Coraline Versions of Reality

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

1. 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 <em>that</em> be like? (We know, it's scary to think about.)
2. Did Coraline find anything appealing about the other world, or did the entire place just weird her out?
3. What part about the other world did you find enticing?
4. 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.