Coraline: Chapter 11 Summary & Analysis

Coraline is surprised but relieved to find her “other” flat more or less the same as when she left it earlier that morning. The other mother, seeing the cat in Coraline’s arms, chides Coraline for bringing “vermin” into the house, but reminds Coraline once again that she loves her. Coraline tells the other mother she has a “funny” way of showing love, and she walks wordlessly toward the drawing room, carrying the cat the whole way. Coraline knows that “the moment of truth” is upon her.

The other mother follows Coraline into the drawing room and stands between her and the mantelpiece. Coraline notices that the other mother’s appearance has changed—she’s grown taller and paler, her hair has turned to writhing vines, and her teeth are sharper and longer. The other mother asks Coraline to produce the marbles from her pocket, and Coraline does so—but points out that she still has to find her parents. She urges herself privately not to even look at the mantelpiece—she wants to deceive the other mother for as long as she can.

The other mother asks where Coraline thinks her parents are. Coraline says she doesn’t believe they’re hidden in the house—they must be, she says, in the passageway between the houses. The other mother smiles and offers to open the door. Coraline is pleased—she has been counting on the other mother’s need to gloat. Coraline holds the cat tight, and, as the other mother makes her way to the door, unlocks it, and pulls it open, Coraline begins stepping backwards toward the mantelpiece. The other mother flings the door open and gleefully tells Coraline that she’s wrong—and that now she’ll have to stay forever.

Coraline declares she isn’t wrong. In one swift motion, she throws the cat at the other mother’s head. The cat lands on her and claws at her face. While the cat distracts the other mother Coraline grabs the snow globe from the mantelpiece, runs towards the door, pulls the key from the lock, and calls for the cat to run behind her down the hallway. Together they hurry inside, pulling the door shut behind them. The other mother slips a hand in through the door, however, and pulls. Coraline can feel the presence of her parents and the lost children in the hall with her, and she begs them to help her shut the door. They lend Coraline strength, and she yanks the door shut. She hears something drop to the floor as she does.

Without stopping to investigate, Coraline turns and begins to run down the hall toward her own world. A strong wind pushes against her, and she senses the old, slow presence in the hall—she realizes it is much older and more powerful than the other mother. Coraline continues running until she reaches the end of the hall, re-enters her flat, and locks the door behind her. Exhausted, Coraline gathers the cat in her arms and lies down on one of the fancy sofas in the drawing room, ignoring her parents’ rule about sitting on the old furniture. Soon, she falls into a deep sleep.