Not Your Ordinary Coraline Theory!

Patterns are what make the world a stage for observers and critical thinkers. One such pattern or what now is called a trope is the- 'Yellow Raincoat Trope'. 

No, this article isn't about all the characters in yellow raincoats and how creepy they are. 

Rather, this is about that one character that caught our train of thought  that took us to the 'Other World' with Wybie sitting in its second compartment.  Yes, it is none other than Coraline that I'm talking about! We've all read endless theories about Coraline and her yellow raincoat. But today I have something, another theory from the Buttoned World, that I came up with pretty recently...

Coraline (2009) is a stop-motion animated dark fantasy based on Neil Gaiman’s 2002 graphic novel of the same name. With Miss Spink who stuffed their dead dogs to her lover, Miss Forcible who wore too less for the other world show, it is too dark an animated movie for kids.

Many theories have stated that our cute as a button character, Coraline is suffering from mental illness. Some say she has schizophrenia, while others say it is some psychotic dissociative disorder that has affected her ability to think, feel and behave clearly. These people tend to prefer alternate universes as well as incorporating fixed beliefs as an escape from reality in ways that are involuntary and unhealthy and cause problems with functioning in everyday life. 

That's exactly what Coraline does!

But here's what I think...

I'm gonna deviate from the topic for a second but stay with me!

Remember that episode in Phineas and Ferb where Candace touched an 'orange moss' or 'purple moss' or some plant like that? Remember how it leads Candace to having hallucinations? A Talking Zebra is a being that exists as a figment of Candace Flynn's imagination. For unknown reasons, he always calls her "Kevin." According to the Phineas and Ferb Wiki Fandom, the Blue moss is a dangerous moss that causes wild hallucinations when it comes in contact with skin. And that caused Candace to imagine or hallucinate.

While Candace and Coraline are two different characters, some of their personality traits show uncanny resemblance. Examples include- behaving as if they are far above their age, not able to convince the adults about their beliefs, and both the girls even show a controlling behaviour (Candace towards her brothers and Coraline towards Wybie).  

*Fun fact- Candice Rene King is an American actress who is best known for her role as Caroline Forbes in The Vampire Diaries!

Coming back to the topic, in one of the scenes, Coraline is seen scratching a rash on her hand which apparently was there because she might have touched Poison Oak while playing outside. Poison Oak is a common poisonous plant that causes an itchy skin rash. Other rash-inducing poisonous plants include poison ivy and poison sumac. These plants produce an oily sap called urushiol that brings on an irritating, itchy allergic reaction.

But what if, in Coraline, what she touches isn't Poison Oak but some other plant or moss that causes hallucinations and the "Other World" is all in that big head of hers!? 

No one really paid attention to that instead of her 'other mother'. And just like the Zebra from Phineas and Ferb, the Black cat that appears and disappears on a whim, often to hide from danger or to help Coraline from danger— becomes the imaginary friend for Coraline who supports her throughout her adventures in the 'other world'!

The cat vanishes at the end of the movie, which might suggest that the effects of the poisonous moss fade by the end of the movie, bringing Coraline out of her imagination.

What do we know, all of it might just as well be a world she created in her hallucinations! What do you say? Do you have any theories of your own?

Also, what do you think of the anime version of Coraline- Ai Ohto from 'Wonder Egg Priority' who says, "... it's all a bad dream."?  Just as mysterious and freaky. I think it's just the fact that anything turned into anime is just better!