Tag: writing

• Coraline: What Does it Really Represent?

  Since I was three, my favorite film has always been Coraline. I watched it for the first time when my mother was in the hospital giving birth to my little sister. I somehow convinced the friend watching me that I had seen the film before, though it definitely wasn’t appropriate for a three-year-old. 

  I grew so fond of it that I made everyone around me watch it, and I continue to replay it to this day, over fifteen years later. My mom and I have had countless conversations on the true meaning behind the uncomfortable story. I easily understood the meaning or symbolism behind most movies, but for some reason, I couldn’t place my finger on Coraline. 

  My first thought was that it was simply a film to make kids grateful for their parents. I always felt an overwhelming sense of relief when her real parents returned to her in the end. It made me want to run into my mother’s arms and never let go, so I assumed that was the intent for every viewer. 

  Though the concept is so unique and fantastical, I didn’t dig deeper despite the obvious wonderland theme. The older I got, the more confusing the meaning became, and I decided to finally figure it out for myself. 

  The biggest symbolism throughout the story is abuse. Even if it’s hidden or shoved in our faces in certain scenes, I had to dissect the film even to realize it was there. The other mother uses very apparent manipulation tactics like lovebombing, luring, and empty promises. Essentially, grooming her with promises of things she would never receive, in order to get her away from her parents. 

  Although her real parents are lacking in many ways, they were never abusive. They often ignored Coraline while they worked all day and moved into their new house. These obstacles seem very understandable, but, seeing the world through an eleven-year-old’s eyes, we feel her lack of attention and disdain towards her parents. 

  Their lack of affection and love led her to throw herself completely into a new reality with the Other Mother. Leaving no ties to her actual life, because she didn’t feel like she was missing anything. A clear motion of escapism, but in the eyes of a child. 

  The Other Mother asks, “Would you like to stay here forever?” After only luring her for a few nights. Coraline agrees without hesitation, not a single thought for her parents or her life. After this moment, we start to see this “world” of hers crumble. Showing that everything isn’t perfect and it never will be. The bright colors start to dim, the wallpaper starts to peel, and each “other” character becomes more grotesque. 

  The term “other” is famously used throughout philosophy, particularly with Jacques Lacan. The idea of split counterparts or personas that reveal our true intentions. Coraline highlights this exact concept by using the literal name “other” for every character in this separate world. 

  The blatant signs of manipulation and taking advantage of her naivety were there from the beginning, but embedded so far beneath the fantasy plot that it’s hard to see. Once she returns from the Other Mother’s clutches, she finds herself feeling grateful for her own parents. The only real solution in this theory is Coraline learning to accept that she needs to grow up and be independent, not relying entirely on her parents. 

  This idea makes the most sense with my initial childhood take of being grateful, though there is one more peculiar theory.  

  Another take on the abuse plot could be switching between the personalities of the same person. Instead of a predator taking her from her parents, her mom and the Other Mother are the same figure. A more in-depth analysis using Lacan philosophy. Her mom represents the mundane and “normal” side of her family. The Other Mother represents the violent side, starting with love and lavish gifts, but ending in anger and yelling. Many kids deal with the violent mood swings from their parents—especially those with mental issues, like bipolar disorder. 

  In the scene with the ghost children, they describe the Other Mother as “feeding” on them, which is the same term to describe abusers who need people to feed on emotionally. 

  When looking deeper through this lens, we can see the exact back-and-forth between these two personas and the feeling of safety or unease in each scene. The father being scared or numb in both worlds can also give us insight into the overwhelming fear and abuse that he is witnessing or maybe even enduring. He cares for Coraline, but not enough to stand up to the Other Mother.  

  The Other Wybie is also an important piece of evidence for this claim. The Other Mother makes sure that he cannot speak, so that he can’t talk about the abuse he suffered at her hands. Abusive parents usually display a facade in public, or in front of others, very similar to this. 

  The main symbol throughout the film is buttons. They are everywhere, from dolls to sewn onto characters’ eyes. With this abuse theme in mind, the exchange between the other parents and Coraline turns into something much deeper and darker. The promise of eternal happiness in exchange for buttons sewn into her eyes can be seen as the abuse changing her permanently. Once she accepts their offer, there is no going back, and she will forever remain impacted by their influence. 

