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.

What are the 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.

What do buttons symbolize in Coraline?

The buttons symbolize the fact that the other mother sees Coraline as a doll or a plaything—she wants to keep Coraline in her world and do with her what she wishes.

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.

Is the Other Mother a demon?

The Beldam (also known as the Other Mother, in reference to her other motherly disguise) is the main antagonist in the 2002 book, Coraline, as well as the 2009 movie of the same name. She is a demonic, shape-shifting entity who lures children into another dimension with the goal of taking their soul.

30 Things You Missed in Coraline (2009)

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.

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.

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.

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.

Why does Coraline's other mother have button eyes?

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.

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.

Why was Coraline's doll filled with sand?

Trivia. It was stuffed with sand instead of cotton when spying on Coraline. This reflects her other creations too, as other Wybie, the hummingbirds, and the circus mice are full of sand too.

Is the other father a warning in Coraline?

Later on in the film, the Other Father turns into a pumpkin-like human (this was hinted when the beldam said he was as hungry as a pumpkin) with the face in a permanent frown with a monster-like voice and barely capable of speech. This was apparently his punishment for telling Coraline too much.

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.

What does the end of Coraline mean?

The colourful world that Beldam created for Coraline was not real, it was just a sweet illusion to keep the young girl in the “Other World”. However, Coraline was smart enough to not fall for the trap. In the end, the girl realizes that her parents are not perfect, but at least, they are real.

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.

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.

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.

Why did wybie's grandma have the doll?

Even when her twin sister went missing, Mrs. Lovat kept the doll that used to belong to her sister in a trunk, perhaps for sentimental purposes. The doll, which used to look like her sister, was altered by the Beldam to look like Coraline, as seen in the beginning of the film.

How tall is the beldam?

The Other Mother's appearance is not quite determined, it is suggested in the film that her true form is a 15-foot tall. She is a spider-human that has buttons rather than eyes. Her limbs consist of extremely long needles, and her spine protrudes out of her clothing.