We Love You, Bunny

“About how it all started, Bunny. Before the boys, before the axe. Before the magic of this attic was made known to us.”

Coraline speaks this quotation, contextualizing the story that she is about to begin telling Samantha. The quotation helps to establish the chronology of events and prepares the reader to make sense of the story. It also adds narrative interest by implying that important backstory is going to be revealed.

“He proceeded to give his feedback. I didn’t hear his words exactly, I felt them. Like daggers to my wrists.”

Coraline speaks this quotation as she explains the intense distress she felt when Allan critiqued her story in workshop. She uses a simile that evokes the physical pain of the feedback but also alludes to her history of self-harm. Coraline is presented as someone who is highly sensitive, and it is not made clear whether Allan’s critique is actually fair or not. Coraline’s inability to “hear his words exactly” reinforces the sense that she is not open to hearing any constructive criticism, no matter how thoughtful, which reveals her ego.

“I heard her soul say to my soul, I see you. You will have revenge on this man who I agree is a man of nightmares.”

This quotation captures Coraline’s sentiments as she senses sympathy from Elsinore after Allan criticizes her work, reflecting Disappointment Over Failed Role Models. The quotation shows how a mutual hatred for Allan fuels an intense bond amongst the Bunnies. Coraline also feels warmly toward Elsinore because she feels that Elsinore is taking her side. The Bunnies bond because they reinforce each other’s beliefs and unquestioningly support one another.

“And what had Allan done? Jizzed all over it, my potentia, with his prickish red pen.”

This quotation captures Coraline’s anger and misandry toward Allan. She compares his criticism to ejaculation and his pen to a penis. For Coraline, the power that Allan possesses as a man immediately makes it invalid for him to criticize her work. Coraline’s observations about patriarchal power and authority are broad, and it is unclear whether her judgments about Allan are valid or not.

“Not that I don’t think Coraline’s amazing and that her storytelling is amazing (omg so good). It’s just unfortunate for you, Bunny (for all of us) that […] she also decided to be just a little bit of a fucking liar.”

Kyra speaks this quotation when she cuts off Coraline and takes over telling the story, invoking Authorial Control and Agency Over Narratives. The quotation reveals the saccharine and passive-aggressive style that the Bunnies use to manage conflict between themselves. While the Bunnies ostensibly want to share the narrative, they also feud and compete amongst themselves.

“But much as I love you, Coraline, you cannot go taking credit for something I was predominantly responsible for, okay, Bunny?”

This quotation continues to develop Kyra’s sense of rivalry with Coraline: She takes issue with Coraline’s claim that the eyes of the rabbit changed color when Coraline was holding him. The quotation reveals that despite their apparent affection and solidarity, the Bunnies are constantly in competition with one another. They are especially jealous when it comes to claims over Aerius.

“We’re supposed to be telling the story of how we made something beautiful, Bunny. By which we also mean violent. By which we also mean true.”

Vik speaks this quotation as she takes over the narrative, annoyed with Coraline and Kyra’s digressions. Her comment reveals her belief that art must be transgressive and shocking in order to be authentic. In contrast to the other Bunnies, Vik has a particularly blunt and provocative style, which she reveals as soon as she begins narrating.

“Finding inspiration for your …stories? Fodder for your Oprah picks?”

The Poets make this mocking comment when they run into the Bunnies, who specialize in writing fiction. They see fiction as a lesser art form and a more commercialized one, alluding to Oprah’s Book Club, a program through which celebrity Oprah Winfrey endorses specific fiction titles, which tend to subsequently sell extremely well. The comment reflects the rivalries and tensions within the MFA program and how writers often denigrate one another rather than supporting each other.

“Romance? I mean, I’m here to write. I’m here for myself.”

Coraline speaks this quotation, denying the idea that she is interested in boys. The quotation reveals that the Bunnies feel a pressure to claim that writing is their central focus and that they would put their art ahead of romantic entanglements. However, further events quickly belie these claims because all of the Bunnies become romantically and sexually entranced by Aerius, introducing The Pain of Unrequited Desire. The quotation shows how the Bunnies are trying to perform certain stereotypes of what they think being a writer means, rather than being authentic.

“‘We hate him,’ he said dreamily, smiling at the glinty blade. ‘Literally Kill Allan, is all.’”

Aerius speaks this quotation shortly after he appears in his human form. He has absorbed his creators’ (the Bunnies) hatred of Allan, but he takes their figurative statement literally. Aerius is a manifestation of the desires of the Bunnies, but he also exemplifies how they cannot fully control their creation. The quotation reveals the compulsion that will motivate Aerius for the rest of the story and drive one of the central conflicts of the plot.

