Yar: There be spoilers ahead.

It could be argued that Neil Gaiman's Coraline is a throwback to the childrens' tales and literature of old. The novel is dark, it is creepy, and it is strange. Mr. Gaiman's work almost seems more at home among the pages of a Brothers Grimm anthology rather than in the hands of our modern, over-sheltered children. After all, we wouldn't want to offend their delicate, young, American dispositions.

The movie faithfully portrays the book, in this respect. There were several scenes, including the very first few minutes of the film, which made the hairs on my nape stand tall. The tense, awkward feeling persisted throughout most of the movie. I think this is intentional, as it is a recurring property of Henry Selick's films (Nightmare Before Christmas).

Just as the literature of the Grimm brothers and the fables of Aesop were not intended to be taken at face-value, I believe that there is more to Coraline than the mere story. It is a metaphor.

My interpretation of Coraline is, I admit, a bit typical of me. I am obsessed with dystopian scifi literature, privacy and censorship law, etc. I think that Coraline is a warning against accepting authoritarianism.

One of the most important, and most quickly introduced symbols in the film is that of the doll. Traditionally dolls are comfort toys, not unlike a child's safety blanket. Dolls offer a feeling of security to children. They are friendly, they are bright, they are commonplace. In this context, the doll has a more sinister purpose. The doll which is given to Coraline was made by the Other Mother with the express purpose of spying on and copying her world. It is an extraordinary intrusion of privacy, wrapped up in a familiar, comforting, and safe package. Parallels could be drawn between the doll and things like CC cameras, phone tapping, internet monitoring, etc.

If the doll represents the initial "plant" of an authoritarian surveillance society, the Other Mother most certainly represents those who wish to implement such things. She is kind, she is generous, she is resourceful, and she is loving. She crafts the world around Coraline, meeting all her needs and wants. Additionally, Coraline is given what she most desires: attention. Initially, that is.

The fantasy world appears to be perfect, until Coraline notices that there is nothing beyond the garden. The Other Mother was willing to tell Coraline anything to gain authority over her. She advertises incredible things, but the rest of the world is non-existent. It is merely an exaggerated pipe-dream. Perhaps "the party" can offer the citizenry some fairly beneficial things. But one has to realize what one is giving up by accepting them.

It is important that Coraline be depicted in the film as a child. Coraline is humanity, naive and trusting. She wants to be safe, secure, and well-cared for, hence she neglects to carefully analyze her decision before accepting the offer of safe-haven from the Other Mother.

What of one of the most prominent and most oft-repeated symbols in the film: buttons? The purpose of a button is to fasten two things together; in this case, the Other Mother is binding her victims to herself in order to gain authority over them. Natural, functioning eyes represent insight and the ability to think for oneself. If this is true, then the Other Mother, in sewing buttons over the eyes of her "children," is blinding them; she is limiting their vision, or insight. Buttons, then, could represent indoctrination, brainwashing, and propaganda. Only by returning the original eyes of the ghost children is Coraline able to set them free. In other words, by ensuring that her subjects are uneducated and blinded by propaganda, the Other Mother has completely disabled them.

Throughout the film, there is only one character clever enough to escape the Other Mother's snares: the cat. The cat won't accept the witch's lies, and remains in complete control of his own affairs, even in her world. The cat could be regarded as an educated, independent thinker. He represents wisdom, the ability to see through the propaganda and resist. The cat warns and instructs Coraline of the dangers she faces, and she is eventually able to resist the power of the Other Mother and escape.

While I don't have the gall to suggest that my interpretation of Coraline is what was originally intended by Mr. Gaiman, I think it still has some validity. Some say I'm reading too much into the story and that it's meant as a simple fantasy tale. In any case, we as a society may want to consider our next steps carefully when we are offered a doll with button eyes.