"Something Called Protective Coloration": The Uncanny in Children's Literature A Case Study of Neil Gaiman's Coraline

Abstract

This paper explores the presence and impact of the Freudian uncanny (das Unheimliche) in children’s literature; a subject that is still underexplored in academic debate. Taking cues from earlier research in the field, as well as an extensive exploration of how childhood and children’s literature originated, the paper illuminates the reasons why scholars have felt reluctant to address this topic and aims to provide evidence for the claim that the uncanny is a positive development in the field of children’s literature, closely following Bruno Bettelheim’s argument about the importance of fairy tales to exorcize psychic tension. The findings are presented in an extensive case study of Neil Gaiman’s 2002 children’s novel Coraline, which contains all elements of the uncanny and has been widely read by both children and adults.