Topic > Manipulation and Appreciation in Coraline

Neil Gaiman's Coraline introduces the story's antagonist long before his evil intentions are revealed. In the novel, young Coraline 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 leading to the 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 worries about the usual situation she finds herself in. Although Coraline immediately feels unsafe in her other mother's family, she is forced to return to save her parents. While the other mother has violent intentions, she relies primarily on manipulating and exploiting the negative feelings children have towards their parents to achieve her goals. Even though the other mother plays the role of the villain, it is from her that Coraline learns to appreciate her family more. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayWhen trying to convince Coraline to join the other family, the other mother focuses on two main issues Coraline has with her parents. The first is the amount of time they spend with her. Although it is not specifically stated in the book, it is clear that Coraline is frustrated with her parents for not having time to play with her. On her first rainy day, Coraline quickly runs out of things to do and tells both of her parents that she is bored. Instead of interacting with her, as Coraline would like, both parents dismiss her with suggestions such as reading a book or counting all the doors in the house. None of these activations hold Coraline's attention for long. He finds both his parents and his home boring. When you venture into the other Mother's house, however, things are different. Coraline finds the house itself "much more interesting" (Gaiman 19) and finds more engaging activities within it, such as the rats that the other mother suggests she play with. Coraline finds the other house a much more engaging and fun place to be, helping the other mother in an attempt to keep her there. Coraline also finds problems with the food her family prepares for her. She doesn't like the recipes her father prepares, insisting that he only prepare normal food. At the beginning of the novel, her father has prepared a leek and potato stew that Coraline refuses to eat. It is clear from her observations of her father's cooking that she does not like the elaborate dishes he tries to create. When he visits the other house, his other father has prepared a much simpler meal for lunch. The other family's lunch was tasty chicken without any “weird things” (19). This is the family meal that Coraline imagined her family attending. The other mother ate a meal created to satisfy Coraline's wishes, showing the benefits of staying with the other mother rather than returning to her real family. Exploiting Coraline's complaints about her home life, the other Mother attempts to persuade Coraline to stay with her. After Coraline successfully defeats the other Mother and returns home to her real parents, it is clear that there is a change in her personality, particularly where she is concerned. interactions with his parents. Additionally, her parents seem to interact with her differently. When she says goodbye to her father for the first time since his adventure, Coraline notices her father picking her up for something he "haven't done in so long" (75), suggesting a change in the dynamic of their relationship. While at the beginning of the novel Coraline yes)..