Depiction of Mental Issues in The Movie Coraline

Coraline, a stop-motion film released in 2009; among many fans of stop-motion, it was a sensation and a cult favorite. Coraline hung on the edge of controversy, similar to most of the works by Tim Burton. Now, one may be wondering, why had it been hanging on the edge of controversy? Simple, Coraline crossed the line with its chilling imagery and inner meanings. For some it was nothing more than a children’s film, but for others, it was a frightening description of mental illness found in no other than a young teenage girl. It hit close to home for some, while others turned a blind eye as it meant little to nothing to them.

In the opening credits, hands are seen recreating a button-eyed doll from what can only be identified as sewing needles. A doll made to look like Coraline Jones, our dear protagonist. Coraline, an adventurous 11-year-old girl, had only just recently moved to Ashland, Oregon with her family from their hometown of Pontiac, Michigan. Much like many teenage girls, Coraline did not appreciate being uprooted by her parents at such a tender age, much less forced to live in a form of divided apartments. Throughout the film she meets her new neighbors, all of which seem to represent a form of mental illness and the whole film leaves you questioning what reality is truly.

Understanding the definitions of wellness and disease has changed since the mid-20th century to modern times, moving from a diagnostic-focused definition of mental illness to a person-focused definition of mental illness, and from a model of 'absence of disease' to one that emphasizes positive mental health function. Wellness currently refers to the degree to which you feel positive and enthusiastic about yourself and life, while illness refers to the presence of illness. Such concepts refer to both physical and mental health and well-being. In the case of Coraline, initially, her mentality seems to be primarily in the sense of normal behavior. The childhood fantasy she exhibits, however, is consistent with children engaged in fantasy play during isolation, or neglect, in the case of Coraline. It is increasingly obvious as the film proceeds that Coraline is no more than a neglected child with disillusions of what a better life could look like. Interestingly enough, Coraline plays into a textbook example of fantasy play after her return to the otherworld for the first time and takes part in a tea party; much like that of the Mad Hatter’s in the film of Alice in Wonderland. But the experience of Coraline is not age appropriate as she is only 11 years old. Therefore, imaginative play and imaginary friends should not lead to serious anxiety or disability. Hence, the memories of Coraline's childhood derive from abnormal behavior. Due to the distress the experiences cause her, we can conclude that Coraline is in disorder.

Coraline’s disorder and distress point to no other than the illness of schizophrenia. Some of the signs of this condition are cognitive disorder, paranoia, amnesia, perception that an ordinary occurrence has a different and personal significance, assumption that one's feelings are not one's own, disorientation, loss of memory, mental confusion, slowness of action, or false belief in superiority. All of which hit close to home for Coraline and her experiences throughout the stop-motion film. For instance, the belief that an ordinary event has a special and personal meaning comes into play when she opens a strange, small door she finds in her home, perhaps thinking that there was some sort of tunnel leading to an 'other world.' More disillusionment. It could also be argued that every single event taking place in the film is no other than a hallucination thought up by our dear Coraline. It’s hard to say if what we see is truly an illusion or reality. Although, for many taking this as a real-life scenario, it’s hard to argue her experience as reality. She would be labeled unwell in most instances.

All the examples above, point towards the presence of mental illness, however, it could also be argued that Coraline is no more than a girl struggling with debilitating drug addiction. Although it is much more farfetched, this could most definitely be a story of a girl addicted to drugs, going on a lifetime trip, but suddenly stopping because she’s afraid of being discovered by her parents. The whole film could be nothing more than a psychedelic trip; one moment everything is bleak and boring and the next it is crazy and unbelievable. Maybe, just maybe, it is all just a big bad trip, but that’s a little less believable when you compare the events of the film to the theory of drugs. It’s much more likely the film is subtly hinting the presence of mental illness than that of a serious drug addiction.

Connecting it back to disillusion and hallucination, as Gillian Rose stated best, when in simulation (or hallucination in this case), “it was no longer possible to make a distinction between real and the unreal; images had become detached from any certain relation to a real world. . .” (Gillian Rose, 8) Much like that of Coraline Jones simulacra. Stuck in her own head, Coraline makes the distinction between her reality and her dream. Deep down, Coraline knows that the reality being presented to her over the course of the film cannot be true, her mother never cooks, her father never pays her any attention, but they do in her disillusions. As a girl who is obviously damaged, Coraline has a good way of telling the audience so.

To get to the reality opposite of hers, Coraline must enter a door, a door her mother and father cannot enter, neither can her neighbors or friend, Wybie. Only Coraline is allowed entry throughout the film, and this entry only takes place at night when no one else is present. Unable to prove the existence of the other world she must take on the other world herself. The Other Mother, the main antagonist of the film, starts off as a doting and wonderful woman. She isn’t scary or questionable. She is just a normal mother. One that Coraline is in belief that she deserves.

