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1[[WMG: Wybie knew about the Other World the whole time.]]
2
3During Wybie's introduction, he seems to know - or at least has been told - why the Pink Palace is off limits to families with kids, awkwardly saying he's not supposed to talk about it. It's possible that his grandmother has told him the truth, only to have him not believe her outlandish tale. Wybie's panic when confronting a frantic Coraline is less from Coraline herself and more [[OhCrap the horrified realization that it's all real]].
4
5Another possibility is that she's told him only that it's dangerous, but nothing specific, and he was unprepared for Coraline's story of parent-stealing, wall-portals and ghost kids.
6
7[[WMG: The Beldam is related to the monster from ''{{Literature/IT}}''.]]
8She just uses a different tactic to get her food.
9* There is a lot to suggest this. It's explicitly stated that IT is female. The final form is a spider. IT shapeshifts for the purpose of MindRape. The Other World could be near to the Deadlights. Even the setting could be a cryptic clue to the Beldam's true nature. Oregon [[Film/StandByMe has doubled for Maine]] before, this is just Creator/NeilGaiman (a Creator/StephenKing fan) doing the same with Derry as he did for Castle Rock. He only gave the setting as Ashland to keep the clue cryptic.
10** And the Cat could be a reference to the Turtle, the intelligent, perhaps omniscient, animal who lives in [=IT's=] world and counteracts her will. Man, this is getting clearer and clearer.
11
12[[WMG: The Beldam is not just related to {{Literature/IT}}; she is the "goody two-shoes" sister.]]
13* Let's look at the similarities:
14** Both are [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshifters]].
15** Both can warp reality as they see fit.
16** Both are evil one way or another.
17** Both eat children.
18** And both have a final form related to spiders.
19* Now let's see their differences:
20** [[EmotionEater IT feeds on fear, Beldam feeds on love]].
21** IT got beaten by seven kids and died twice, Beldam got beaten by one but survived.
22** IT can live 30 years without food, Beldam can live 50.
23** IT takes form of the fears of her victim, Beldam takes on the form of people her victims love or trust.
24** IT doesn't require free will to devour kids, Beldam needs to sew button eyes on them first.
25
26[[WMG: The Cat is the Other Mother's [[DimensionLord Polar Opposite]].]]
27[[GodOfGood The Cat]] is the creator of the real vast world, while the [[EldritchAbomination Other Mother]] is the [[TheAntiGod creator]] of her parasitic tiny empty world that "leeches" [[UsefulNotes/{{Plagiarism}} off his creation.]]
28* Think about it. As the cat "winks out" before the end credits, you begin to realise the other mother and he are supernatural opposing forces/beings. There are many comparisons that draw attention. Up front, the other-mother outwardly looks refined while the cat [[MoreThanMeetsTheEye looks mangy]]. In truth, her true form is quite hideous and frightening, while the cat is splendidly noble. The Other Mother's eyes are dull lifeless black buttons. The cat's eyes are windows to the soul, so beautifully deep-blue you could fall into them forever.
29* The Other Mother puts on an impressive front with weasel words, while the cat in his own world remains perfectly silent. She violently forces people to love her and obey her, whereas the Cat will not interfere, but merely [[DisapprovingLook stare sadly and disapprovingly at those who disappoint him]].
30* The cat's world looks barren at first glance, a depressing struggle of life and death, [[CrapsackOnlyByComparison because he doesn't try to impress]]. On the other hand, the Beldam's world may look tempting and inviting, its all a lie, [[CrapsaccharineWorld a cruel trap]].
31* The Beldam's creations are sad miserable soul-less [[{{Mooks}} slaves]] to her will, where death through [[YouHaveFailedMe disobedience]] or failure is final, but the cat's creations have freewill graciously provided, and can do whatever they please during life, and [[OurSoulsAreDifferent even get to enjoy a life after death]].
32** After Coraline found the Ghost Children's eyes and freed them, they appear to be in Heaven. Notice how the background is blue, and [[StarsAreSouls every star in there is a golden soul]]? ''[[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence They're in the Cat's deep blue eyes]]''.
33* He loves his creations, [[AFormYouAreComfortableWith hence assumes the form of a feral little cat]], he wants them to love him out of freewill. As The cat himself cryptically spoke unto Coraline when discussing the Beldam's motives for wanting Coraline "she wants someone to love I think, someone that isn't her", [[GodIsGood he was referring to himself]], and finishing that statement "Or maybe she just wants someone to eat." is referring to none other than the Other Mother.
34* No one may permanently leave the Cat through accident or curiosity. His creations will keep returning to him, hence why Coraline kept finding herself in her bedroom in the real world, much to her confusion. Its only when she deliberately rejects the real world for the Other Mother's, does she become physically trapped.
35* He's rather angry and put-out that the Other Mother has stolen three of his creations, the ghost children, ''and wants them back'', constantly winking in and out of her world trying to find them, in what he dismissively calls "A game we play". The Cat is only finally content when his creations have been returned by Coraline at the ending of the story.
36* Also take note of the fact that he spends almost all his time before Coraline arrived, with the only child close to the house. Possibly to protect him just in case?
37** He starts to keep a ''very'' close eye on Coraline, staring jealously through the window as she deliberately leaves his world for the Other Mother's through the little door.
38** The Cat, however, [[GodsHandsAreTied ultimately respects his creation's freewill]]. He wants the ghost children back because they now regret what they've done, and ''want'' to return.
39** He does not directly intervene with Coraline's choices. However, when the calculating Other Mother goes as far as to ''kidnap her parents'', [[DivineIntervention does he then get involved]]. They never chose this, so the Cat [[LaserGuidedAmnesia purges the entire unpleasant ordeal from their memories]] once they are safely returned to his world.
40
41[[WMG: Wybie is [[PuppyLove in love]] with Coraline.]]
42Well, someone had to say it. This is mostly here as a break from the fantastic theories that makes people's heads throb more than before, but there actually is some rather obvious hints. First and for-most, guys don't just give dolls to girls only because of a resemblance. It seems more like an attempt to win her affection, or at least tolerance, than anything else.
43* That's a WMG? I thought it was obvious that he likes her, and much of their interaction throughout the film is pretty standard prepubescent flirting. She does call him a stalker. None of this is subtle.
44** Not really, though? He could be romantically interested, or he could just be excited that there's finally another local kid to talk to and/or want to be her friend. The idea that there's 'obvious' subtext doesn't seem to have much basis beyond the assumption of 'they're a boy and a girl, so *clearly* their interactions must be romantic'
45
46[[WMG: [[DelusionConclusion The Otherword does not exist]]; it is the figment of a young girl's dreams and imagination.]]
47I thought this one was fairly obvious.
48There are a few arguments about why this could not be possible, (Bobinski's mice, the other mother's claw at the end) but the majority of the weird happenings take place after Coraline has gone to bed and end after Coraline has woken up. It's not completely unreasonable to suggest that due to boredom, she takes advantage of her dreams and pretends that her home is a secret place full of wonderful (and sometimes frightening) things.
49For example, her father in reality appears to be a drone to his computer and work. The Other Father is manipulated by machinery such as the piano, and bossed around to do the Other Mother's bidding. The children's souls are just junk that a child could find and turn into toys with some imagination. The cat only talks when in the alternate apartment. All of this is in Coraline's mind/fantasies as a way of dealing with her loneliness and feeling neglect from her parents (at the hand's of her clearly dominant mother, ergo why the Other Mother is the antagonist of her play-realm).
50
51[[WMG: The Beldam created two types of Other people.]]
