The other world in Coraline is a strange version of that reality that Coraline knows well. It has the same people, the same house, and the same garden; but something's just not quite right. This world seems so much like reality precisely because it was custom made to be that way. Luckily, Coraline is pretty discerning: she knows that if something seems like reality, but just the best version of it, it's probably too good to be true. This knowledge allows her to see what a sham, or fake, the other world really is. But there's something more to think about: if the other world really exists, isn't a reality in itself? Is it the other mother's reality? Or reality for the three ghost children? What do you think?
Questions About Versions of Reality
- If you could create a dream "other world," what would it include? If the other mother were to create a world for you, what would that be like? (We know, it's scary to think about.)
- Did Coraline find anything appealing about the other world, or did the entire place just weird her out?
- What part about the other world did you find enticing?
- If Coraline were in charge of creating her own dream world, how would it differ from the world the other mother made for her?
Chew on This
The other world was a reality of its own.
Coraline's other mother got lazy when she just created Coraline's house and didn't create the rest of the world.