Furthering into our diagnosis of schizophrenia and the mental confusion it brings along, it’s painfully obvious how badly Coraline suffers from it. It is her belief that the “other world” truly exists outside her imagination, that it is reality. She continues to visit this “other world” and soon comes to the realization that it may not be all that it seems. There is a level of fear that develops the longer she deludes herself. Which rings a bell with the Stuart Hall reading, like with the study of hysteria could this be fixed with hypnosis? Hypnosis is a type of “psychoanalysis.” (Stuart Hall, 53) It is the “question of representation.” (Stuart Hall, 53) Psychoanalysis is a form of mental health treatment. A compilation of theories and methods related to the study of the unconscious mind, psychoanalysis, is a discipline established by the well-known Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis is a controversial discipline that is contested for its validity as a science. However, within psychiatry, it remains a strong influence, in some quarters more so than in others.

It's no secret that there were problems with Coraline Jones, anyone on the outside could see it. That is, except for her own parents. For some odd reason they were blind to the fact that Coraline had underlying issues with her mental health and needed treatment to combat her ever-growing issues. Could this all stem from the neglect of her parents? Can it be argued that the root of all her problems and the development of mental illness is all due to the way her parents raised her? In many cases, this can be argued as the truth, but the exact cause of most mental illnesses tends to be unclear, although research suggests that a variety of factors may be involved, including heredity, genetics, psychological trauma, and environmental stress. Leaving room for a strong case surrounding Coraline’s childhood as a factor in her developing mental illness.

As her hallucination goes on, her schizophrenia sets in as her perception and paranoia take a turn for the worse. Coraline believes that the Other Mother residing in the alternate reality could actually physically hurt her. This is where the connection for suicide comes in. Suicide is not in itself a mental illness, but a serious potential outcome of mental disorders that in most cases can be treated. In fact, signs of suicidal behavior include excessive sadness or moodiness, hopelessness, insomnia, sudden calmness, social withdrawal, changes in personality or even appearance, dangerous behavior that could result in self-harm, and recent trauma. Unfortunately for Coraline the description of suicidal behavior fits her perfectly. Let’s go through as to why it does.

First comes the excessive sadness and moodiness, all of which can be seen within the first twenty minutes of the film; Coraline is a moody teenage girl with a subtle vibe of sadness radiating beneath. She’s upset over the move and misses her friends. Being forced into a new life all of a sudden can upset almost anyone. Second, hopelessness. Towards the end of the film when Coraline is in belief of the Other Mothers potential harm, we witness her feeling of hopelessness. At one point in the film she believes that the Other Mother has stolen her parents and are keeping them in a frightening snow globe; unaware these aren’t truly her parents, Coraline loses all hope.

Thirdly, we welcome her insomnia. Like previously stated, our protagonist can only enter the realm of the alternate universe at night through a small door otherwise full of bricks. It seems as though she has not slept for days. It’s hard to say whether or not this is affecting her perception of reality. Twenty-four hours of sleep deprivation can lead to similar symptoms of schizophrenia in healthy individuals like Coraline Jones. Hallucinations and delusions are synonymous with the loss of contact with reality in psychosis. This also involves disorders of thoughts and misunderstandings. Psychosis actually ranks as one of the most severe mental illnesses to date category-wise. The filter our brain usually puts up fails to function the longer you go without sleep. Sleepless nights result in increasing deficits, deficits or perception, leading these individuals to fear what they believe to be reality. The unselected flood of information leads to chaos in our brains. Functionality goes out the door and we’re left with what Coraline exhibits throughout the Tim Burton film. Tim Burton films are known for their underlying meanings; it just comes down to whether you can locate and decipher them or not.

Hitting back to the suicidal behavior, we find ourselves at sudden calmness. There are many points in the film where Coraline is suddenly calm in the most frightening of situations. A perfect example of this is when her neighbor Wybie is introduced by the Other Mother in the alternate reality. Wybie is a social butterfly, he overshares personal information, yet, in this reality he is nothing but silent, but not by choice. His mouth is sewn shut, something Coraline doesn’t seem to mind too much. In fact, she is quite pleased by the silence of the young boy. Why? Because Coraline is going through a form of social withdrawal. Social withdrawal is also a sign of suicidal behavior and can lead to level of social isolation in which you even avoid contact with your closest family and friends.

Our dear Coraline also goes through many personality changes throughout the film, one moment she’s an adventurous girl with no fear, the next moment she is hopeless and scared. She also exhibits a lot of dangerous behavior, as does the Other Mother. The Other Mother doesn’t want Coraline to leave her, she wants her to stay, to build another life in her domain. Instilling a fear that she may never be able to return to her own reality, Coraline breaks. She goes into survival mode and looks for every possible way out of her sticky situation. Her dreams of a better life quickly turn into the fuel of nightmares. Nightmares she struggles to wake up from and look past. All of which can be connected to not only her ongoing neglect, but also her sudden move from Michigan to Oregon. Unable to accept change, she starts to lose it.

