An examination of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline and The Graveyard book in the context of Gothic Elements and Child Psychology

Abstract

This is a paper about how British author Neil Gaiman’s writing supports children’s psychological and emotional needs. Gaiman’s two books - Coraline and TheGraveyardBook have been used as the primary texts. This paper shows how Gaiman used gothic elements in his writings. Classical monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein, werewolves, and other horrific creatures were developed to instill fear in people. However, Gaiman’s monsters are different. Instead of being frightening and intimidating, they are represented as kind, attractive, and appear to be like any other human being. This paper also examines the main characters, Bod and Coraline, and their responses when they are in danger, as well as how this can affect the young readers’ minds.