Introduction
Neil Gaiman’s Coraline follows the titular character, an adventurous protagonist who explores a new world. The narrative employs similes to convey themes of finding good in adversity and questioning appearances (Gaiman, 2002). Similarly, Marita Conlon-McKenna’s Under the Hawthorn Tree narrates the story of three courageous siblings, Eily (12 years old), Michael (10 years old), and Peggy (seven years old), surviving the 1840s Irish famine.
The novel depicts their bravery during a trip to Castletaggart in search of safety and sustenance with their aunts, Lena and Nano (Conlon-McKenna, 2013). This essay compares Coraline and Eily, analyzing their traits, significance, decision rationale, and the main messages conveyed. Coraline and Eily, symbols of youthful determination, courage, and resilience, transcend their fantastical worlds, resonating with young readers.
Character Profiles
Both Coraline and Eily are adventurous and always eager to learn something in life. Eily and Coraline are inquisitive and love exploring new areas and meeting new individuals. Coraline’s fearless nature is evident when she confronts the Other Mother and ventures into the unsettling Other World to rescue her parents (Gaiman, 2002). Eily displays courage when she takes on the responsibility of caring for her younger siblings at the age of 12, showcasing her readiness to face challenges and take risks for the sake of her family (Conlon-McKenna, 2013). These examples show that both were not afraid to take risks in life to succeed.
What Is Important for Coraline and Eily
Caroline takes pride in not being like others and being able to confront them. She is always irritated by crazy grown-ups, rain, and not being considered seriously due to her tender age. She is described as old enough to realize that life is incredibly sophisticated, although Coraline is courageous enough to face anybody (Gaiman, 2002).
Furthermore, Coraline is a committed adventurer who finds pleasure in extended strolls and immerses herself in nature documentaries to enhance her understanding of the world around her. The purpose of her adventures may have been to serve as preparation for the commonplace challenge, particularly her initial experience at school. As mentioned in the text, “Normally, on the night before the first day of term, Coraline was apprehensive and nervous… she realized, there was nothing left… scare her anymore” (Gaiman, 2002, p.161). This suggests that her primary goal in embarking on these journeys was to cultivate the courage necessary to navigate the challenges of peer influences.
From a comparable standpoint, Eily, the eldest among O’Driscoll’s three children, assumes the role of a maternal figure for her younger siblings. Despite being only 12 years old, her mother entrusted her with the responsibility of looking after and caring for them. Eily is a clever character because she accepts the work of minding the siblings while her mother is away searching for food. She is concerned about the issues they are experiencing and discovers that everybody is facing a difficult time due to the potato blight (Conlon-McKenna, 2013). Nevertheless, she has remained courageous and strong and does everything to her disposal to keep her brethren safe.
Challenges to Overcome
Caroline and Eily face obstacles and challenges in their adventures and lives. Coraline has to traverse a risky and eerie alternate world in which her “other mother” desires to keep her confined forever (Gaiman, 2002). Similarly, throughout the journey to her great aunts, Lena and Nano, Eily experiences many challenges but never loses hope. She wears a courageous demeanor for the sake of her siblings, ensuring they remain unaware of her own fears. She nursed both Peggy and Michael back to their normal health after they became sick. Peggy caught a lethal fever, while Michael had a contagious wound as they were crossing the river (Conlon-McKenna, 2013). Eily took care of her siblings and overcame all the obstacles with the maturity of a mother rather than a little girl.
Why They Do What They Do
Coraline’s need for exploration serves to bring domestic novel themes to life in a more literal and conventional adventure sense. This is exemplified through her defiance of various prohibitions, beginning with the warnings from Miss Forcible and Miss Pink cautioning her against approaching the old well. Undeterred, she immediately “set off to explore it… away from it properly” (Gaiman, 2002, p. 5). This event highlights Coraline’s tendency to break the rules, a crucial aspect for the successful resolution of the plot, where the well becomes integral to the final conflict between Coraline and the other mother’s hand.
Throughout her journey, Coraline receives warnings from friendly sources, such as the old man’s mice, advising her not to go past the door. Subsequently, the other mother offers her a key to the vacant apartment, and the ghosts caution her against entering, as it is a trap. Despite this sage advice, Coraline seems unable to adhere to it (Gaiman, 2002). Much like characters such as Jim Hawkins or Peter Rabbit, Coraline is driven by her curiosity and desire to act independently, ultimately allowing her adventurous spirit to guide her decisions.
In the case of Eily in Under Hawthorn Tree, she was more concerned with the issues the people around her faced, as she noted that everybody in the area was experiencing a difficult time as a result of the potato blight. Despite the problems she experiences in the story, she stays courageous and strong and strives as much as she can to keep her siblings healthy and safe. Generally, Eily is a responsible, mature, and caring character (Conlon-McKenna, 2013). In times of challenge, Eily lives up to all the qualities and would have been a perfect role model during her time, as has been illustrated many times in the book.
Coraline’s Magical Realism
Based on Coraline, the presence of magical characteristics in the realistic environment adds to the story’s credibility. The author uses the frightening setting of the book more palpable to children readers who are dispatched to the world of Coraline to be acquitted with rough circumstances and be ready to confront their challenges. The relationship between intercultural communicative and imagined story worlds is outlined in Chapter 9, “Otherness in Children’s Literature. The perspectives for the EFL Classroom”, in which Lütge addresses the encounter of diversity and ‘otherness’ that may be afforded via the imaginative of magic realism and fantasy (Lütge, 2013). It implies the narratives are relatable to children audiences as they share features that kids may associate with in life.
Conclusion
The similarities between Eily and Coraline likely emanate from the point that both characters are heroines of fantasy tales of children. They embody the same character traits and themes that are typical in these forms of stories, like bravery, cleverness, curiosity, and the sense of miracle. Both are fashioned to apply to audiences who are young because they share several features that youngsters may identify with and desire to imitate in their lives. Besides, they are protagonists in narratives that explore the theme of the kid’s voyage into self-discovery and the problems they experience in the process. Both tales use elements of fantastical and surrealist imagery to develop a dream-like environment that improves the sense of danger and adventure.
References
Conlon-McKenna, M. (2013). Under the Hawthorn tree: Children of the famine. The O’Brien Press.
Gaiman, N. (2002). Coraline. Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) and HarperCollins (US).
Lütge, C. (2013). Otherness in Children’s Literature. The perspectives for the EFL Classroom. In J. Bland & C. Lütge, (Eds), Children’s literature in second language education, pp.79-81. London: Bloomsbury Academic.