Comparing Vs. Detached Parenting

Overbearing Parenting vs Detached Parenting The relationship between Coraline and her parents contrasts the effect of overbearing parenting versus detached parenting. Where overbearing parenting is represented, in my opinion, as Coraline’s other parents and detached parenting represented by her real parents. Coraline is a young and adventurous girl who struggles with coming to terms with her new home and soon finds herself embedded into another world that is much like her own. Immediately, the relationship Coraline and her real parents stand out. For instance, when Coraline asks her mother “what should I do?” (Coraline 4) her mother responds by saying “read a book” (Coraline 4). Now, this may seem like a typical response a parent tells their child, but I believe this

In Coraline’s case, I noticed that for a majority of the book Coraline spent a lot of time by herself being “adventurous”. In this day and time, virtually all parents could not fathom the idea of letting their only child go exploring in an unknown environment. Even if the environment was well known and safe parents usually do not allow their children to go exploring alone. Throughout this book, I also noticed that Coraline did not speak to her mother and have the relationship with her mother that most young girls want and need. When Coraline discovered the brick behind the door had disappeared and lead to a similar world, a vast majority of children would tell their parents what was going on. I believe because of the detached relationship Coraline had with her parents she was not able to talk to her mother about the other world. Since the brick wall was solid and in place the last time it was checked, Coraline may have assumed that her mother would brush her off and think it was just her imagination. However, she may also have just wanted to keep this secret place as a place to get away for a while. I cannot help but wonder what would have happened if