52Other Bobinski, Spink and Forcible were created to entertain. Other Father and Wybie, whoever, were created to love and care, and they did exactly what they were meant for. That's why they rebelled against the Beldam. Other Bobinski could've been a caring Other before, but had to become an entertainer do to real world conditions, since he himself didn't try and get Coraline, but the Beldam's rats did.
53* As far as I know, "beldam" just refers to a mean evil woman (ironically, from the French "belle dame" or beautiful lady). So I think the correct term to refer to her really is "The Other Mother".
54** The irony there is wrong, Beldam means witch.
55*** It's short for "Belle dame sans merci"- a poem by John Keats. And probably one of the fair folk, but also generally a scary lady who is pretty and pitiless.
56*** In the video game, halfway through the game they start referring to her as The Beldam in text boxes.
57*** ''Beldam'', until around 1570, meant "grandmother", the male counterpart being ''belsire''. After 1570, it could be applied to any old woman... but keep in mind that the root word is still Old French ''belle''. Remember, the whole reason we call them Fair Folk is because they do ''not'' like unflattering names...
58
59[[WMG: All the Other inhabits were brought to the Otherworld by the Beldam.]]
60The Other Father (And in the movies, Other Wybie) are the main source behind this little fan-theory. Both seem to have an "enough is enough" attitude when the Other Mother brings Coraline in, which is why both help try to help her, and both were destroyed in the process, so it's possible they were there since the beginning to get that state of rebellion. In the books, when Coraline finds Other Father's tortured form shoved in the cellar, the smell of burnt clay is described, implying they can be molded. There's various reasons why each of the inhabitants could have stayed in the Otherworld but here are the most popular: Other Spink and Forcible were failing dancers who wanted fame, Other Bobinski was a down-on-his-luck ring master that wanted an audience, Other Father lost his wife and child and was manipulated to stay ala your average abused spouse, and Other Wybie was a boy with [[AbusiveParents parents so horrible]] that [[DumbStruck the trauma made him mute]], and the welcoming arms of the Other Father and Mother made him decide to stay, although he, like the Other Father, realized what was happening was wrong, and tried to rebel. Terrible idea.
61* This can also extend into a theory concerning the Other Mother: in the real world, she was gangly and homely, no one hanging around her, and on top of that, she [[LawOfInverseFertility couldn't have children]]. She [[SanitySlippage went insane]] when she heard this news, and began dabbling in dark magic, creating the Otherworld in her part of the flat, which is why it's bricked off and no one has bought it: It's haunted, and people who say this can prove it. When the bricks open, it takes whoever lives there into an alternate version of the flat. She started slowly, changing her appearance and seducing the Other Father into her world, then Other Wybie, and then the acrobats and Bobinski. After she got everyone she needed wrapped around her finger, she began bringing in the children for snacks. The reason she never killed her Others was because she just couldn't create living, breathing dolls, too advanced. And, somewhere deep in her cold, black heart, there's a tiny warm spot of the girl who lived in the flat, enjoying the love, family, and friends she always wanted.
62* Erm, the thing about the Other Wybie can not be entirely true. You'll notice at one point in the film you can see thread holding Other Wybie's lips together.
63
64[[WMG: The Other Mother was a fey that built her traps of glamors and the worst fears of what a person hoped they wouldn't become.]]
65Finding a thin place between the ethereal and the mundane world (practically stated in canon), the creature that would become the Other Mother adjusted the shadowed reflections of the real world into a house that would fit her purposes, fashioning the Other inhabitants from something close to who they were, a spell of glamor, and what they least wanted to be. The Other Father was a lump of dough imbued with cowardice, the man in the upstairs flat became a nothingness overshadowed by the rats that were far more horrid than any mice he would train, and Miss Spink and Miss Forcible were performance costumes, doomed to perform forever (or as close as makes no difference) and never to enjoy the rest of their retirement.
66* The Other Mother was a True Fae from Changeling the Lost and the other world was Arcadia.
67
68[[WMG: The Other Mother was a [[ComicBook/TheSandman Nightmare]] that either escaped when Morpheus was still trapped, or was luring children into her own pocket of the Dreaming.]]
69In the movie, Coraline originally starts out visiting the Other Mother's world in her sleep, with it becoming more and more real each time she encounters it, a trait that has been used before in the Sandman comics.
70* The Other Mother was initially the same kind of Freudian nightmare that the Corinthian was, or otherwise a pleasant dream that was likewise corrupted in Morpheus' absence. She sealed herself off in a particular physical place rather than roaming about, making her absence far less noticeable.
71** Specifically, the Other Mother was a dream of comfort for children dealing with AbusiveParents, ParentalNeglect, or other aspects of a DarkAndTroubledPast, giving them hope with images of loving parents who always have plenty of food, toys, and attention to give. She might even have arisen from the idea of beloved dolls/toys, cared for by love-starved children, thus the button-eyes and the puppet-theater-like atmosphere of her world. As she became corrupted, her love became warped, and she decided that, if those precious children were ''so miserable'' in harsh, cruel Reality, then the best thing she could do for those poor things would be to bring them into worlds made just for them... and ''never let them go'', even though she had gone from being sustained by their hopes/dreams to actively siphoning the life from them with her "love."
72* The Cat is Dream'a cat form. He slips between dimensions at will, as the Endless can do. He can't talk in reality because The Endless conform to people's expectations and people think cats can't talk. The Other Mother's realm is trippy and unreal, so it fits that a cat can talk. When he refers to "the game" he and the Other Mother's play, he really means his attempts to get her back in the Dreaming or destroy her, as he did with the other escaped dreams. She was smarter than the others and escaped to pocket universe with its own rules, limiting Dream's influence. We all know what a stickler for the rules Morpheus is, so he's waiting her out.
73
74[[WMG:The Other Mother is the [[Film/MirrorMask Dark Queen]]]]
75Black eyes and looking as if she came from the UncannyValley, check. Taking on the appearance of the female protagonist's mother, check.
76Her "daughter", the Other Helena, could act as a rebellious substitute for the real thing in the real world. Arouses much less suspicion that way.
77* I'm glad ''I'' wasn't the only person who noticed the similarities.
78
79[[WMG: The other Bobinski was ''[[EatenAlive eaten]]'' by [[YouDirtyRat the Other Mother's rats]].]]
80In the movie, anyway. In the book, he probably just ''was'' the rats (strongly implied by Gaiman's graphic novel adaptation).
81* Furthermore, by eating him, they somehow absorbed his mind and/or soul, which allowed them to mimic his voice and behaviour to an extent.
82* Possibly he was simply ''made'' of rats, much like the Other Father in the movie was apparently made from a pumpkin.
83* If you listen, the dialogue would seem to confirm that he was indeed eaten. Coraline tells him he's just a copy of the real Bobinsky, and his line after that is "no, not even that...anymore..." and on the "anymore" his voice becomes multiple voices.
84* Being 'made' of rats makes sense, since in the circus scene Other Bobinsky only appears at the end of the performance, and the 'mice' all go in under his clothing. When the Other Mother's magic starts to unravel, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to hold that form, eventually dissolving into the rat swarm. It works thematically with the Other Father being made from a pumpkin, and the Other Spink/Forcible being taffy.
85* He was eaten by his dreams! This seems to ring throughout the movie. People getting eaten up by their dreams. The very thing Coraline is trying to avoid.
86
87[[WMG: The movie Other Mother was...]]
88* A spider that could move between worlds like the Cat, but decided to use this ability for power.
89** Wait, if that's the case.. What the hell was the Other World before that? And why is this limited to animals?
90*** The Other World was just a blank slate, like what happened when Coraline walked around the edge of the world. And who said it was limited to animals? just said these two particular beings had it (Cat because... it's practically canon, and the spider because of tunnelweb/bridge-web tropes).
91* A prototype sewing machine that became [[AIIsACrapshoot the first ever rogue robot]].
