Coraline-And So It Ends-Chapter 13

[Emily Spencer]

Please remember to use spoilers for those bits of the story that you discuss, but said discussion might be giving the plot away to people who haven't read Coraline yet.

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Chapter 13 Discussion
Read the chapter and, below, discuss it. You may write of anything from Chapter 13(or previous chapters, as they tie into Chapter 13)..

If you can't think of anything to discuss, you may answer the following question:

How do you feel the trials Coraline has undergone have changed her personality, if at all? How is this shown by her actions in this chapter? Do you agree with the way she chose to handle things or would you have done something differently?

Summary Discussion
After having read Coraline What are your overall feelings about the book? Would you recommend it to others to read or advise against it? What did you like/dislike most about it? Please feel free to add your thoughts below.

[River Fenwick]

Chapter 13:
Chapter thirteen wrapped everything up neatly. It's probably for the best that Coraline's parents don't remember their two days in the snow globe. I loved that it brought back the idea of the tea leaves warning of the future again, with a hand reaching for something in the leaves. I'm surprised the other mother's hand quickly fell for Coralione's trap, as it seems, even in hand form, the other mother continues to underestimate the young girl's wit. If I were Coraline, I'd be a bit too paranoid to return the protective stone to Miss Spink and Miss Forcible, just in case that hand would manage to escape the well one day. With everything finally done and over, Coraline becomes an ordinary girl again, seemingly finding life far more peaceful than before due to how horrific of a time she had with the other mother.

Summary Discussion:
Overall, I enjoyed this book! I would recommend it to others, though I'd have to warn them about how creepy it can get. One of the main aspects that sold the story to me was how Coraline was portrayed. The author did a great job of capturing the child-like spirit of Coraline despite the problematic (and likely traumatic) events that had unfolded so early in her life. Honestly, I'm still a little hung up on the poor children who were victims before Coraline. A lot of this book will stick with me; from the creeps to the wholesome interactions, there were many memorable ups and downs in this tale of a child who didn't deserve all of that to happen to her.

[Dibyarup James Potter]

Chapter Thirteen:
In my opinion, the trials Coraline has undergone have changed her personality a bit. One, she seems to be more mature overall in Neil Gaiman’s portrayal of her, and two, she seems to have started appreciating the little things in life more. For example, when she chose to sing the song her father wrote for her when she was a baby, while walking through the woods. But, a good thing is that even after all the hardships she had to endure, she still held onto her childishness, which can be seen in her interest in playing with her dolls at the dolls’ tea party.

Summary Discussion:
After reading Neil Gaiman's "Coraline", I found it to be a beautiful blend of dark fantasy and adventure, perfect for those who enjoy a touch of spookiness. The eerie "Other World" is so vividly described that it feels almost real, and Coraline herself is an inspiring protagonist, brimming with bravery and determination. Since the writing is so rich and descriptive, it effortlessly built suspense and kept me on the edge of my seat. The themes of courage, self-discovery, and the importance of family resonated deeply with me. However, some parts were quite intense and might be too scary for younger readers. Overall, "Coraline" is a really good book, and it was a unique and memorable reading experience for me. I will definitely recommend it to my friends and family who like horror/fantasy.

[Dibyarup James Potter]

Chapter 13:
...
I'm surprised the other mother's hand quickly fell for Coraline's trap, as it seems, even in hand form, the other mother continues to underestimate the young girl's wit. If I were Coraline, I'd be a bit too paranoid to return the protective stone to Miss Spink and Miss Forcible, just in case that hand would manage to escape the well one day.
...

I agree with both those points, River. I thought it was really funny that even after everything Coraline did, the Other Mother still fell for her trap. For a demon who is apparently doing this for a very long time, I expected the Other Mother to be a bit smarter than she was, at least the second time round. And yes, if I were Coraline, I would also be too paranoid to return the protective stone to Miss Spink and Miss Forcible, because, if the Other Mother managed to get her hand into the "real" world, who knows what she might do in the future, despite Coraline's success in "dealing" with her.

[Adeline Morior]

Chapter 13

After all the terror from the other chapters, I love how this chapter is light and funny and goes down a lot better, more playful. Things like; “How often do you get to say a name like “Mr. Bobo” aloud?” made me laugh and how she pretended to clean up spilled cake, and to get Jemima another piece. Reminding us of the cute, innocent, fun and very creative ways of children. Even to the point where she just starts talking to herself and hugging people making them truly feel “What an extraordinary child.”. The song her dad had made up for her shows more on his character and their beautiful relationship. How Coraline remembers these things means they are special to her. Lastly I personally would like to mention a little bit of ignorance on her behalf by having the hand fall and be trapped in the well with the key. I would have made sure they were separated as far as possible. Knowing the hand is out there and that the other mother is a door away would have seriously played on my mind. But, it shows a lot on how children can sometimes think or in this case, “out of sight, out of mind, out of heart?”

Summary

I really loved this book and found it entertaining and insightful. Especially since knowing that the Author felt “that children experienced as an adventure, but which gave
adults nightmares.” I found this very true thinking back how brave a child is and seeing it as an adventure compared to the fact that these things creep us adults out. I thought it was very well written and kept me wanting to keep reading to find out what will happen next. There were enough questions left unanswered to keep it in mind about the origin of the world and so on. I loved how it reminded me of the beautiful innocence of a child and the brave adventurer cold in myself compared to the scared adult. Really enjoyed this. Thank you.