The ‘Classic Narrative Arc’ consist’s of the start or ‘exposition’, the rising action, the climax, the falling action to the final resolution (figure 1). This basic structure can be used as a guideline for every story. Joseph Campbell’s ‘Monomyth’ takes this concept into a more specific context, breaking down the ‘Adventure of the Hero’ into notifiable story points applicable, in theory, to every story (Campbell 1993). This progression of the story is explained by Campbell as ‘openings of energy from the cosmos’ into ‘human cultural manifestation’, which poses interesting reflective thoughts on the importance storytelling has on society, and its relations to our dreams and myths (Campbell, 1993:3). Developing forward from the theories of Campbell, Writer/ Director Dan Harmon takes this into simplification by incorporating the heroes journey into an 8-step storey circle (Figure 3). An interesting point to take from Harmon’s circle is the threshold line representative of the conscious/ subconscious developments of the plot, replicant of the importance of dreams in support of the narrative Joseph Campbell illustrates.
In reference to Cambell’s “Hero with A Thousand Faces” (1993), the initial establishing shot in Coraline (Selick, 2009) outlines clearly the ‘departure’ stage of the hero’s journey and the ‘You’ stage of Dan Harmon’s story circle. The family arrive at the pink palace, the new yet ordinary world, cascaded in grey, dulled tones reflective of the characters emotional states. Coraline, the main protagonist, fits the ‘Everyman Hero’ (Masterclass, 2021), equipped with nothing but a strong moral compass and courage. In this first sequence, viewers are introduced to the main issues surrounding Coraline’s life, such as familial neglect, loneliness and her self-centred and judgemental character flaws. She is rude to her new neighbours and gives an air of superiority she does not actually attain and has not yet earned. Every action she partakes in is clearly just for self-advantage, without considering the people around her. This is especially apparent in how she speaks to her mother about her lack of fault in a car accident rather than express sympathy.
Her absence of self-awareness and sympathy ties strongly to the concept of the everyman hero, as displaying her faults and blunders draws out her childish temperament and simultaneously makes her more relatable to the viewer. This section of the movie subtly underscores the “relationship with forces that are not rightly understood” by building tension that foreshadows the film’s later events (Campbell 1993: 51). This includes Coraline’s first interaction with ‘Wybie’ when he rushes towards her in a ‘Legend of Sleepy Hollow-esc’ way, the black cat that stalks and frightens her, and the appearance of a doll that looks just like her. Wybie, the ally/sidekick archetype, embodies the virtues Coraline lacks at the beginning of the story, showing friendliness and a modest temperament. In Dan Harmon’s story circle, the ‘Need’ exemplified in this section is shown in the loneliness and desperation of Coraline’s actions. It is clearly illustrated that she wants the attention and appreciation of her parents, the friendship that she left behind, and the need to escape her new dull, grey world.
The call to adventure stage of the heroes departure occurs when Coraline receives a doll, replicating her appearance, that eventually draws her attention to a small door hidden in the new house (Figure 5). The entrance leads into the mystical, unknown world, which sets Coraline into the primary action of her heroes journey. At this point, the ‘supernatural’ mentor, the cat, has previously been introduced and subtly led Coraline to the setting of the final ‘battle’, the well, foreshadowing dark events to come. The cat is a fascinating figure who seems to embody multiple archetypal roles, including the ‘shapeshifter’, as he retains an ambiguity of bias to audiences initially and can easily trapeses between universes, metaphorically highlighting a moral middle ground in the apparent ‘good’ and ‘bad’ worlds. Coraline is now lured into the new world from her sleep which is more vibrant in tonality, interesting in visuals and striking in contrast to the former (Figure 6). This creates a clear sense of other-worldliness and visually accentuates Coraline’s journey’s unknown semicircle. This section represents the ‘Go’ section of the story circle, as she enters the world’s new and unexplored realms and her own mind.
The polarity of these worlds, the dream-like aesthetic essence of the universe through the door, can be linked to mentions of Campbell’s work about dreamscapes and the subconscious desire. Campbell states the danger of dreams “threaten the fabric of security into which we have built ourselves and our family” and that the destruction of our conscious world and the “wonderful reconstruction, of the bolder, cleaner, more spacious” subconscious world through dreams, inevitably brings a promise of trepidation from ‘disturbing night visitants from mythological realms’ (1993: 8). ‘Coraline’ (2009) indulges this idea in quite a literal sense, with the deconstruction of the family and Coraline’s real-world desires manifesting in the other world (or the subconscious realm in this context), which inevitably leads to night visits from otherworldly monsters.
Upon entering the new world, Coraline is confronted with the main antagonist or shadow of the story, the ‘Beldam’ or ‘Other Mother’. She seems to precisely fit into the ‘mastermind’ villain role, concocting well thought out schemes to achieve her goal of soul consumption (Masterclass, 2021). This part of the story development presents Coraline with the life she desires. Her parents no longer neglect her; all her flawed desires are brought to fruition- Wybie’s ‘annoying’ mouth is stitched up, she is served the perfect dinner her parents couldn’t provide, she becomes the centre of this universe that indulges the depths of her ego. However, the striking black button eyes (which can subconsciously associate ideas of uncanny animate dolls to the viewer) on the otherworldy characters visually differentiate them and bring attention to the danger they possess.