92* A preying mantis that happened to use a floor that turned into a web. (just look at her when she's making dinner.)
93* The actual Beldam of a boarding school who died in a tragic knitting needle incident.
94* The [[Franchise/{{Terminator}} T-1100]].
95* The ''real'' twin sister. Everything else was just lies.
96* [[TomatoInTheMirror Coraline]].
97** [[EnemyWithout Kind Of]].
98** Alternately, she was once a normal girl like Coraline who lost the people she loved and tried to replace them with dolls. Am I the only one who found Coraline lying in bed with mockups of her parents to be really creepy?
99** [[FutureMeScaresMe She is what Coraline may have become,]] if she had let the Other Mother [[EyeScream sew buttons into her eyes]]. The Other Mother / Coraline went back in time to ensure that she becomes the Beldan, thus creating a StableTimeLoop. Because she has such control over her dimension, she can alter the rules of time so that the entrance to the Other World can appear, not neccesarily anywhere, but anytime.
100*** In the movie, just as Coraline was escaping, she yelled, "DON'T LEAVE ME, I'LL DIE WITHOUT YOU!" This is because Coraline has chosen a different path, so what would have been her future will be undone, and the Other Mother will cease to exist.
101* AllJustADream.
102* [[Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya Haruhi]].
103** [[Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub The Other Haruhi]]
104** [[VisualNovel/{{Happiness}} The Other, other Haruhi ]]
105* A [[Series/DoctorWho Time Lor--]] [=*=][[{{Adbot}} CUE AUTOMATED SWIRLY]]*
106** A [[HollywoodVoodoo Carrionite]].
107** The Other World is a TARDIS. The chameleon circuit disguised it as a small brick wall lodged inside a wall, behind a door. Aforementioned circuit broke when the TARDIS broke and died. How is there a whole dimension within a brick wall? Why, it's bigger on the inside, of course!
108*** In recent Matt Smith episodes, the Doctor has been able to create rooms via a telepathic connection with the TARDIS. The Beldam has a telepathic connection with her TARDIS.
109*** If the TARDIS died, how can she have a telepathic connection?
110*** {{A Wizard Did It.}}
111** Whenever the Other Mother changes her appearance to look like a prettier version of the child's mother, she is actually regenerating.
112* The main [[WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog friend on the other side]]
113* [[Series/SaturdayNightLive Could it be...]] '''''{{SATAN}}!!!??!'''''
114** [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation God]].
115** [[Film/InterviewWithTheVampire Le]][[ImmortalProcreationClause Stat]]
116* An unstable [[Literature/{{Twilight}} sparklepyre]] who tried and failed to create her own foster-family after seeing how happy the Cullens were (she kept getting ''really'' hungry).
117* A relative of [[Film/{{Labyrinth}} Jareth's]]. Think about it. Both like tricking young girls into dangerous games, get angry with subjects/creations that help the protagonist, and enjoy watching the protagonist's feeble attempts to win, until they actually do, then they go depressed/[[OneWingedAngel nuts]]. Fanfic exists of this, and it is good.
118* [[{{Literature/IT}} A being from the Macroverse]]. She's a giant female spider that uses illusions to seduce and ensnare children. They all float in the mirror'.
119* Is, or has some connection to, [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Orochimaru]]. The Other World is a giant-ass Genjutsu.
120* Well, with Keith David as the mentor figure, I don't think we can rule out [[VideoGame/MassEffect3 a Reaper/Reaper construct and Indoctrination Theory]]. (Which would make the ghost children Catalysts, I guess.)
121* The reincarnation of [[WesternAnimation/GravityFalls Bill Cipher]]. In "Weirdmaggedon Part 2" he created a world that at first looks as a SugarBowl, where the dreams of everibody who lives there come reality, but actually it's only a tranp made of bugs, monsters, [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs and]] [[TheWormThatWalks a monster made of bugs]]; The Other World, at first looks as making the drems of the child who lives there, but actually it's only a trap made of rats, sand, monsters, and a monster made of rats; the final goal of Bill was play a game (Ford said that for Bill the weirdmaggedon was oly a game, and Bill´s goal was cause it), and the Other Mother loves games; both stalk people to discover what things of their lives they want to change. How Bill was defeated by two chlds, when he reincarnated he/she decided only attack childs.
122
123[[WMG: The movie Other Mother was a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changeling changeling]] - a fairy child that is left behind when fairies steal a human child.]]
124She was raised as a human and was fond of them, but because of her nature she could never bear a human child and this drove her into despair. She resorted to kidnapping human children to raise up herself, but she only left behind dolls instead of changelings, and her fey background combined with her anger and isolation meant that she could not understand how to be a real parent and eventually she killed the children out of spite and frustration. The fey folk saw what she was doing and, feeling responsible for what she had done, locked her away so that she could not harm anyone else. They tied the pocket dimension they had locked her in into her old house, and eventually humans started living there again. The fey left the key in the house, confident that she could never escape...but she eventually found other ways to communicate with the children...
125* Why do the book and movie Other Mothers have to be separate? I can understand Coraline ([[AdaptationPersonalityChange movie Coraline has emotions, book Coraline doesn't]]) being different in the book and movie, but the Other Mother could be the same. If so, perhaps the Other Mother stole the fairy child away as her first victim because she was also a changeling, and the Other Mother wanted someone like herself to love.
126
127[[WMG: The cat from this story is...]]
128* The same cat who protects the narrator's family from the Devil in Gaiman's short story "The Gift."
129* [[Literature/AliceInWonderland The Cheshire cat.]] He has dimension-hopping abilities.
130* The cat seen briefly in the opening of ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas''. They look pretty much exactly the same, and with his dimension-hopping abilities he could probably travel to Halloween Town if he wanted.
131* [[Manga/{{Trigun}} Kuroneko-sama]]
132
133[[WMG: Other Wybie isn't really dead.]]
134[[FakingTheDead He changed his clothes and left them somewhere he knew Coraline would see them]], so that Coraline (and therefore the Other Mother) would ''think'' he was dead. He was planning to hide and wait for the moment when Coraline needed his help again. However, the only time afterwards Coraline really needed his help was when the Other Mother captured her again; she made the deal with the Other Mother before he had a chance to help her escape again. The Other Mother later found the clothes and, deciding to use them to weaken Coraline's resolve, hung them in front of Mr. Bobinski's house.
135* This would definitely leave some more possibilities for the sequel Neil Gaiman and Henry Selick ''might'' be planning; after all, who ''wouldn't'' want to see adorable Other Wybie again?
136** ...Okay, it's almost definitely not going to happen, but a troper's allowed to hope, right?
137
138[[WMG: Coraline will one day team up with [[Literature/TheGraveyardBook Bod]].]]
139They're both [[KidHero child heroes]] who have experience with the supernatural, and, under duress, tend to come up with efficient and sometimes ruthless solutions to the problem at hand. They fight crime!
140* Nonsense, Coraline's gonna team up with [[Anime/SpiritedAway Chihiro]] and battle over-protective witches across the globe!
141* Wrong. She's going to join [[ActorAllusion the Cat]], [[VideoGame/{{Prototype}} Alex Mercer]] and a certain [[HypercompetentSidekick Mr. Do-Everything]] and [[VideoGame/ModernWarfare launch a counter-attack on Ultranationalist Russia!]]
142* Coraline is going to team up with [[Literature/TheThiefOfAlways Harvey Swick]], and Bod, and they'll fight crime with the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense.
143
144[[WMG: The Other World is [[Series/KamenRiderDecade Negative World]]]]
145All of the Other People are really monsters in true form as seen with the Other Mice, the Other Father, etc., who serve the Other Mother.
