other mother loves a challenge and can’t resist Coraline’s suggestion of a game. The game Coraline suggests is a “finding-things” game—a game selected to highlight her strengths as an intrepid explorer, but also a kind of central metaphor for the journey Coraline is already on. Coraline’s entire time in the other mother’s world has been a kind of finding-things game—as Coraline has wrestled fear, doubt, and despair to the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus volupta

Chapter 9 Quotes

Outside, the world had become a formless, swirling mist with no shapes or shadows behind it, while the house itself seemed to have twisted and stretched. […]

The other mother was waiting for [Coraline], standing on the grass with her arms folded. Her black button eyes were expressionless, but her lips were pressed tightly together in a cold fury.

Related Characters: Coraline Jones, The Other Mother
Related Symbols: Buttons
Page Number and Citation: 103
Explanation and Analysis:
As Coraline continues to succeed at the other mother’s treasure hunt, the other mother grows increasingly angry and threatening. After Coraline finds the first soul, she sends a swift, biting wind to hurt Coraline, and, now, after she finds the second, she emerges from the other Miss Spink and Miss Forcible’s flat to find that the other mother has begun to “twist” and transform the world out of anger. The other mother’s “cold fury” confirms that the other mother is attempting to twist and pervert the world she herself constructed originally as a paradise for Coraline. As the other mother’s Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commod

Coraline nodded. It was true: the other mother loved her. But she loved Coraline as a miser loves money, or a dragon loves its gold. In the other mother’s button eyes, Coraline knew that she was a posses­sion, nothing more. A tolerated pet, whose behavior was no longer amusing.

Related Characters: The Other Mother , Coraline Jones
Related Symbols: Buttons
Page Number and Citation: 104
Explanation and Analysis:
In this passage, the other mother tries to dissuade Coraline from struggling against her and from continuing in her search for her real parents and the souls of the lost children. The other mother’s tactic is to tell Coraline how much she loves her—but Coraline is wise enough now to know that the other mother doesn’t truly love her, not in the way a good parent loves his or her child. Coraline believed, prior to beginning this terrifying adventure, that her parents’ love for her was insufficient—they were aloof, distracted, and insistent upon rules and traditions that didn’t appeal to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a.
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The Other Mother Character Timeline in Coraline