  For a children’s film, the mature yet very relevant concept of abuse makes it much more important for the message relayed to young viewers, even if it took me fifteen years to comprehend. 

  2026.06.17

• Even Statues of Women Aren’t Safe

  The famous statue of Molly Malone resembles a woman in a long dress pushing a cart in central Dublin. It was unveiled in 1988 to celebrate the city’s millennium on Grafton Street before being moved to Suffolk Street around 2014. The figure is supposed to portray the woman in the city’s unofficial anthem of “Cockles and Muscles.” The simple folk song is about Molly Malone, a fish merchant like the rest of her family, but she dies young from fever. She’s been a symbol of Irish pride and a reminder of the hardships the country has overcome. This attention led her to become a popular tourist attraction for visitors, both Irish and foreigners. 

  Once images and videos of this statue started to appear online in 2022, it became a media sensation, but not for a good reason. Other tourist attractions, like the Blarney Stone, are meant to be touched for good luck, but Molly’s statue was rusted everywhere except for her breasts. People all across the globe started to vocalize how degrading and disgusting the normalized custom was. Instead of taking a photo with her, tourists were rubbing the statue of a young woman’s breasts for good luck. This sensation began to reach media outlets in Ireland as well as overseas. Thousands were outraged and began to stop people in public from participating in the long-running tradition. 

  Numerous women were instead posting videos on different online platforms holding Molly Malone’s hand instead of her breasts out of respect and protection for her. Blatantly demonstrating how even a statue of a woman isn’t able to get respect. Tourists and influencers tried to guide things in a positive direction, encouraging future tourists visiting Dublin to hold her hand instead. Women during the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade held Molly Malone’s hand and covered her bust with flowers or necklaces. The city had Gardaí (Police Force) on each side of the statue during the month of May 2025 to halt citizens from violating the statue in an attempt to educate visitors. Even a young woman at Trinity College Dublin, who often busks on Suffolk Street, started a campaign titled “Leave Molly mAlone.”

  After continuous attention, Dublin City Council decided to refurbish the statue in early October 2025. It was cleaned, and the bronze was restored to her chest, then unveiled on October 10-11 of 2025. The once humiliating and derogatory tradition was starting to be put to rest. Media outlets and Irish citizens were satisfied with the refurbishment as well as the acknowledgement from the city, and started to move on. The media posts have since ground to a halt, and news stations have stopped reporting it. 

  The one thing I’ve yet to see covered is the statue now, after the restoration. The media is often fast-moving, and viral pieces or stories start to be forgotten, but Molly Malone shouldn’t be. As of late 2026, the statue is already starting to fade on her breasts once again. As much as the online feminist movement tried to change the tradition to holding her hand, it hasn’t worked, and the practice is still occurring. We are in a so-called “time of equality and progression,” but these repeated small acts show how far we still need to come. The tradition of Molly Malone is just one example of misogyny embedded in our history and society. Attention needs to remain on stories like this so people are held accountable and continue to shed light on normalized sexism. 

  ---

  Her Campus – Chapman University

  Erin Sweeney – Staff Writer

  @hercampuschapman

  https://www.hercampus.com/school/chapman/even-statues-of-women-arent-safe/

  2026.05.13

• Chewing Gum

  He lifted his tall frame onto his feet with his hands clutching his pant leg, as my aunt silently ushered him out of the pew. I sat with my legs dangling off the smooth wooden bench and my black dress over my knees. As he moved towards the altar, I glanced back at the giant frames of faded stained glass that covered the small church. The weather was sad and gloomy, making it hard to see with no sunshine coming through. I turned my attention back to the front of the room, where Gary had finally reached the microphone. It was so silent I could hear my heartbeat in my ears along with every breath through my nose. 

  The pews were lined with older adults, all dressed in black, now looking at Gary. I only saw a few slightly familiar faces in the front rows, holding back tears, but before I could figure out who they were, the microphone static started. 

  “Um…Thanks all ye for coming. It really means a lot to me and my family.” Gary mumbled into the mic; I could still hear the nasal sound in his voice from crying. 

