How is bravery explored in Coraline?

Coraline, written by Neil Gaiman, has many themes. One of the major themes in this novel is the theme of bravery or courage.

In this story, Coraline must overcome many of her own fears. She must use her independence to find her parents when she learns they have been kidnapped by her "other mother" in the alternate world Coraline discovers. She is very courageous in that she enters this new world in the first place. Once there, Coraline discovers an evil look-alike for her mother; this doppelgänger has buttons for eyes. Coraline must be brave in order to defeat this version of her mother, and in doing so, she saves other people: the three children the other mother has also kidnapped.

Even though Coraline is frightened during her journey, she does not get help from the police, something a less brave person would do. Coraline understands that she is very resourceful. This resourcefulness is something she learned growing up and being alone most of the time, because her parents were working.

Coraline bravely continues to choose to be optimistic in her life. By choosing to believe that anything is possible and that she will be able to defeat her other mother, Coraline does just this, with the help of a cat.

Throughout the story, Coraline learns to understand that things aren't always as they seem. Understanding this concept is something that happens when one is forced to grow up. Accepting this as a fact is a brave and courageous thing.

How is bravery explored in Coraline?

Bravery is a big part of Coraline's story as told by author Neil Gaiman. She shows her fearlessness in the way she explores the strange house, and when she realizes that another whole world awaits, she boldly steps into it. When she encounters a woman who looks just like her mother—but has button eyes—she confronts the woman instead of running away. Even when she is later double-crossed by the "other mother," Coraline bravely devises a spur-of-the-moment plan to escape from this woman by getting the cat to jump onto the woman's face. Despite being afraid of this woman, Coraline refuses to back down and let her win. Later, when she starts thinking about the fact that she had risked her life and wondering why she had done it, she comes to the realization that she is brave enough to fight for the freedom of those she loved. Throughout the book, Coraline defines and exemplifies bravery by refusing to give up on finding her parents—even if it becomes a matter of life and death for herself.

How does Coraline define bravery?

In Coraline by Neil Gaiman, Coraline tells the cat a story from when she was younger. She went on a walk with her father, when suddenly, her father tells Coraline to run. They had stepped on a wasp nest, and her father let himself get stung so Coraline could run away. After he ran, he dropped his glasses and needed to return to get them before he forgot where they were. Coraline tells the cat:

"He said that he wasn’t scared when he was standing there and the wasps were stinging him and hurting him and he was watching me run away. Because he knew he had to give me enough time to run, or the wasps would have come after both of us . . . And he said that wasn’t brave of him, doing that, just standing there and being stung,” said Coraline to the cat. “It wasn’t brave because he wasn’t scared: it was the only thing he could do. But going back again to get his glasses, when he knew the wasps were there, when he was really scared. That was brave."

The cat asks her why that was brave of him, and Coraline answers, "Because . . . when you’re scared but you still do it anyway, that’s brave.”

Coraline defines bravery as choosing to do something in spite of being scared. Coraline demonstrates this definition of bravery by going back to save her parents from the other mother.

We see how Coraline is scared, but she does it anyway. The other mother asks her:

"What exactly are you offering?"

"Me," said Coraline, and she gripped her knees under the table, to stop them from shaking. "If I lose I'll stay here with you forever . . ."

In this passage, Coraline's shaking knees shows us she is frightened. But she grabs them to stop the shaking and proceeds with the game anyway. Coraline follows her definition of bravery.

How does Coraline define bravery?

Coraline defines bravery in the following way:

Being brave doesn’t mean you aren’t scared. Being brave means you are scared, really scared, badly scared, and you do the right thing anyway.

In other words, being brave is related to what you do, not how you feel. Coraline openly admits that she's scared, but that doesn't prevent her from doing the right thing, which is what really matters. Coraline has every right to be scared given the many creepy things she comes across in her adventures. Dog bats, a slug in an egg-case, and a horrible, shapeless grub with twig-like hands—anyone would be petrified at encountering such hideous creatures. But Coraline doesn't let her understandable fears hold her back. She stays positive in the face of this grotesque parade of horrors. Despite her tender years, Coraline is already mature and wise enough to know what needs to be done. And although the prospect of having to save her parents from the evil clutches of the Other Mother fills her with dread and fear, she doesn't hesitate to make the attempt, proving once more her enormous bravery.

What is the main character's definition of bravery in Coraline by Neil Gaiman?

In the book Coraline, the main character is a girl who has to face some frightening supernatural beings, such as the “Other Mother,” who is a copy of Coraline’s real mother from a different world. Coraline wandered into this world by accident.

Facing frightening things with bravery is a theme in the book. At one point, Coraline recalls a story that her father told her about an incident involving wasps. When Coraline was younger, her father went with her for a walk in an abandoned area between their house and some shops.

They had angered some yellow wasps, and Coraline’s father told her to run away. He stayed behind on purpose to let Coraline escape. Then, later, he had to go back in order to get his glasses after they had fallen off. He got stung thirty-nine times, whereas Coraline had only been stung once.

Coraline’s father told her that standing there being stung while letting Coraline escape hadn’t been brave, since it was all he could do. The passage then reads:

But going back to get his glasses, when he knew the wasps were there, when he was really scared. That was brave.

While she’s telling this story to her talking cat, Coraline has to demonstrate this definition of bravery by deliberately going back into the world with the Other Mother, even though this time she knows it’s dangerous.