The timeline below shows where the character The Other Mother appears in Coraline. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Home and the Familiar Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
...buttons. Coraline asks the woman who she is, and she explains that she’s Coraline’s “ other mother .” She urges Coraline to fetch her “other father” for lunch. Coraline goes down the... (full context)
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Home and the Familiar Theme Icon
At the kitchen table, the other mother serves a huge roasted chicken with delicious sides. Coraline eats hungrily. As Coraline shovels food... (full context)
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
Coraline walks down the hall towards the front door, where she finds her other mother and other father waiting for her. They smile and wave at her and tell her... (full context)
Chapter 4
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Parents and Children Theme Icon
...their faces. They bring her back up to the house, and as they walk, Coraline’s other mother strokes Coraline’s hair. Coraline tells her to stop, and she does. Coraline’s other father asks... (full context)
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Home and the Familiar Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
...small, simple thing. He brings her into the kitchen—on a nice plate, he and Coraline’s other mother have laid out a set of black buttons. They insist her that changing her eyes... (full context)
Chapter 5
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Home and the Familiar Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
...goes out. Frightened, Coraline runs down the hall and right into the waiting arms of the other mother . (full context)
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Home and the Familiar Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
Coraline asks where her parents are— the other mother , gesturing towards the other father sitting in a nearby chair, insists Coraline has already... (full context)
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
Coraline tells the other mother she doesn’t believe her. In response, the other mother bewitches the hall mirror to play... (full context)
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
The other mother summons a rat to her side and orders it to retrieve the black key from... (full context)
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
...sits on the stoop. The cat approaches Coraline and rubs against her. Coraline asks why the other mother wants her to stay—the cat replies that the other mother “wants something to love” or... (full context)
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
Coraline asks the cat what he suggests she do. The cat tells Coraline to challenge the other mother to a game—“her kind of thing,” he says, “loves games.” Coraline asks the cat what... (full context)
Chapter 6
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
...her other father’s study and finds him sitting inert at the desk. Coraline asks where the other mother is, and the other father says she’s dealing with a “vermin problem.” When Coraline asks... (full context)
Home and the Familiar Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
...Coraline wanders through the woods, the trees become more shapeless with each step—Coraline realizes that the other mother didn’t “bother” with this part of the world, since she assumed it would never be... (full context)
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Home and the Familiar Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
The cat appears beside Coraline and tells her she’s wasting her time, as the other mother didn’t fill in this part of the world. Coraline again asks the cat what the... (full context)
Home and the Familiar Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
Coraline says the other father told her that the other mother is trying to keep the cat out—the cat laughs at the other mother’s attempts to... (full context)
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Home and the Familiar Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
...to the hall mirror. She looks in it and sees only herself—but she soon feels the other mother ’s hand on her shoulder. She is shocked to realize the other mother’s reflection does... (full context)
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
In the living room, the other mother sits on the sofa and takes out a paper bag. She extends it to Coraline—believing... (full context)
Chapter 7
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Home and the Familiar Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
...imprisoned them in the dark. The three children all have similar stories of finding their other mother waiting for them on the other side of a door in their house. One of... (full context)
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
...her parents back from “the beldam,” she could also win back the lost children’s souls— the other mother has hidden them throughout her little world. Coraline asks what will happen to her if... (full context)
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
Coraline offers to bring the children with her when the other mother lets her out of the mirror-room, but the others reply that they’d shrivel in the... (full context)
Chapter 8
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Home and the Familiar Theme Icon
Coraline wakes to find herself being carried— the other mother is carrying her to the kitchen as Coraline struggles to rouse herself fully. The other... (full context)
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Home and the Familiar Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
Coraline asks the other mother if she is planning on turning Coraline into a “dead shell” like the other children... (full context)
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Home and the Familiar Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
The other mother sets Coraline’s breakfast down on the kitchen table and asks what kind of game Coraline... (full context)
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Home and the Familiar Theme Icon
...know what souls look like, how big they are, or where they might be hidden. The other mother smilingly watches Coraline search for a while, then vanishes. Coraline leaves the kitchen and wanders... (full context)
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Home and the Familiar Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
...her face. One of the lost children’s voices is in her ear warning her that the other mother is angry. Coraline shouts out, calling for the other mother and ordering her to play... (full context)
Chapter 9
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Outside, Coraline realizes that the world has become covered in mist. The other mother is on the lawn wearing a cross expression on her face. When Coraline tells the... (full context)
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Home and the Familiar Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
...her ear warns her not to go in—the lost children try to tell Coraline that the other mother would never help her. Coraline agrees with them but goes inside anyway. The apartment looks... (full context)
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
...him. One of his button eyes falls out. Coraline apologizes to the creature, realizing that the other mother must have punished him for telling Coraline too much by placing him down here to... (full context)
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
The creature tells Coraline she needs to run— the other mother is “pushing” it to hurt Coraline. Coraline begs the thing to be strong and brave... (full context)
Chapter 10
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Home and the Familiar Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
...marble and hears one of the lost children call to her—the child warns Coraline that the other mother is furious and will never let her leave. Coraline, however, is determined to complete the... (full context)
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Home and the Familiar Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
...up. The cat warns Coraline that the world has gone “flat” all of a sudden— the other mother has sealed up the ways in and out of her world. Coraline promises she’ll get... (full context)
Chapter 11
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Home and the Familiar Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
...“other” flat more or less the same as when she left it earlier that morning. The other mother , seeing the cat in Coraline’s arms, chides Coraline for bringing “vermin” into the house,... (full context)
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
The other mother follows Coraline into the drawing room and stands between her and the mantelpiece. Coraline notices... (full context)
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
The other mother asks where Coraline thinks her parents are. Coraline says she doesn’t believe they’re hidden in... (full context)
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Parents and Children Theme Icon
Home and the Familiar Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
Coraline declares she isn’t wrong. In one swift motion, she throws the cat at the other mother ’s head. The cat lands on her and claws at her face. While the cat... (full context)
Chapter 12
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
...girl says that Coraline’s trials aren’t yet finished. The tall girl states that even though the other mother swore to let Coraline go, she lied. The children can’t tell Coraline what’s coming for... (full context)
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
...the gray light of dawn. Soon, the thing scuttles past Coraline—it is, to her horror, the other mother ’s right hand, severed when Coraline slammed the door on it on her way back... (full context)
Chapter 13
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Home and the Familiar Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
...by, it seems to Coraline that her parents have no recollection of being trapped in the other mother ’s world—she isn’t even sure if they are aware that they lost two days of... (full context)
Coming of Age and Finding Oneself Theme Icon
Fear and Bravery Theme Icon
...nervous as she heads back to the meadow but remains determined to get rid of the other mother once and for all. She sits down with her dolls, announces she’s brought her “lucky... (full context)