Mythic Fiction and Contemporary Urban Fantasy Response

I think the book and movie Coraline was a good way to show myth with a mix of reality. I remember reading this book when I was younger and always found it fascinating and I enjoyed it very much. In 2009 when the movie was made I enjoyed the story even more, because you're able to visually see the difference between myth and the "real world".

In Coraline the story is very odd, and I think the choice to make it a claymation made it all the better for the effects. The mythic part of this movie and book reminded me of a story my grandmother told when I was younger. It was a story similar to Coraline, there's this lady that steals little kids from their families at night and makes there lives seem better. Eventually after being pampered by the lady and the people around she asks the kids to stay. Of course the kids say yes and after their response the lady steals them and their souls forever. Which is almost exactly what the myth story of Coraline.

The myth I believe is the the door that's through the wall and The Beldam pretended to be Coraline's "other mother" and makes her "other father", "other neighbors" etc. with a better life and everything. Eventually asking Coraline to stay their only if buttons were allowed to be sewn into her eyes. It's obvious where the myth world is relevant to the contemporary world. That's what the movie is about, it's this myth world coming in contact with the real world. It collides and the everything gets mixed together and everything gets confusing for a minute. Especially when you watch the movie I suppose because it's visual. However, you see these two different, but similar worlds mesh into one and eventually Coraline loses all that she knows.

At the end is where things change, the myth of this story changes. I don't mean to spoil anything, but I don't think there's a way I can explain how it changes without spoiling it. At the end Coraline enters the other world with The Beldam, now in her original form (a spider). As Coraline tries to defeat her with a game this is a representation of reinventing the myth she's come to know. By defeating The Beldam she set the ghost children's souls free and helped save her parents, along with all the other people The Beldam captured.

Regardless I believe Coraline is a really good movie and book. Obviously I'd recommend reading the book first. There's always a chilling thought of myth coming into reality. Coraline is one of those stories, which is makes this a wonderful read.