  My aunt clutched my hand tightly as she closed her eyes and sucked in a painful breath. My mother glanced back at my sister and me from the front pew as she sat next to my father, who couldn’t muster any words or reassuring looks. His glasses were fogged with tears, and his eyes pink. Every few minutes, he would take his glasses off to wipe them on his suit, before placing his thumb and his pointer finger on the bridge of his nose, as if he almost believed it would stop the crying or the pain. He repeatedly sucked in a few short breaths, trying to stay silent. I felt like I was the only one who noticed. My father never cried; this might have been the first time I ever saw him, at least that I can remember. 

  “It’s okay, it’s okay.” He whispered with a forced, tiny smile on his face as my mother placed her hand over his. 

  We turned our attention to the casket covered in flowers and photographs in front of us. My grandad’s portrait was lovely. He smiled very brightly, and the green landscaping of rural Ireland in the background made it look almost heavenly. He wore very similar glasses to the ones my dad does now, thick black frames with clear lenses. His wispy white hair combed on either side of his head. Irish funerals were always unique compared to our American traditions. His casket stayed in the house with us for the past few days, making it much harder to say goodbye. Photos of my nana alongside him were everywhere with endless bouquets of flowers, but I couldn’t spot her in the crowd of tears. 

  Gary glanced down at his hands nervously, not being able to keep still. He wiped his face quickly with one knuckle before taking a deep breath and starting his speech.

  “Tony was a brilliant man…*click* He never had a bad thing to say about anyone…*click*”

  I cocked my head, confused and trying to listen closer. He talked of how extraordinarily kind our grandfather was, how he was never angry and never raised his voice. Between every few words, there was a click that distracted me from his sentiments. I glanced around me to see if I was the only one hearing this obvious disruption. The next time it happened, I caught my aunt’s eye. All she did was close her eyes with a smile, almost like she was holding back laughter. The first time I had seen her smile that day, which made me hold back a smile too. 

  “Colm, He forgot to take the gum out of his mouth.” She whispered with a giggle to my uncle on the other side of her. 

  “What?” He questioned with a thick Irish accent, thinking he had probably misheard her. 

  “He didn’t take the gum out of his mouth,” she repeated before sharing a slight smirk with my father in front of her. 

  “Oh Jesus Christ,” he muttered before slumping down in his seat to hear his son’s continuous chewing. 

  As much as it bothered them, it was like a sliver of hope for me. It was the first real conversation in far too long. Almost reassuring me that we would be okay and things could go back to normal. Gary finished speaking and jogged down the carpeted stairs back into his seat. The speakers started to play “In the Arms of the Angels” by Sarah McLachlan, and the rows behind me began crying. Though I was too focused on my aunt telling her son to take the chewing gum out of his mouth. For the first time that day, we were the only ones not crying. 

  2026.05.10

• Silent Hill F

  I recently completed Silent Hill F, a new addition to the very popular game franchise. I wasn’t expecting such an intense and heartwrenching story alongside the incredible fight scenes and confusing dynamics. The story follows Hinako, a young school girl in a small town in fifties Japan. Her family consists of her parents and her older sister, Junko, who recently got married and moved out. Junko is a mysterious figure throughout the game. We never see her face or learn what truly happened to her, but it’s all jumbled in her mind. Everything is depicted through Hinako’s eyes, whether we choose to believe it’s truly happening or not. Hinako is accompanied through parts of the game by her two friends, one of them being Shu. A childhood friend, who very obviously has romantic feelings for her. Though it’s so clear to see, Hinako blatantly ignores it and acts as friendly as she can muster. As the story progresses, we see more context behind Hinako’s behavior. After witnessing her older sister’s betrothal, she’s utterly terrified of marriage and the possibility of turning into her mother. Her mother obeys her father without question and has to submit herself to him entirely. Both her mother’s and her sister’s experiences in marriage made Hinako ultimately make up her mind to avoid marriage at all cost. 

  We witness her battle multiple distorted figures throughout the story, each one pertaining to her phobia of marriage. They resemble grotesque brides channeling her fears into physical entities. Like lots of stories about women, it ends once they are married. She fights so hard in order to prevent the end of her story over and over again, as each event gets more violent. Shu continues to stay by her side, as she fights her inner self who wants to submit and let herself belong to him. We play as two different versions of her, the “real” Hinako and the one within her head. The Hinako that is in her head fights enemies and goes through countless marriage rituals as she gets closer and closer to the altar. The “real” Hinako fights continuously  to escape the pressure of parents, friends, and her older sister, to give in and let it happen. As her mind gets more twisted and her actions become less real, she gradually starts to lose her sanity completely. 

