What are symbols in Coraline?

Perhaps the most iconic symbol from Neil Gaiman's Coraline are the large, shiny black buttons which the other mother—and all the creatures she's created to populate her parallel world—wear instead of eyes.
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What do the key symbolize in Coraline?

In this way, the key seems to represent the other world: old and ugly. Usually when we think of keys, we think of unlocking something or opening something up. Coraline certainly does this when she finds the other world. But if keys can unlock, they can also lock you in.
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What do the mirrors symbolize in Coraline?

The story of Coraline is a story of mirrors. When Coraline returns from the parallel universe and finds her parents missing, she discovers them trapped in the mirror. The mirror represents the parallel universe which literally mirrors Coraline's own world.
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What does the stone symbolize in Coraline?

The stone was sort of a protective amulet against evil magic. While Coraline has it, it keeps her from falling completely under the Other Mother's power, and at times the Other Mother seems to be repulsed by it.
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What does the rats symbolize in Coraline?

Shortly after moving into her new house, Coraline can hear them singing at night—their song is an ominous one, and its lyrics suggest that the rats are an eternal, immortal presence waiting for the “fall” of the real world, humanity, or both.
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30 Things You Missed in Coraline (2009)



Why is Coraline's hair blue?

In the movie Coraline, when Coraline is getting ready to go to bed after not finding her parents there's an old photo that shows her with natural brown hair. This probably means she at one point dyed it to her iconic blue hair.
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What mental illness does Coraline have?

Coraline's behavior is consistent with a psychotic-dissociative cluster as evidenced by her experiencing an alternate universe as well as incorporating fixed beliefs. As these are critical parts of the plot, it is best to formulate Coraline's behavior along a psychotic-dissociative spectrum.
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What do the black button eyes represent in Coraline?

By Neil Gaiman

These eyes are definitely creepy. The black button eyes let us know that we're in the other world and highlight how disturbing it is. Buttons are a seemingly harmless object, but in the other world, they become sinister and threatening.
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What does the chicken symbolize in the story?

The Chicken is an Archetype of Mother and Child

The chicken figures as a symbol of parental and spiritual love in the literature of the West.
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What does pig symbolize?

The Pig symbolizes foolishness, laziness, greed, and ugliness due to the above-mentioned characteristics, and its name is always used in a derogatory manner in traditional Chinese culture.
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What does the dog symbolize?

The dog is the first domesticated animal, and is symbolically associated with loyalty and vigilance, often acting as guardian and protector.
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What does a turtle symbolize?

Turtle symbolism and meanings include longevity, perseverance, steadfastness, protection, retreat, healing, tranquility, the Earth, and transformation. For as long as humans have walked the Earth, there have been turtles. Thus, human beings have been telling stories about turtles for a very long time.
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Why does the Beldam want eyes?

The button eyes were the objects used by the beldam to tie one's soul to the other world.
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Why does wybie tilt his head?

In response to sounds around him Wybie tilts his head to the side, giving the impression that he is constantly in a state of being startled, since most people do not react with so much motion to common sounds.
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Is the Beldam still alive?

So, Coraline didn't make it out of the Rat Beast limbo world. But she was able to get away from the Other Mother. Without Coraline, the beldam died.
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Is Coraline 2 coming out?

Due to Coraline's massive success in both the Academy and theatrical arena, it naturally made fans assume there would eventually be a sequel at some point. Unfortunately, it looks as though the likelihood of a sequel ever happening has been shut down by Gaiman.
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Why does Coraline's mom have a neck brace?

Mr. Bobinsky, an eccentric Russian man with a circus of dancing mice, has blue skin, the result of contamination from the Chernobyl disaster. Coraline's mother wears a neck brace for the duration of the film, the victim of an unseen car accident.
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Why is Coraline's eye button?

It is said that the eyes are the window to ones soul. So by the Other Mother taking the childrens eyes and sewing buttons there instead is a way for her to keep their souls with her and therefore trapped in the other world. this is why they are suddenly released when the "eyes" are taken out of the Other World.
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Why does the other mother tap her fingers?

After Coraline had told her real mother it was the perfect time to go gardening in the rain (which she only said to have something to say), the other mother made her first mistake by suggesting to play in the rain. Coraline noticed her tapping her fingers on the table, which she had found rather awfully suspicious.
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Why is the beldam evil?

At first, the Beldam seems to genuinely love her victims, caring for them and giving them a world that they cannot afford in the real world. When she reverts to her true nature, the Beldam still loves her victims but in a much more perverted and disturbing way.
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What does Frog symbolize?

Frogs have a variety of symbols, both good and bad, but generally, they signify transformation, change, cleanse through water, fertility, and prosperity. Keep a frog totem with you always, and make sure you do not miss this spirit animal's influence of peace, eternal beauty within, and honesty.
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What does a dolphin symbolize?

Dolphin Symbolism and Meaning

The dolphin is associated with both water and air elements, living in both realms, symbolizing both the emotional and intellectual traits. The dolphin is a symbol of protection for its presence in stories about saving the drowning sailors or other humans in distress.
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What does a rabbit symbolize?

The rabbit can symbolize many aspects of life, both negative and positive, according to different cultures. Its primal meanings are of fear, sexuality, abundance and prosperity, good luck, intuition, spontaneity, wittiness, and many more.
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