ENG 102
November 16, 2010
Everyone has an archetype within themselves, according to psychologist Carol Pearson. According to dictionary.com an archetype is defined as “a collectively inherited unconscious idea, pattern of thought, image, etc., universally present in individual psyches.” After taking my archetype test, I found out that my primary archetype is orphan. An orphan archetype is one who basically does things on his or her own (self independence). The positive traits of this archetype are independence and self motivation and determination. The negative traits can be loneliness, and feeling abandoned and not being able to stay in one steady place or even relationship. In the novel “Coraline” written by Neil Gaiman, there is a sense of an orphan archetype in the character Coraline. As I read the novel, I felt a sort of connection with Coraline and I felt that it allowed me to understand her character more.
Coraline is an adventurous little girl who loves to explore. Being that she loves to explore so much, she finds things of the unusual interesting that most people won’t even recognize such as the “wooden door at the far corner of the drawing room” (pg.8), the cat from the real world compared to the other world can not talk, and she also recognizes that her dream of the three dead children was a clue that her mission was not yet over (pgs. 144-146). Coraline is a young girl who gets bored very easily and when she goes to her parents for some entertainment of some sort, she is usually sent outside or sent to do things on her own. In chapter 1 pg. 6, Coraline is forced to stay inside because of the horrible weather outside. When she asks her mother what should she do giving that it is raining outside, her mother responds, “Read a book…. Watch a video… Play with your toys. Go pester Miss Spink or Miss Forcible, or the crazy old man upstairs.” When she realizes that she doesn’t want to do any of those things, she goes to her father in hoping that he would have more interesting things for her to do. When she goes to her father, her father does not pay any more attention to her than her mother (in this there is a sense of abandonment and neglect from her parents). Her father later tells her to go count all the doors, everything that is blue and the windows. Knowing all of this information, I realized that Coraline and I in some ways can related in terms of archetypes. Coraline was basically begging for some attention and something to do, but instead her parents tell her to explore on her own. Coraline’s habit of exploring on her own and her parents giving her things to do that does not interest her is a sense of an orphan archetype. This is important information because later on in the novel when Coraline goes through the door that she was not suppose to go through, she realizes that on the other side if the door, where she had “other parents” (pg. 28) that life on the other side is great. Her other mother cooks a full gourmet meal for her. I recognized that she enjoyed the other life when she compares her other family with her real family dinner, the novel states, “It was the best chicken that Coraline had ever had. Her mother sometimes made chicken, but it was always out of packets or frozen, and was very dry, and it never tasted of anything.” (pg 29). This shows that she is enjoying her new life, and wants to explore what else is out there in her new world. this is shown in pg 32 when Coraline states that “ I’m going to explore”.
Another sense of the orphan archetype I see in Coraline is when she realizes her parents have been gone a long time and she states that she is on her own (pg.50) this shows the independent side of her when and she begins to do things on her own by making her own dinner and tucking herself into bed. Another sense of independence from Coraline is when the other mother asks Coraline if she needed any help with the game they were playing so Coraline can get her parents back, and she says “I’m doing fine on my own” (pg. 106). An orphan archetype usually has lonely childish ways to them and this is seen when Coraline begins to cry when she doesn't see her parents in their bed after they’ve been gone all day. This is seen again when Coraline is ready to rescue her parents from the “other world” and she begins to reflect on the good times in past with her father and how he was stung by wasps for Coraline’s safety (pgs. 56-58).
Coraline’s strong determination to save her parents has her do things that most young girls would never think of or imagine. When Coraline meets the three dead children or “other children” she was not afraid, but she was very sympathetic knowing what the other mother has done to them. When the three children told her leave and not come back, Coraline’s Orphan archetype (determination) came out of her and she bravely says” I’m not running away” (pg.85).
Many people may not understand why Coraline stayed and ate with her other family or why she didn't stay with the other family if she was having so much fun. Many people, while reading this novel would probably ask why she didn’t just run away when she realized her “other mother and other father” had buttons for eyes and why did she stay at Miss. Forcible and Miss. Spink’s flat in the other world if she saw the the audience were a lot of talking dogs. If people knew about her orphan archetype before or while reading this novel, they would understand why she didn’t run away and tried her hardest to save her parents. Coraline is very independent and not afraid of many things at all. Giving that her other parents were being so nice to her, feeding her and giving her that love and attention she barely receives from her real parents, she felt comfortable and stayed for a while. But when she wanted her real life back, and challenged her “other mother” in a exploring game, the active orphan archetype at the time (determination) came out.
People can argue that Coraline has many archetypes, and I agree with them but the one I can relate to is the orphan archetype. Coraline’s determination, independence and sometimes lonliness throughout this novel, shows the strong orphan archetype in her.
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