Due to this, Coraline’s intuition tells her something is amiss and causes her to reject the call to adventure, and she wakes up back into her reality (Figure 7). Campbell states how the refusal is, in essence, “a refusal to give up what one takes to be one’s own interest”, in this case, Coraline seeks the security of the known (1993: 60). From this point, the issues of her real-world from before are further exemplified. The introduction of ‘Bobinsky’ indicates the ‘trickster’ archetype, as he is considered a ridiculous character who also points out the absurdity of Coraline’s actions through the ‘word’ of his mice. Ms Spinks and Forcible seem to embody the role of the herald, warning Coraline of future dangers ahead, quite literally, by reading her tea leaves. In this instance, Mr Bobinsky could also be considered a herald, as he warns Coraline not to attempt to go through the door again.
The third time Coraline visits the other world is intentional and brings the subconscious world into the conscious. Coraline enters the world in the middle of the day; under no implication, it is a dream setting, which psychically and metaphorically represents the approach of her crossing a mental threshold. Due to Coraline’s acceptance of the call, the supernatural aid/ mentor presence starts to take hold of the plot. The cat, both “protective and dangerous”, providing direction and protection “unites itself in all the ambiguity of the unconscious” (Campbell, 1993; 73). This supernatural mentor supports Coraline’s “conscious personality” because he brings reality to the situation, making the ever-present threats more apparent to the heroine (Campbell, 1993: 73). Despite this, the cat maintains his ambiguous inscrutability; disappearing and reappearing to the disorientation and subconscious manifestation that represents Coraline’s fears; further blurring the lines between reality and unreality in the realm.
At the crossing on the threshold, Coraline is forcibly trapped into a mirror after rejecting the ‘button eyes’, more concisely, the ability to stay in the dream world forever. This section is when the reality of this true nature of the alternate world starts to come to fruition. While trapped, Coraline converses with the spirits of the last victimised children.
The road of trials is represented literally by the ‘game’ she proposes with the ‘other mother’. In this particular section, Coraline navigates through the once wonders of the world to find they have been twisted and distorted in horrifying ways. She is tested through trial and error and builds critical character development. Campbell notions that a hero will move in a “dream landscape of curiously fluid, ambiguous forms” in this survival of the trials ahead (1993: 97). Coraline naturally follows this statement, as everything is previously known and ‘safe’ generates an air of ambiguity as the characters reveal themselves to be rats, pumpkins and other darker and more twisted versions of their former selves. Coraline, aided by the ‘supernatural mentor’ (cat) at the ‘entrance of this region’ as, despite our previous knowledge of the world, this is where the true and symbolic ‘entrance’ of this world is revealed (a stripped-back vacant world) (Campbell, 1993: 97). Characteristics such as the villain archetype ‘the henchman’ show themselves in the other father at this point in the film. This is made clear in the way he begins to attack her, but seemingly out of this control, stating how ‘mother is making him do it. The parallelism between the character of the father in the real world and the unknown replicate elements of Coraline’s conscious perception of her parent’s relationship, providing further indications of projections of subconscious fears in the ‘dreamscape’. This scene could also be representative of Campbell’s ‘atonement with the Father’ aspect of the hero’s journey as despite the other father’s evil indentures, he assists her in escaping the life-threatening situation he puts Coraline in (Campbell, 1993: 126).
The Death and Rebirth stage occurs when Coraline fails to collect the eyes in time; she requires assistance from her supernatural mentor to remain unscathed from the consequences of such loss. In Dan Harmon’s story circle, this is the heavy price the hero pays for getting or attempting to get what they most desire. This follows onto the character progressive state that eventually leads to Coraline’s Revelation, in which she outsmarts the Beldam and manages to free her parents and the ghosts of the former children. This starts the narrative incline back from the subconscious to the conscious or the chaos back into its order as Coraline re-enters the real world.
The atonement section shows a lot of character development in Coraline as she begins to understand her flaws, appreciates her ‘older’ world with a newfound appreciation, and respects her parents and neighbours without the prejudices of her past self. However, despite getting everything she wanted out of this arrangement, she still must suffer for the selfishness of her former actions. The Beldam’s hand survives the incident, and she attempts to steal the key back from Coraline to free herself from the dream-like realm. She is chased by the hand and the other mother until, with the help of Wybie, she is able to smash the hand and drop the key into the well. This could be symbolic of her dumping the old part of herself into an unreachable place, never to be reaccessed.
After these events, Coraline returns changed and has a much more overtly positive attitude towards her new life. She and all the neighbours gather together, in which she interacts with each and every one of them. After going through the stages of the heroes journey and progressing through the conscious and subconscious territory, she begins to understand the world around her once again.
Bibliography
Campbell, J., 1993. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Hammersmith, London: Fontana Press.
MasterClass. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-different-types-of-villains> [Accessed 10 November 2021].
MasterClass. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.masterclass.com/articles/common-hero-archetypes-in-literature#:~:text=Here%20are%20the%20six%20most%20common%20types%20of,while%20possessing%20a%20rich%20inner%20life%20under%20> [Accessed 10 November 2021].