Let’s now discuss the film and how it connects to the underlying issue of her mental illness and another important life lesson. Coraline is a little girl and to the untrained eye her family life seems nothing more than average. She considers a lot of things wrong with her family like most tweens. Her mother is unable to cook and the cooking of her father leaves much to be desired. Both parents are too busy with their work, and neglect to give her the attention she craves. One day, Coraline finds a little secret door in the wall as she explores her new house in Oregon. Once she opens it and steps inside, she inhabits an alternate universe, with seemingly perfect versions of her parents. Everything in this parallel household only revolves around the desires of Coraline and heavily appeals to her tastes. Her new mother is cooking only the dishes preferred by the little girl. Her new father plays the piano for her alone and plants a beautiful garden that resembles the head of Coraline from above and with a spectacular circus performance, the neighbors entertain her. Yet, as it turns out, this magical world is entirely false, the opposite of what it appears to be initially.

It is the creation of a wicked witch who attracts people by preying on their dissatisfaction with reality and promising them a life worth living. In all actuality, this wicked witch only wants to suck the living soul out of her victims, which, in this case, is that of Coraline’s. Why? Because she likes to dominate others and to play games with the minds of the innocent. But, since everything in children's movies usually ends on a happy note, Coraline survives just in time to save herself and her family. She comes to the realization that the imperfections of a real life with loving people are far better than any illusory ideals created by those who want to control and destroy you.

Psychopaths, as Coraline also illustrates, are not just lying by omission and commission. More fundamentally, they lie about who they are and what they intend to do with you once you are emotionally attached to them and invested in anything, they promised you originally. Their entire identity is a deception and their good intentions are like that. They're based on fundamental deceit in every relationship. With the illusion of love and compatibility, they attract you only to stab you in the back repeatedly. They act as if they support your life's goals while undermining them covertly or openly discouraging you from pursuing them. They act as though they care for your family and friends, just to isolate you from them. They falsify interest in your interests, only to focus on them to narrow the range of your activities to a full and servile one.

If you think about it, maybe Coraline believes her parents to be the “psychopaths.” She may feel as though they stabbed her in the back with the move. That they were the only two people in the world she could blindly trust, just for that to bite her in the butt. They seem to want to know Coraline, but do they ever try? It’s quite possible that the Other Mother is a perfect representation of her failing relationship with her parents. How she wishes they could be all the while knowing they truly aren’t as she imagined.

Her paranoia and disorientation play not only into her diagnosis of schizophrenia, but also her deteriorating mental and physical health. She does well to hide it from her parents and seems to control it by the end of the film, but it’s very possible that it will only get worse from here. One moment she could seem to be this perfect little girl, like in the beginning of the film, then she could proceed to have a prolonged episode of schizophrenia and insomnia. It’s honestly hard to tell if her mental health is in a better place by the end of the film.

The puppet strings, the button eyes, the dolls, is there more to it? Does Coraline possibly feel as though she’s being strung along? Or that she’s being controlled? This could all imply that yes, she does indeed have mental illness that is going undiagnosed. At no point in the film do we see her parents, neighbors, or friend physically hurt her, but, what if, the whole movie was to stem from childhood abuse. Something that goes deeper than just neglect. It isn’t all that farfetched to believe that every single odd event we see in the film doesn’t have to do with her actual life.

It may had been in her previous town or when she was younger, but it can be argued for completely. The Other Mother wants to hurt Coraline, wants to take away her family. She could be nothing more than a scared child that suffers or suffered from childhood abuse. Her parents may have once physically or emotionally abused her and threatened her with something along the line of, “If you ever tell anyone mommy and daddy will be taken away and you don’t want that do you?” It’s a common line used in households of abuse. You even see it in books and other films.

If you think about it, the Other Mother, is just a warning to Coraline. Her parents being kidnapped by her may had been an implication of something far worse going down in their household. We’ll never know for sure, but the possibility is definitely there. Not only could Coraline have a severe case of schizophrenia and insomnia, but she could also suffer heavily from depression. Even in today's society, depression in young adults is widespread and has been the age group's leading factor of death in the past. In Coraline’s situation her anxiety has taken shape. The shape of all her loved ones, including the new faces of new neighbors and friends.

Even when times looked bad, Coraline fought back. She fought back and tried to rise against her inner demons and her self-doubt. To say no to those lingering and persistent thoughts of hopelessness. She pushed her suicidal thoughts aside and knocked her way out of her fake reality. It wasn’t over for our dear Coraline, as her life was only just beginning. The translation of her false reality can be linked throughout the film to a range of psychological issues. Although, we chose to focus on the diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Overall, Coraline, the stop-motion sensation of 2009, has an array of underlying psychological issues sprinkled throughout. Schizophrenia is not something to be taken lightly. In fact, her parents should have been able to tell that their daughters health was deteriorating. It’s a wonder how they went through the whole film completely oblivious to their own neglect of their only daughter. What Coraline is really in the need of is some good family therapy and a little time away to clear her mind.