146
147[[WMG:The cat belongs to the herd of the [[WesternAnimation/{{Nocturna}} Cat Shepherd]]]]
148Unlike the others, he just pulls double duty and watches over Wybie and Coraline.
149
150[[WMG:The Other Father ate too much pumpkin pie, and that's why he turns into a pumpkin.]]
151Y'know how eating too many carrots will make your skin turn orange? Same basic principle.
152** So The Other Mother turned into a scary spider from eating so many invertebrates? That could work!
153
154[[WMG: Coraline is the great-granddaughter of Indiana Jones.]]
155Talented in finding lost things? Check. Good with improvised weapons? Check. Talkative ethnic sidekick? Check. There is simply no way she isn't related to Indy.
156** Last name? Check. ;)
157** Cool hat? Check.
158** A weapon of choice that was originally meant for another purpose: Indy's Whip, Coraline's Hedge Clippers (Sorta)? Check.
159
160[[WMG: There is an Other Coraline.]]
161The one from the book! Seriously! It's been pointed out that Book Coraline and Movie Coraline are completely different people. In the movie, Coraline is quick-witted, a little feisty, very playful, and not very well-mannered. In the book, Coraline has hardly any personality to speak of ("Yes, no, I'm an explorer"). She behaves like an automaton, going through the motions of the story without any apparent rhyme or reason. And when her parents disappear, she seems to take it awfully well, not freaking out like a normal kid would - and like Movie Coraline did - but just kind of taking it all in stride and writing creepy stuff on her dad's computer. I'm calling Beldam-related shenanigans on this one.
162* So I'm not the only one who preferred movie Coraline and thought that book Coraline was a bit of a CreepyChild? It's also interesting to note that book Coraline has a moment where she wonders if there's an other her before concluding that there's just her. LackOfImagination, perhaps?
163
164[[WMG: The Cat in the movie is...]]
165* [[Franchise/{{Halo}} The Arbiter]]. The cat is immortal, and after he's bored with guarding the house he uses his 1337 teleporting skills to go to another planet. Once there, the harsh conditions forces him to undergo HollywoodEvolution, until he looks like The Arbiter. Plus they have the same voice.
166* [[VideoGame/ModernWarfare Sgt. Foley]]. The cat either has shapeshifting powers, or he and Foley are a part of a HiveMind. In ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare2'', Foley shows absolutely no fear of death during the evacuation of civilians from Washington DC because if he dies, his mind still survives as the cat is (presumably) immortal. They also have the same voice.
167* [[WMG/TimeLord A Time Lord]]. Because somebody's got to say it.
168** Let's see... Virtually unrestricted inter-dimensional travel at ease? Check. Ability to communicate with all sorts of sentient lifeforms (his explanation about 'talking' with Other Wybie may not be overt, but it does seem to to suggest telepathy)? Check. What else?
169*** Better. The Cat is [[Series/DoctorWho The Doctor]]
170* [[WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog Dr. Facilier]]. As stated on the WMG page for that particular film. He was sucked into the Other World by his main "Friend", the Beldam, after he failed to uphold his end of the deal with her. Once he was there, she proceeded to turn him into a cat as further punishment, and he's been fighting her ever since. Plus, like Foley and the Arbiter, he's got the voice actor connection going on.
171* Another Fairy; like the Other Mother, but with nicer intentions.
172
173
174[[WMG: Coraline is an odd metaphor for step-parents/divorce.]]
175It sounds odd, yes, but think about it for a minute. All that talk of 'other mothers' and 'other fathers'? Doesn't it remind you of politically correct terms relating to divorce?
176
177Coraline's 'Other Mother/Father' might be symbolizing the 'new parents' she might get if her parents were divorced and/or she ended up getting step-parents, possibly playing on a subconscious fear Coraline might have of her parents separating, for whatever reason.
178
179It'd certainly give throwaway phrases like "You know I love you, Coraline," as well as "You're NOT my mother!" and "I want to be with my REAL Mom and Dad!" a lot more symbolism...
180
181* Also note that Coraline seems to have a better relationship with her father than with her mother. The Other Father is, er, the un-evil one, and from the beginning he was trying to help Coraline. In the movie it's pretty much obvious that Coraline's parents are having problems, so that also could back this up.
182** The Other Mother is evil, powerful, and initially tries to manipulate Coraline into genuinely liking her, before getting upset with Coraline for rejecting her totally unreasonable demands and rules, which take away a defining aspect of "her" child. She then puts her foot down, reveals her true nature, and takes control [[TheGoodGuysAlwaysWin (or tries to)]]. The Other Father is goofy and mildly submissive towards the Other Mother at first, before at the end telling Coraline he wants to be on her side - but being out-powered by the Other Mother and forced by her to help her hurt and dominate Coraline. DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything In the right words, it sounds a lot like the stereotypical evil-stepparent scenario - the child reaches out to their "real parent" for help, but the parent is blinded by love and (deliberately or inadvertently) sides with their new spouse while trying to reassure the child they still love them, although to the child their parent's actions speak louder than their words.
183* Alternatively, it's not a metaphor, but a NightmareSequence based on a fear of her parents separating.
184
185[[WMG: [[FridgeHorror The Other Mother can see through the button-eyes of her underlings]].]]
186Because she could see through the doll, why not her other creations? When Other father (and, in the movie, Other Wybie) were helping Coraline, The Other Mother could see exactly what was going on the whole time. The only person she could trust to help ''without pulling out its or his or her or their eyes'' was the cat, not because they were untrustworthy, but because it would be like making secret plans with someone who had a CCTV feed input implanted in their optic nerve leading straight to the BigBad's security room.
187
188[[WMG: The movie takes place in an alternate ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'' universe.]]
189The Russian invasion force was reinforced in time and managed to break through the defensive line on the East Coast, which is why Coraline's family moved west to Oregon. They picked a nice old apartment on the countryside because the city is becoming crowded with refugees and parts of it are used for the war effort. There were probably be scenes where people say things like "I hope the Russians don't get here", etc. but they were cut since it would spoil the game and get the movie rated R.
190** Also, judging by the easiness of acquiring military-grade weapons in ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare2'', we'll assume that the glove that Coraline wants to buy is actually a shiny new [[strike:[[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill AC-130 gunship]]]] ACR with M203, Silencer, Heartbeat Sensor and ACOG.
191*** Which means that ''WesternAnimation/{{Up}}'' also takes place in the ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare2'' universe since Carl was able to acquire a crapton of balloons and helium tanks overnight despite being recently sued for physical assault.
192** The Cat sounds a bit like Sgt. Foley. Insert a relevant joke at your own expense.
193** The post-invasion US is probably not going to be very friendly to Mr. Bobinsky...
194
195[[WMG: The other mother is an [[TabletopGame/GeniusTheTransgression a wonder or maybe even a genius herself.]]]]
196Think about it. She is a loving mother who will give you everything...But she needs life, and she has a habit of going psycho on you at very bad times...And she has button eyes. Maybe her creator had a bad childhood,and thought up an idea for a world where everything is perfect, and there is a loving mother controlling it...Until he realized this dream would be impossible without lifeforce and she would have to have button eyes, as he only had buttons on him and no non creepy eyes. Now, on the side of the genius idea.
197
198She was a genius who was really, really good at making dolls. Then she realized, "Hey, children would love dolls who can talk and play!" So, she made a machine that could make dolls that are alive, and she tested it with herself. It didn't go very well.] After finding out she has effectivly turned herself into a [[BodyHorror horrifying, UncannyValley-esque doll/spider creature]] she bricked herself inside a room and hoped she would die before her humanity died. Then she got another Inspiration moment and built a machine to subvert the real world, so that she would turn into a human again. Once she found out this could only work if she still had her eyes, she crossed the Despair Event Horzine and decided it would be perfect if she had some kids, to keep her sanity and humanity and tried to contact a girl in the real world. This worked, and found out her doll/spider self really, really enjoyed [[HorrorHunger Lifeforce]].
