A Girl in the Dark with Monsters: The Convergence of Gothic Elements and Children’s Literature in Neil Gaiman’s Coraline

Abstract

Whereas Gothic stories often question human morality, the purpose of children’s literature is usually moralizing. Therefore, a literary work meant for minors and that strongly exhibits Gothic features seems, thus, a paradox: either the moralistic intention in children’s literature will weaken the Gothic negativity of such work or the profound darkness of the Gothic elements will end up blurring the positive values of literary works for minors. Neil Gaiman’s Coraline is a novel for children that is deeply rooted into Gothic tradition. Some of the most notorious Gothic elements in the work are the presence of paranormal manifestations like ghosts, the common interaction with grotesque beings, and the existence of a dark, uncanny universe that provides the setting for the novel. In this context, some may argue that the apparently incompatible features of the novel would take it into two divergent directions that would finally nullify the work, either aesthetically or didactically. However, the Gothic images and content of the work actually contribute to the awakening of young readers by undermining the idealization of family love which, in the end, serves a significant didactic purpose.