Breaking Down the Hero’s Journey in Coraline
Coraline, to me, is a complex narrative disguised as a simple children’s story. It follows Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey in such a unique way that I wanted to break down each step for you. I think Coraline is a perfect story to learn many writing techniques from. Let’s follow along through the hero’s journey in Coraline and her journey through the surreal.
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What is the Hero’s Journey?
The Hero’s Journey (also called the monomyth) was popularized by Joseph Campbell. He was a mythologist who believed stories share a common structure. Writers can use this structure as a great guide to plan their own stories. The steps are:
- Ordinary World – The hero’s normal life before the adventure begins.
- Call to Adventure – The hero is presented with a challenge or quest.
- Refusal of the Call – The hero hesitates or refuses the call out of fear or doubt.
- Meeting the Mentor – A mentor figure appears to guide or prepare the hero.
- Crossing the Threshold – The hero leaves the familiar world and enters the unknown.
- Tests, Allies, and Enemies – The hero faces challenges and meets friends and foes.
- Approach to the Inmost Cave – The hero prepares for a major challenge or crisis.
- Ordeal – The hero faces a life-or-death crisis or greatest fear.
- Reward (Seizing the Sword) – The hero earns a reward or accomplishes the goal.
- The Road Back – The hero begins the journey home, often with new challenges.
- Resurrection – A final test purifies or transforms the hero before returning.
- Return with the Elixir – The hero brings back knowledge, healing, or power to share.
Coraline Story Analysis
*This post contains spoilers. If you haven’t read or seen Coraline, do so before continuing…unless you don’t care about spoiling the story, then read on!
Coraline’s Ordinary World
We start Coraline’s journey viewing her mundane and lonely life. We see she has a neglectful mother and an absent father. She’s moved away from her friends, and she is alone in an unfamiliar place. We also gain some insight into Coraline as a person—she is quite curious and seems to long for adventure and attention.
Call to Adventure & Refusal
Coraline’s curious nature leads her to a small locked door in her new home. She’s eager to investigate but needs a key to enter. Once she finds the key, she enters the Other World and is greeted by the Other Mother and the Other Father.
Unlike Coraline’s actual parents, the Other Parents are attentive and nurturing. They give Coraline the attention she’s lacked and Coraline is surprised.
Unfortunately, something is not quite right, and Coraline senses it. She returns to her normal life and doesn’t want to return to the Other World.
Meeting the Mentor & Crossing the Threshold
When Coraline returns to her ordinary life she comes across a peculiar black cat. This strange, talking cat acts as Coraline’s mentor going forward.
Coraline realizes that her parents have vanished, and this is the moment she crosses the threshold. She must return to the Other World to rescue the parents she was desperate to change. This is a huge moment for Coraline because though her parents may not deserve her help, she still loves them.
She returns to the Other World, encounters the Other Mother, and makes a bet to win her parents back. The Other Mother, toying with Coraline, accepts the bet: Coraline must find the eyes of three ghost children and find her parents before the morning.
Tests, Allies, and Enemies
As Coraline searches for the eyes, she encounters many unique people—some good, some bad. She develops a rapport with her neighbors, but when she gets too close to finding the eyes, the Other Mother turns the tables.
As Coraline progresses and finds more eyes, she adapts to the Other Mother and begins to think more strategically to win. She understands the Other Mother isn’t going to play fair and neither can she.
We also see Coraline gain confidence and courage as she competes against the Other Mother. She begins to gain a sense of independence and it’s these changes that allow her to progress.
The Ordeal & Seizing the Reward
When time is up, Coraline has the three eyes, but still doesn’t know where her parents are. The Other Mother demands Coraline must stay with her forever now because she lost the bet.
Luckily, Coraline is a changed girl and uses her new cunningness to outsmart the Other Mother. She pretends to accept her new fate, which gives her a chance to see her parents inside a nearby snow globe.
Knowing where her parents are, Coraline distracts the Other Mother, grabs the snow globe, and moves close to the small door she entered from. The door is locked and the Other Mother has the key, so Coraline tries to outsmart her once more.
Coraline explains that she knows her parents are behind the door and that she’s actually won. When the Other Mother opens the door to show Coraline she’s wrong, Coraline throws the black cat at the Other Mother and bolts. The Other Mother and Coraline engage in a struggle, but Coraline comes out victorious, locking the door behind her.
The Road Block & Resurrection
Coraline has returned home and believes she is free from the Other Mother. Unfortunately, the Other Mother’s hand followed her through the door, and they engage in one final struggle. Now, with her newfound strength and bravery (and a few allies), Coraline is able to finally beat the Other Mother.
Return with the Elixir
Coraline finds her parents have been retuned and she is overjoyed. She’s now able to connect more with her parents and finds a new level of self-confidence.
Why the Hero’s Journey in Coraline Matters
Even with what many see as a “simple children’s story”, Coraline manages to follow the Hero’s Journey and proves that bravery isn’t fearless—it’s facing fear with courage. Just like Coraline, many stories follow this rocky journey filled with challenges and setbacks, but also triumphs and successes.
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