199
200Yeah. Because this is so what would happen in the [[TabletopGame/NewWorldofDarkness WOD]] universe.
201
202[[WMG: Coraline took the cat in.]]
203Pretty self explanatory.
204
205[[WMG: The Beldam sees via buttons.]]
206Not that she can see through the button eyes of her servants, but buttons actually function as her eyes. Let's see: She spies on her victims via the doll, which has button eyes, her own eyes are buttons, and just about everything "alive" in her world has buttons for eyes, allowing her to see through them and command them when they attack Coraline. Makes sense to me.
207
208The only exceptions to this would seem to be the creatures she creates with some kind of free will, or those that already have it. Examples being the Other Father, the Other Wybie, and the ghost children. The others are just puppets created to entertain.
209* What evidence is there that they're exceptions? If you look at half of what the Beldam says as toying with her prey, of course. Mind games, and all.
210* Maybe she can't see through all buttons, but just the buttons from her sewing kit.
211
212[[WMG: The whole thing is just a game played between the cat and the Beldam.]]
213The cat has lost three times, and the Beldam has now lost once. The cat didn't care about Coraline, he only cared about winning. He never cared about any of the other children either. He does say that its a game they play, in the movie.
214Wybie is the only person the cat has any sort of affection towards, which is why the Beldam hasn't tried to take him- the cat has made it very clear that he is off limits.
215
216[[WMG: The "Neil Gaiman is a Scientologist" rumors are...]]
217Fabricated by Disney / Dreamworks / Fox / Sony / Studio Ghibli to nudge a dozen percent or so off the movie's rating.
218
219[[WMG: The Other Mother is [[VideoGame/ModernWarfare Makarov]].]]
220Ability to manipulate a whole world without even appearing? Check. Weird eyes? Check. Impossibly hot? Hell yes, check.
221
222[[WMG: The Cat was a [[VideoGame/BioShock Big Daddy]].]]
223The creators experimented with the teleportation plasmid to allow him to follow his Little Sister easily. This mutated him even further until he looks like a cat. Since Big Daddies aren't too intelligent, the side effects of gene splicing drove the level of sanity so far back that it ended up at the other end of the scale. He left Rapture on a bathysphere before the Civil War and continued his life at a certain apartment in Ashland, Oregon.
224** Also, the look on the Other Mother when she sees the Cat being thrown at her is similar to the look on many ''[=BioShock=]'' players' faces [[OhCrap when they see a Big Daddy charging towards them.]]
225** Alternatively, The Cat is Schrodinger from ''VideoGame/{{Bioshock 2}}''. Judging by leaked audio diaries for ''[=BioShock=] 2'' DLC, cats were spliced as well for cosmetic reasons so why not splice speaking abilities into the cat? he just keeps quiet when not in Rapture or in the otherworld because it would freak people out.
226
227[[WMG: ''Coraline'' -- both the film and the book -- is a TakeThat to ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' '''from the past/future!''']]
228''Twilight''s wish-fulfillment message is so bad (and badly written) that the PowersThatBe got the book written a decade prior and got the movie into production five years before ''Twilight''s in an attempt to take it down in two mediums ''simultaneously'' in 2009. Sadly, both the book and the movie of ''Twilight'' ended up being much more successful than ''Coraline''. Also, the movie of ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' didn't have to compete with [[WesternAnimation/{{Up}} a much more hyped-up, family-friendly movie made by a studio that everyone practically worships on three times its budget]].
229** Try Googling "[[CanonDefilement Coraline/Twilight]] crossover fic".
230** Interestingly, Creator/TerryPratchett's section on SugarWiki/GushingAboutCharactersYouLike also mentions this. Pratchett and Gaiman worked together on ''Literature/GoodOmens'', so who knows?
231
232[[WMG: The Cat was an [[VideoGame/{{Portal}} Aperture Science test subject.]]]]
233Their first experiments with the portals involves altering the subject's DNA so that they can create portals with their mind. His DNA was also altered to allow him to speak (an earlier experiment with this turned Chell into a HeroicMime). During the testing, [=GLaDOS=] malfunctioned and starts killing everybody. The Cat escaped with a teleporter to Ashland, Oregon. The DNA altering tests were aborted and Aperture starts testing the Portal Gun as a cheaper alternative.
234** Or maybe even ... !
235
236[[WMG: The Cat was the cat from ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'']]
237They got a black cat and tested it in their teleporter. It malfunctioned, threw him through the Other world, and afterwards he came back, talking and teleporting through holes into different parts of the world and into the Other world.
238
239Barney has nightmares about that cat because he's not an animal person, and talking teleporting animals that talk about button eyes and creepy people eating children (things I would assume he would talk about after looking into the Other world) are not average things to talk about. And are creepy. Especially when said by a weird talking black cat.
240
241[[WMG: The Other Mother is related to the witches from ''Literature/{{Stardust}}''.]]
242Instead of eating the hearts of stars to stay young, she sews buttons into children's eyes and eat their souls to keep the Otherworld running. In the movie, she moved from UK to the US a few years before the events in ''Film/{{Stardust}}'' since no one has created world-portals there and there have been quite a lot of world-portals in the UK. In the book, she stays in the UK, the house is actually located on the witches' former lair.
243
244[[WMG: Movie Mr. B was [[VideoGame/ModernWarfare Zakhaev's]] former co-worker.]]
245Both of them were VV troops who helped contain the radiation from the Chernobyl nuclear reactor. Mr. B stayed longer near the reactor, which later turns his skin blue, while Zakhaev left to help evacuating 50.000 people from Prypiat, though he was irradiated enough to lose his hair. Mr. B then joins a circus as an acrobat, while Zakhaev builds a private army of mercenaries and corrupt army/Spetsnaz members and starts selling nuclear materials to the Ultranationalists.
246
247[[WMG: Spink and Forcible are [[VideoGame/BioShock Splicers.]]]]
248They came to Rapture as burlesque performers. During their stay there, they were spliced for [[BuxomBeautyStandard cosmetic]] [[HartmanHips purposes]]. They escaped Rapture on a bathysphere during the Civil War, shortly before Ryan shuts down the service. They continued to work as burlesque performers on the surface, but the long-term effects of gene splicing caused them to be a bit.... [[CloudCuckooLander eccentric.]]
249
250[[WMG: The Other Mother is an ally of [[VideoGame/BioShock Rapture's elites.]]]]
251She supplied her powers to Fontaine, which he marketed under the guise of "plasmids" (because irrationality is not allowed in Rapture). In exchange, he gave her the souls of the brainwashed Little Sisters (hence their glowing eyes), since she's unable to directly take children's souls by herself thanks to Wybie's great-aunt declaring the apartment off-limit to children. Her magic stays in the victim/user's body, allowing Fontaine to use the Little Sisters to extract the [[strike: magic]] ADAM from dead bodies. They are protected by Big Daddies, who were actually Ryan's enemies whose souls were taken by the Other Mother and turned into the hulking faceless monsters in badass diving suits we all know and love. She continued to work with Sofia Lamb ten years after Rapture went to hell, giving back the souls of some of the little girls so that Lamb could brainwash them into abducting more little girls from the surface. As for the scientists who supposedly worked on the plasmids and Little Sisters such as Suchong and Tenenbaum, let's say that they're paid or brainwashed to lie to everyone.
252
253[[WMG: The Sequel is going to be set in [[VideoGame/BioShock Rapture]]]]
254Come on, so many people are talking about the characters being from Rapture, it'd be disappointing if they didn't mention it! I could just imagine it...