  Depending on who is playing, Hinako can give in to her imaginary groom and the idea of a suffocating marriage, or she can leave the altar with Shu, ultimately to be married off to him instead. One of the last options is seeing the aftermath in the real world, where she loses all grip on reality and kills people at her arranged wedding, running away to be on her own. Other options are just as confusing as everything else in the game; some have both Hinakos, some only have one, and mostly depict a pretend world. I received the murder ending. Although I wouldn’t say it’s the happiest, I’m relieved I got that outcome versus the ending with one of her two “love interests.” After all she endured, I think it’s a disservice to allow her to end with an outcome she so desperately wished to escape. It could be chopped up to accept the inevitable, that it’s not as scary as she imagined, but I think it diminishes the meaning behind the story. For a girl stuck in such a trapping situation, she fights diligently to give herself the freedom that she and all women deserve. 

  

  2026.04.10

• He’s Just Not That Into You

  As a woman, I think about this movie more often than I should. It was brought to my attention in one of my literary theory classes by my classmates, who were doing a presentation. Every woman in the room said that they show this movie to their friends and peers when they start to overthink their decisions regarding love. The opening scene of the movie depicts the close friendship that women have with one another, but also the disillusionment that we seem to pass on from generation to generation. 

  We see a little girl being bullied by a boy on the playground, and when she runs up to tell her mom, the only thing she says is “He’s doing that because he likes you.” This sentence brought me back to when I was young, and all the older women in my life told me the exact same thing. As much as it bothered me at first, I started to believe it. My friends were told similar fairytales, and they just seemed to evolve as we got older. 

  “He’s not calling because he thinks you’re too good for him.”

  “You’re just too mature for him right now.”

  “He’s intimidated by your beauty.”

  “He probably lost your number.”

  And so on and so forth. No matter what age I am, I hear these types of comments meant to make us feel better, but instead, they’re leading us to think that this is how women are meant to be treated. We allow ourselves to be continuously strung along and treated like shit, because that’s how all the women around us were treated. He doesn’t call when he says he will, or he’s not listening to you on your date because he’s had a rough day. But maybe the truth of the matter is that he’s just not that into you. 

  I have found myself repeating these very phrases to my friends, and It wasn’t until watching this film that I realized the mediocrity of it all. We’ve accepted that maybe women are much more complex and compassionate creatures, but in doing so, we’ve given men countless excuses for treating us subhuman. Many women have found solace in confiding in their friends, but we might be doing more harm than good in the long run. Many of these women end up settling for someone who isn’t enough, but they accept it because of the countless excuses given by their friends. This continuous cycle of delusion has only gotten worse with the age of social media, and now we have new terms and new phrases to feed to each other. 

  “His phone probably died.”

  “He didn’t mean to leave you on opened.”

  “He liked your Instagram story, that means he likes you.” 

  As I get older, it gets harder and harder to bear hearing these phrases, even though I know my friends and family are only trying to make me feel better. I still have to correct myself, but I’ve learned to say;

  “He just isn’t the one; you’ll find someone better.”

  “I would just block him; he isn’t worth your time.” 

  We feel a type of anxious excitement that comes with waiting by the phone, and we always assume that it’s that “spark” that makes us so excited to hear back from them, but it’s really the fear that they won’t call back instead of the joy we feel while actually talking to them. This term the “spark” has also given men more outs for being horrible partners as well as people. If we had friends who didn’t give us the time of day and never called back when they said they would, we would consider them bad friends. Why should relationships be any different? 

  My most valued expression as of late is “An extraordinary man is just an average woman.” This perfectly sums up the experience that the women in my life have experienced. We meet women who would give the world to you if they could, while a man who’s supposed to be your partner for life can’t even call you back or look into your eyes when you’re speaking.

  A very wise family member of mine always asks the same question when I tell her of my recent endeavors: “Is he fun or am I fun and he’s just there?” We see overly romanticized movies daily and assume that everything will just fall into place if you find a guy who checks all your boxes. But the truth is, when all is said and done, do you really enjoy being with him that much? Is it as fun as you imagined it to be?

