Coraline is a dark fantasy horror childrens novel by British author Neil Gaiman, which was published in 2002. The story follows young Coraline Jones, who finds a bricked-up door in her familys new apartment. When she opens the door, she finds an Other World, almost exactly like her own world, with an Other Mother who has buttons for eyes. This Other Mother is more fun than Coralines real mother at first, but then it becomes clear that she wants Coraline to stay with her forever.

The events of Coraline can be interpreted in a number of ways, but arguably the most prevalent and justified reading is that the story is about abuse and generational trauma. Coralines relationship with her mother and the Beldam is turned to, and her father essentially has no time for her. Coraline is left to turn to her mother, who is cold and dismissive towards her, refusing to give her the time and attention she needs. The world and treatment from the Beldam juxtapose this, with her “mirror” parents of sorts providing Coraline with a way to work through and process the neglect she’s fallen victim to.

In the Other World, Coraline gets attention from the Beldam and a lot of it. Its like shes the Beldams entire world, and she plans out wild adventures for Coraline, gets her anything her little heart could ever want, leaves her kind notes, etc. Coraline can barely believe it. But then she begins to uncover some very ugly things about the Beldam and everyone in "her world." She realizes that she doesnt want to stay there anymore because she recognizes its all a facade. No matter how nice that world is, its fake, and it was only created for the Beldam to feed.

Coraline is a brilliantly creepy tale for both children and adults, and it has been academically studied by psychologists and film theorists. Some of these theories are even peer-reviewed. The movie is filled with esoteric and occult symbolism, and one prominent symbol that serves as foreshadowing in the film is the fairy ring that Coraline stumbles into. Through this interpretation, Coraline is walking into impending death by entering the Other Worlds eternal night. Not only is her life at risk there, but she, the cat, and the Beldam are the only things truly alive in that space, since everything else is merely an illusion. The broken snow globe represents Coraline’s loss of innocence.