255
256[[FlashBackEffects Wavvy Wavvy Wavvy...]]
257
258--> Me: Wow, that was amazingly stupid.
259
260Wavvy Wavvy Wavvy.
261
262OK, maybe not....Yeah.
263** Thanks a lot for the fanfic idea!
264
265[[WMG: The Other Mother is one of [[TabletopGame/ChangelingTheLost The Gentry]]]]
266The TabletopGame/ChangelingTheLost links in this book are very, very clear, I think. Coraline might ''think'' that she managed to escape, but in fact, it was just another of the Keeper's tricks. Eventually, she will escape to this world as a Wizened...
267* Wouldn't you mean as a Darkling? The Other Mother doesn't seem inclined to put Coraline to work with mechanical contraptions. Anyway, she may well have actually escaped - plenty of Changelings do, after all. Coraline just happens to be extraordinarily lucky to not have been replaced with a Fetch or had time go extremely wonky during her brief imprisonment.
268** Wizened, because of all the games played with the Keeper for her "freedom".
269** Or perhaps an Elemental, specifically a Manikin. The Beldam does love her dolls. Until she gets tired of them and puts them away and forgets about them, of course...
270* Considering both TabletopGame/ChangelingTheLost and ''Coraline'' are drawing on the old tales of Faerie, The Beldam being one of the Fair Folk is virtually guaranteed. As The Cat said, "There's no guarantee she'll play fair, but her kind of thing loves games and challenges."
271* Mention of the Gentry reminds me that Neil Gaiman once co-wrote a book with Terry Pratchett and is demonstrably familiar with the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''. One of the Discworld novels is ''The Wee Free Men''. In which the Queen of the Elves, a recurring Big Bad in Pratchett's writing, seeks to steal an earthly child to raise as her own, only to have her ass kicked by a badass ten year old girl who enters her world, defeats her, and rescues two stolen boys. Sounds familiar? Could the Other Mother be an intrusion into our world of the Discworld Elf Queen, who thinks she's safe here as there aren't anyt witches.... and then she meets Coraline, Tiffany Aching's Earth avatar...
272
273[[WMG: The cat is [[Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia Aslan]].]]
274Because he is a very powerful noble feline who [[FriendToAllChildren loves children]]. And {{Aesop}}s.
275* Maybe the cat is [[WesternAnimation/{{Felidae}} Francis]].
276
277[[WMG: Movie Bobinsky is a Time Lord who used the Chameleon Arch.]]
278Zakhaev, who knew that he was a Time Lord, sent his mercs after him to exploit his powers. Mr. B used the Chameleon Arch in his TARDIS (the mice circus tent, which is why it was bigger inside in the Otherworld). His biological informations were stored in his Hero of the Soviet Union badge. Also, he was blue because when he was helping to contain the radiation from the Chernobyl disaster, he was hit by a level of radiation that would've killed a normal human, though it was far less than the radiation that killed [[spoiler: the Tenth Doctor]], which killed him quickly.
279
280[[WMG: The Other World is really...]]
281[[WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog ...The Other Side]]
282* ComicStrip/TheFarSide
283
284[[WMG: The vampire Scotties are the precursors to [[Series/DoctorWho Weeping Angels]][[note]][[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Weeping_Angel_291.jpg]].[[/note]]]]
285After Coraline took down the Other Spink/Forcible by shining a flashlight at the Scotties, causing them to fly into Other Spink/Forcible and turning them into sort-of stone, the Other Mother (assuming that she didn't die immediately after her hand was destroyed) used what's left of the Scotties to develop a new method to fuel the Otherworld. The results were the Weeping Angels. Learning from the incident, the Other Mother gave them the quantum lock (which turns them into sort-of stone when a living creature looks at them) and the ability to remotely manipulate light sources, allowing them to maneuver under the cover of the darkness. The potential energy they gain from their victims? It's channeled to the Otherworld, giving power to the Other Mother.
286
287* Except she had to ''throw'' the flashlight to get the dogs to attack, and after it all the whole theater went gray. Don't tell me stoning is contagious by contact...
288
289[[WMG: The Other Mother ''used'' to have a child of her own...]]
290But something happened to it (probably [[DeathOfAChild died]] of sickness or something) and the Other Mother was so overcome with grief that she tried to replace her lost, true child with other children. Wanting them to stay and not leave her like her true child had, she showered them with gifts and attention, and sewed the buttons on their eyes. But when the buttons were sewn on, she saw the button-eyed child looked ''nothing'' like her real one, and killed him/her in a fit of rage, grief, and insanity.
291
292[[WMG: The winged ghost child was The Other Mother's original daughter.]]
293In the graphic novel adaptation of Coraline, at least, the winged ghost child is drawn to look like a ''fairy'', and, of course, The Other Mother is heavily implied to be of fey nature herself. Of course, considering that this girl was locked away with the two previous children, in this situation, The Other Mother might have somehow been displeased with her daughter. She killed her, and used her powers to search for someone who might be able to replace her as a "perfect" child. When one of them displeased her, she killed them. The human boy and girl clearly did not suffice - and neither did Coraline.
294* It seems possible, even likely, that there were more, perhaps earlier victims than just those three; maybe Other Mother always fed on human children, and her daughter was unhappy with it. Perhaps one day she was caught trying to help a future meal escape and Other Mother punished her with death? It's possible that being a fairy/fae rather than a human like the rest allowed her spirit to linger for longer than a human's would have lasted.
295
296[[WMG: The Other World is somehow connected to [[Franchise/AliceInWonderland Wonderland]].]]
297The Cat's ability to vanish behind objects and reappear elsewhere is a variation on the Cheshire Cat's vanishing abilities. And the reason Coraline was able to win the game and handle the Other World? It's in her blood -- somewhere in her family tree is Alice Liddell (or Pleasance, if you want [[Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland book]] Alice).
298
299[[WMG: The Cat is [[Literature/TortallUniverse The Cat]]]]
300* Ability to travel through walls and worlds? check
301* fond of/mentors girl hero? check
302* DeadpanSnarker? check
303** clearly Movie Cat glamored his eyes, as purple-eyed cats in Coraline's world would draw more attention than bright blue.
304
305[[WMG: The Other Mother is [[VideoGame/{{Eversion}} Princess Nehema.]]]]
306She initially takes up an innocent appearance and creates a world that seems sweet and cheery, but its true darkness reveals itself bit by bit. And when you've realized there's no escape, she reverts to her true form and eats you. Sounds pretty familiar.
307
308[[WMG: Both Coralines (And to an extent everything else) exist in Alternate Timelines.]]
309The Movie Timeline is basically our own, nothing out of the ordinary save the other world. The book takes place in a timeline where America lost the Revolutionary War (Book obviously takes place in England, and America is never even mentioned despite being normally very important to commerce/ pop culture), African enslavement was nigh impossible (They got some sort of forewarning and boobytrapped the countryside/hid.) and were allowed to live in Africa freely, And modern child education focuses less on spelling and grammar ("Turned into sossajas The End.") and more on advanced problem solving and acting very creepy in public.
310
311[[WMG: The Other Mother really does love the children she takes in...]]
312But she can't help swallowing up their life energy, either because [[HorrorHunger her hunger is too strong]] or it's not an active process.
313
314[[WMG: The Cat has supernatural powers all his own, unrelated to the Other World.]]
315At the end, right before the credits, he pull his teleport trick through the mailbox. Based on this, one can conclude that [[CatsAreMagic all cats have such powers]] and are determined to defend the youth of the world from supernatural beings like the Other Mother.
316
317[[WMG: The Other Mother has something to do with [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Fear]].]]