  Though I would love to continue being a hopeless romantic, I’ve learned that real life doesn’t work that way. You aren’t the exception, but neither is he. 

  2026.02.10

• Is Love an Option?

  I was recently asked the question “Is Love an Option” by one of my close friends. Although I wouldn’t say I’ve experienced the cliche version of love that we all know it to be. I’ve experienced many different types of love: familial, platonic, and a type of romantic affection. Love comes in all shapes and sizes, but do we really know how it starts? Having a crush or being attracted to a person can come naturally or be all consuming, but love doesn’t follow that same criteria. Love is slow and almost goes unnoticed until you find that it’s already there. I’ve watched everyone around me fall in and out of love over the years, and it honestly never looks appealing. I’ve watched my friends fight over trivial things with their boyfriends but refuse to see their flaws at the same time. Once I decide to question them, I always get the same line: “You’ll understand when you’re in love.” 

  This remark used to irritate me; I felt like a child being scolded by an adult for something I couldn’t comprehend. Since I was young, I’ve loved the idea of romance, whether it be in books or films, I couldn’t get enough of it, but the way love is interpreted in these forms is very different to the real world. Love is scary and unsettling; you never really know the outcome. Yet we still continue to love as much as we can, over and over again. Maybe it’s humans that have this affliction; we are made to naturally crave love. Some have a worse affliction than others and take whatever they are given. Even the phrase “I love you” is confusing. It’s commonly said between friends and family, but when it comes to romantic relationships, no one has the answers. Everyone I know has said the phrase at different points in their relationships, and every single one of them still doesn’t think they got it right. Too early or too late, or the wrong timing altogether. Why is it that these types of relationships are so hard to navigate? Even the sayings regarding love make it sound unnerving: “Love makes you crazy” or “Love conquers all.” 

  For those like me, who haven’t experienced this form of love, it sounds frightening and controlling. Romantic love from an onlooker’s perspective doesn’t look pretty or desireable; it seems like something no human on earth has fully figured out. Every piece of literature I’ve read has been influenced by some sort of love, and it always ends with tragedy or change. All of these factors seem to indicate that love is necessary to human life and progression; everything we do involves love. Whether it be protecting our families, hugging our friends, or being with the ones we love. Even if I decided that love was an option, it seems as though humans can’t help but pick love again and again.  

  

  2026.01.20

• Lily of the Valley

  Ever since I was young, my favorite flowers have been lilies of the valley. Maybe it was because I played Animal Crossing games growing up, and you were always awarded with a lily of the valley when you completed most of the game. But they always reminded me of willow trees; they looked sullen and fragile. Most storybooks use willow trees to depict grief or mourning, but I always thought they were the most beautiful. I never admired the picturesque green fields as much as I did the dark shade of the willows or drooping flowers. As I got older, I continued to revere these flowers, and it wasn’t until recently that I found out they’re poisonous. 

  The lily of the valley is considered a flower of love, so I found it was strangely symbolic that they were poisonous at the same time. Lilies of the valley are usually portrayed as innocent and beautiful but rare and out of reach. Similar to real beauty, it’s intertwined with violence and seduction, making the once beautiful flower a symbol of lust. The most perfect beauty is also presented as innocent and as untouched as budding flowers. Throughout literature, we see beauty and innocence usually as a downfall for most characters; it’s something that can never be properly obtained. A perfect portrayal of this is Eve in Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost.’ The Garden of Eden is supposed to be the picture of perfection, and Eve is supposed to obey Adam’s every need like God intended. She is the blueprint of innocence and beauty, but these very things lead her to the downfall of humanity. 

  It’s rare to see a character that only benefits from these traits. Lilies of the valley often look edible and approachable, but they will lead to great danger and even death. Innocence leads to temptation and curiosity, like the forbidden fruit which leads to downfall. These flowers, being flowers of love, always accurately shows that love is painful and destructive, but it’s usually wrapped in tenderness, like these gorgeous flowers. The color white is also a symbol of purity in flowers like the lily of the valley. This so-called love is also the corruption of purity and how that innocence poisons rather than heals showing the danger underneath it.

  

  2025.11.17