Wrap Up

While this course is not what I expected, looking back, it was better than I originally thought. I got to read some books that I have never read before and discuss old favorites in new ways. I also learned some new literary terms that I had not known before such as grotesque and the intrusive narrator.

I think that if I was to do extra research for this class, I would want to do it on the use of children's authors making references to other works in their stories. For example, J.K. Rowling makes tons of references to mythology and other allegories in Harry Potter. Many of her characters, places and other names have underlying significance that enhance the meaning of the story. C.S. Lewis also makes references to Biblical stories in all of his Narnia books. I think it is very interesting when authors make use of pervious works to enhance their own and add credibility.

Overall, I think this was a good course. It was informative and gave me a break from the serious books that I had to read for my other classes. Although I must admit that I still missed the picture books and fairy tales.

Rhetorical Reflection, Notable Moment and Analysis of Coraline

I was very unsure about reading this book. When the movie came out, I thought it looked really scary and bizarre. I was never about the Tim Burton style movies and that is what this reminded me of. Nothing about Coraline appealed to me. The day that it was first discussed in class, I had not even begun to read it yet because I was so turned off. But listening to the discussion that day sparked my interest. So I went home that night and began to read the book. I was really surprised how much I really enjoyed it.

One aspect of the book that I really liked was the Cat. I loved the snarky attitude of the Cat and how he helped Coraline but only in a very Cat-like manner. He was slightly standoffish, but accessible even though it was on his own terms. The Cat provided the story with a good, but questionable ally for Coraline. One of my favorite parts of the book was when Coraline was asking the Cat it's name and he replied that Cat's do not need names to know who they are. That interaction just made me smile and like the Cat even more.

Overall, I liked the book, despite the fact that it was extremely creepy and would have definitely scared me when I was younger. It had all the elements of the dark humor and grotesque that were discussed in class. It was as if every child's nightmares were some how incorporated into the story, but in a way that made them somewhat enjoyable. Although I would not want my young child to read this book before bedtime.