318Pretty self-explanatory, really...
319
320[[WMG: The Other Mother has something to do with [[Creator/HPLovecraft Nyarlathotep]].]]
321Dreams, rats, a scary house, a dreamworld... it's all there.
322
323[[WMG: The house and the Other World have something to do with ''Literature/HouseOfLeaves''.]]
324Strange that this hasn't been brought up yet...
325
326[[WMG: The Other Mother is the creator of the Toys/{{Lalaoopsy}} dolls.]]
327They look awfully like her handy work, She must be using them as a new method of collecting children and they were a big seller this holiday season, when a parent buys the doll for their daughter, she waits when the time is right to have it lead the child into a portal to the other world, [[FridgeHorror and then...]]
328
329[[WMG: That isn't Coraline's parents writing, "Help us" on the mirror.]]
330It's the Beldam trying to keep Coraline's interest. Coraline's parents would have actually written, "Save yourself" rather than lure their child into danger.
331* Not everybody's perfect.
332* Or maybe they kept writing the words in the hopes that someone would notice and didn’t even know it could be Coraline (since they could hardly know that the place they were kidnapped to was the same dream world Coraline kept talking about and that she could see them through her mirror). After all, we never find out how they felt inside the globe (except that it was cold there) and what exactly they saw out of it.
333* Actually, no...that seems very likely, since the trick the Other Mother pulls on Coraline, disguising herself as Mel, also includes the snow from the vision in the mirror. The consistent presence of the snow makes it look like the mirror vision was a ruse to make Coraline decide to return and attempt to rescue her parents, although both hint at where the parents are actually hidden. Arrogance seems the most likely reason for that.
334* So parents aren't supposed to ask for help if they're trapped in a freezing prison that's slowly killing them, with literally no one else but their daughter to save them? They were trapped in the snowglobe that was simply linked up to the magical world which is why they could use the mirror as a sort of portal with no exit, like in Soul Eater. It's just that.
335
336[[WMG: The Other Mother was originally just a normal child.]]
337She said that she put her mother in her grave...so maybe her 'mother' was the original 'other mother', and she was her last victim. But after being in the other world for so long, she went crazy and ran off to build her own worlds and feed off of other children...it's a possibility.
338
339[[WMG: The Other Mother's mother...]]
340...was the [[EldritchAbomination Thing]] in the passageway between her world and the real one.
341
342[[WMG: The whole thing takes place in the same universe as ''Series/DoctorWho'']]
343Other dimensions? Weird creatures that want to suck the soul from humans? Sounds like a job for the Doctor if you ask me! The only reason he didn't show up was because he was busy helping another little boy with his nightmares...
344
345[[WMG: The Other Mother is much better at illusions and acting than she seems, and Coraline is, at the end, [[SchrodingersButterfly still in the Other World]].]]
346The Other Mother knows that few people would be content with leaving their world behind for an eerily perfect new world, and [[TooDumbToLive even fewer]] would be content with it even after the caveats come into play. If she presents an illusions of an eerily perfect world and allows her captive to fight out of it and into a moderately more pleasant version of reality, the captive will accept it much more easily and might not even notice that anything is wrong. It's likely that, in this situation, the Other Mother is capturing a child to adopt and doesn't intend to eat Coraline (at least not immediately, or physically).
347
348[[WMG: This is how the beldam reproduce.]]
349A continuation of an earlier WMG. Much like True Fey in ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheLost'', beldam-kind turn humans into their own. They steal children until one makes the same bet Coraline did and loses, then becomes their real parent retroactively by twisting ThePowerOfLove. Which would explain why the other mother apparently killed her own mother--once her idea of love got fucked up enough it seemed like a loving act. Or the pressure of 'loving' a monster got too much. Or killing everything and emptying their world is the last step in Becoming . . .
350
351[[WMG: The Beldam is a [[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica Witch]].]]
352The Otherworld is her Barrier/Labyrinth. Her familiars are stuffed dolls, as well as all the Other!people. Her Witchkiss mark is the button-eyes effect. Depending on how you look at it, Coraline is either very lucky ''or'' unlucky that Kyubey wasn't there to make a Contract with her.
353* Expanding on this, [[spoiler: the Beldam's wish was to be rid of a teenage pregnancy]]. Over time, the guilt got to her for 'killing' the [[spoiler: unborn]] baby, so [[spoiler: when she turns into a Witch,]] she snatches children as ReplacementGoldfish to try to assauge her guilt.
354* What if the cat is an incubator?
355** Then why didn't he Contract Coraline ''much'' earlier?
356** Alternate idea: What if the cat's been protecting Coraline from the Incubators the whole time? When he runs offscreen he's actually off to kill an Incubator. After all, [[spoiler: Homura's witch]] refers to Incubators as rats anyway.
357
358[[WMG: The story is the same as ''Literature/{{Ubik}}''.]]
359[[spoiler: Coraline is obviously dead from the car accident at the beginning of the story, and placed in half-life]]. The Other Mother is the same as Jory, constructing a world to entertain people until she consumes them. That's why she needs Coraline to take the buttons fast, because keeping the other world consumes vast amounts of energy. The proof? At the very end, when the Other Mother begins to weaken, everything unravels. The cat is, of course, another half-living spirit trying to help Coraline from being consumed.
360
361[[WMG: The Entire Story is an allegory for coming of age, much like ''Labyrinth'']]
362First off, Neil already loves his symbolism. It's all over the book and movie. But could it be that Neil had intended this to be one huge symbol for growing up?
363First of all, Coraline is moving to a new home in a new state where she has to restart her life. I mean, that alone is a plot for a coming of age story. But each element of the story ads to it.
364* The Other Mother and the Other World are symbols of childhood. The Other Mother is the promise that if Coraline doesn't grow up, things will be just as she wants them and that she doesn't have to be mature if she doesn't want to. But we know that's not true, because the other mother and the other world both change drastically as Coraline goes deeper, realizing that staying immature and childish won't make things go back to the way they were, or the way she wants things to be.
365* The Cat is basically a snarky Jiminy Cricket. He acts as Coraline's literal conscience and guide through the Other World. He's an allegory for adulthood and how it should be. Cool, collected, but laid back and easy going. He's there to prove that growing up doesn't have to suck.
366* The children in the closet were never real, just symbols to show Coraline that staying in the Other World won't solve anything.
367So that's my two sense, and I think that Neil might be trying to convey those themes.
368** All very interesting, but I think the part about the ghost children is off. Everything in the Other World that didn't come from the real world is a construct by the Other Mother, and the only reason the Other Mother makes something is to entice Coraline to stay (which the children wouldn't). I believe a better way of looking at them to fit your theory would be that one, they are real, and two, they serve as examples of the horrible consequences of refusing to grow up and staying dependant.
369** Think about this, Coraline want everything to be better but she never put in the effort in the real world and had the other mother do it for her in the other world. Then at the end she learned to put in the effort herself to better. Notice at the end when she grows up to make the best out of her situation the real world starts to become more colorful.
370
371[[WMG: The whole thing is a TakeThat / {{Deconstruction}} /[[InvertedTrope Inversion]] of the Chronicles of Narnia, particularly the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe]]
372In the Chronicles of Narnia, a benevolent, nigh-omnipotent being (Aslan) creates an idealized world populated by inhabitants with free will, who are allowed to live in freedom. Human children come to it, are saved by the world's benevolent creator, get a happy ending, and are forced to leave to return to their normal world. In Coraline, a malevolent (or crazy but intending to be benevolent) being creates a CrapsaccharineWorld populated by inhabitants with free will, who are only permitted to do what assists their creator's cause. A human child comes to it, is entrapped by the world's malevolent creator, things go from idyllic to terrifying, and struggles to leave to return to her normal world. There are also more subtle similarities.
