Abstract

Neil Gaiman's Coraline was published in 2002 and, since then, many studies have been conducted on this literary work of children's literature. In all these studies, research using Sigmund Freud's concept of defense mechanism and John Bowlby's theory of attachment are yet to be conducted. I intend to analyse Coraline using these concepts in this study in order to fill in the research gap. In the novel, the eponymous character, Coraline, has been going through a journey to find her missing parents after discovering the existence of another world that resembles her real world. When Coraline encounters the Other Mother in this alternate world and finds that she resembles Coraline's own missing mother, she feels confused. From here, my study will focus on the scope of Coraline's relationship with her real mother and Other Mother through Freud's defense mechanism and Bowlby's theory of attachment. My study uses a textual analysis approach and aims to analyse Coraline's family relationship, her feelings of denial as well as her aggressive behavior towards the Other Mother. Findings show that Coraline's family relationship with her Other Mother is mirroring John Bowlby's theory of attachment but in contradiction, Coraline still chooses to return back to her real mother as opposing this theory. Besides, Coraline's denial and aggression depict her disapproval and rejection towards the existence of her Other Mother.