373
374[[WMG: The Other Mother is an evil/twisted version of Dame Eyola from ''Literature/TheNeverendingStory'']]
375Eyola is a non-human motherly figure, who helps people facing hardships, by giving up some of her abundance and lets them go, when the time is right. Contrary to this, the Other Mother lures in children that face hardships by pretending to be helpful, taking their energy for herself and forcing them to stay. Also Eyola encourages her fosterlings to change, while the Other Mother (as explained in an earlier WMG) instead encourages to stay children forever.
376
377[[WMG: The Cat is [[VideoGame/GhostTrick Sissel]].]]
378The Cat has Sissel's trademark ability of passing through and travelling through objects.
379* Not to mention that Bobinski is blue... perhaps a relative of Sith's?
380
381[[WMG: [[TheDogWasTheMastermind The Cat Was the Mastermind]].]]
382The Beldam was just a dummy BigBad.
383
384[[WMG: Other Mother is an ancestor of the [[{{Literature/Another}} Fujioka Family.]]]]
385Both her and Yukiyo have an obsession with Doll making. The Doll's eyes can see things most eyes shouldn't be able to see. In Beldam's case, she can see into people's houses through Dolls Eyes, and the Doll's eye Yukiyo made Mei see who is alive and dead. Both are extremely possessive of their surrogate children and even at one point mentioned or has been mentioned by someone they know to refer to their kids as dolls.
386
387[[WMG: The sweet ghost girl really DID fall down the well.]]
388The well was another portal to the Other World.
389
390[[WMG:The Other Mother and [[WesternAnimation/ParaNorman Agatha Prenderghast]] are somehow related.]]
391The powers the two display are broadly similar: personal pocket dimensions, RealityWarping, dominion over lost souls, OneWingedAngel form, [[ArsonMurderandJaywalking same hair color]] and a limited capacity to influence the mortal world. The Other Mother's hand escaping through the door and Aggie's Witch Storm come to mind. Maybe Aggie simply has more power due to having ensnared more victims to feed off of or being forced to sleep for three hundred years allowed her to preserve her energy. Regardless, what if these two are connected? Maybe the Other Mother is actually Aggie's mother gone mad with grief and trying to recapture her bond only for it to go horribly wrong? Maybe the OM (when she was still alive) could also talk to the dead, was persecuted for her powers and died a violent death?
392
393[[WMG:Only certain children can become "Other Mothers".]]
394In line with some of the Beldam-reproductive-cycle [=WMGs=], each subsequent Beldam is indeed one of the children that the previous Beldam captured; in order to become the Beldam, the kidnapped child needs to embrace the Other Mother as their ''real'' mother, taking the buttons and willingly giving up all memory of their old lives, including their parents. This is why the Beldam targets children who are unhappy with their parents, since it makes it more likely that they'd be willing to completely leave their old life and families behind.
395
396The ghost children still have scraps of memories, even though the time since their death/capture have erased most of the details, and it's likely that they, like Coraline, regretted their decision to stay or didn't understand the choice they were making. Once a Beldam finds a child who's willing to accept her, she's at least partially sated and perhaps even goes into semi-complacency as they feed on the child's adoration.
397
398Of course, any kid who'd be willing to go along with this would have at least one screw loose, and as we see the Beldam's "love" culminates in her devouring the children: In an ironic twist, being "loved" by a child prevents the Beldam from draining and killing them, giving the child enough time to become warped by eldritch magic and eventually devour the Beldam, becoming the new Other Mother.
399
400This is how the Other Mother from the book/movie could both have a mother and killed her despite being a horrific inhuman monster, possibly keeping the previous Beldam alive and draining her slowly while the new Beldam got used to her new power/lured in more children. As noted above the root of Beldam has a male equivalent in Belsire, so it's entirely possible that there are male Other "Mothers" (or Other ''Fathers'') who evolved from abducted boys.
401
402[[WMG: The sites of the lost souls/eyes are the places the children gave up their lives for.]]
403Why else would their souls be kept there unless they were the temptations that drove them to stay in the Other World? It also explains why they ultimately fail for Coraline; the three wonders have already done their jobs.
404
405[[WMG: Alternatively, the Other World expands with each soul taken.]]
406Given that the sites of the eyes are "shut down", becoming grey and devoid of animation after the eyes are taken, perhaps the Other Mother started with only her own domain, the Jones' part of the house, in the Other World, and used the power of each victim's soul to expand the Other World outward to have more wonders and spectacles to entice further victims.
407
408[[WMG: The Other Mother is a separate being from The Beldam.]]
409Not something that would make a big change in how it works, but it could be interesting. The Other Mother is just another cheap imitation puppet, like The Other Father and Other Wybie. The Beldam has no fixed form, and can choose to possess her Other-Puppets at will, the sign being that she is doing so that the hands are mechanical. Yes, I'm aware Other Mother was doing spooky stuff before having the robot hands, but I'd chalk that up to the Beldam's 'programming' of her, if you will. In theory, the Beldam could have chosen to take over the form of The Other Father or even Other Wybie instead.
410
411[[WMG: Mr. Bobinsky is related to ComicBook/{{Nightcrawler}}.]]
412Because both are jovial, blue, eastern-european acrobats and Bobinsky even seems to be vanishing from place to place in a few scenes. He could be another child of Mystique, making him Kurt's half-brother. If Bobinsky had taken what the mice were saying seriously, he may have even been able to call up his brother to help deal with the Beldam's threat.
413
414[[WMG: The Coraline doll isn't [[LivingToys alive]].]]
415The Beldam is just making it move while others aren't looking.
416
417[[WMG: The Other Mother is actually the Shadow of Coraline’s mom.]]
418Maybe a small, unacknowledged part of Mel is slightly clingy and possessive, so leave it too her Shadow to take it and blow it out of proportion. When denied (although not by the owner, it’s still being denied), it turns into a monster. They also share the theme of different eyes: Shadow’s eyes glow yellow, while the Other Mother’s eyes are buttons. Frustrated by not being acknowledged, the Other Mother attempted to lure in Coraline as a sort of TakeThat And now the only thing Left is for Coraline to awaken to a punchy ghost and I can call this a Persona movie...
419
420[[WMG: ''Coraline's'' and ''[[Literature/{{Neverwhere}} Neverwhere's]]'' plots happen in the same universe.]]
421* The passage to the Other World in ''Coraline'' and the Knightsbridge are somewhat similar, don't you think?
422* Both books have a door motif, either literal or metaphorical doors.
423** Maybe the door in Coraline was made by someone from Door's family, in a similar way to the portal Door creates to send away Croup, Vandemar and Islington? [[FridgeHorror Wait a minute...]]
424* The Cat could be a benevolent and more intelligent cousin of the Beast of London, who is a great example of ItCanThink.
425* The Beldam may be a relative of the Shepherds...
426
427[[WMG: The reason Wybie's grandmother wasn't taken by The Beldam]]
428* Was because she can only take one child at a time, and the sweet ghost girl found the door first.
429
430[[WMG: The Other Mother is an EmotionEater.]]
431How much "nutrition," so to speak, she gets from a soul is determined by how happy they are, which is why she makes her victims happy with toys, games, food, etc. before eating them. If that was not the case, she would eat her victims as soon as they came through the door.
432
433[[WMG: The winged ghost girl was ''not'' a fairy, but wanted to be one in life.]]
434It's said that in heaven, you have whatever you want, and lots of children go through a phase of wanting to be magical, so perhaps this ghost was once a normal little girl, but who wanted to be a fairy very much, and so she got her wish in the afterlife.
435
436[[WMG: In the book, Coraline's dyslexic.]]

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