“And so, yes, in the end, we had to drag him a little. Just those final few feet. Just to get up those last steps, that’s all.”

Elsinore speaks this quotation, recounting the process of getting Aerius back to the attic after he appears to the Bunnies in the rose garden. The quotation reveals how she tries to cast the Bunnies and their actions in a favorable light, even if it means obscuring the truth. The quotation makes it clear that Aerius was struggling and had to be forced into the attic, but Elsinore tries to present these events as pleasant and consensual.

“His favorite film was Frankenstein, understandably so.”

This comment describes Aerius consuming cultural artifacts during the time he lives in the attic. There are many parallels between Awad’s novel and Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein: Like Frankenstein’s Creature, Aerius is a strange creation who must struggle to learn how to fit into the human world. This comment functions as a wink to these allusions and parallels.

“He was out there now, my creation. Set loose upon the World.”

Elsinore speaks this quotation after Aerius escapes from the attic. While she is worried about Aerius’s capacity for violence, Elsinore also feels a sense of elation. The quotation shows how Elsinore’s relationship with Aerius is akin to a writer’s relationship with their work: She is excited to have Aerius in the world and is curious to see what will happen, complicating Authorial Control and Agency Over Narratives.

“Pony, Razor, and Axe, these were my only Friends in the World, each one useful in their Way.”

This quotation describes the strange assortment of items that Aerius brings with him when he escapes from the attic. Aerius has two objects associated with pain and violence, but also a child’s toy. These objects symbolize his state at this time: He has an inner compulsion toward reckless and violent action, but also a childish innocence and wonder at the world around him. The presence of the pony also reveals how Aerius longs for a friend.

“We met outside that Frat house where that Guy supposedly got killed with an Axe. And you had that Axe. And that whole Backstory about killing Someone.”

Jonah speaks this quotation to Aerius as he ponders the strange coincidences and his suspicion about whether Aerius could be the killer. Jonah is aware that there is good reason to be suspicious and afraid of Aerius, but he also perceives Aerius as earnest and kind. The quotation establishes that there is a mystery/suspense subplot in which Aerius tries to evade being found out as the killer.

“When they said the word Muse, a terrible softness came into their Eyes, Reader. A wild Wanting that afeared me. It reminded me of my Keepers, of the Attic Times.”

This quotation describes how the Poets treat Aerius during the time he lives with them. Aerius comes to feel threatened by the Poets because he can sense that they want to use him for their own ends and ambitions. The desire that the Poets feel toward Aerius shows that, like the Bunnies, they are obsessed with achieving fame and success.

“We pined for that glittery feeling. For the world to feel imbued with magic, as it had with Aerius.”

This quotation captures the grief and despondency that the Bunnies feel after Aerius disappears on Halloween night, speaking to The Pain of Unrequited Desire. Even though they are able to create other hybrids, the Bunnies never feel the same affinity for them. Aerius is, in a sense, their first love, and they continuously pine for him. The quotation shows how hard it is to recover from loss, and how the Bunnies are genuinely bereft after losing their creation.

“Not to mention sheer fucking teacherly neglect—first Allan’s and now Ursula’s. The indifference, Bunny, likely systemic to Warren as an institution, was stifling our burgeoning Greatness, totally.”

The Bunnies speak this quotation as they describe their stalled creative process as the spring semester passes and they face Disappointment Over Failed Role Models. The Bunnies refuse to take any responsibility for why they are not progressing as writers and instead complain about how their teachers have failed them. While Ursula is indeed neglecting her students in favor of her own goals, the comment reveals how self-centered and entitled the Bunnies are.

“Oh god, what a Liar I have become, Reader. Love first made of me a Liar, but now tis Fear that keeps me one.”

Aerius makes this comment after lying to Ursula and falsely claiming to be writing a text for her to read. Aerius laments how he has changed from a completely earnest and sincere character into someone who lies in order to progress toward their goals. Aerius lies to Ursula, hoping that she will keep her promise to change him back into a rabbit. The comment shows that Aerius is both changing and is self-aware of the changes he is undergoing. He is progressively becoming more human.

“They may have conjured you, Aerius […] but you are also a Free Spirit.”

Allan speaks this quotation to Aerius, explaining that Aerius is independent of the Bunnies. Allan wants Aerius to know that he has free will and can decide how he wants to live his life. This comment helps Aerius to feel a new sense of empowerment and puts him on the path to achieving his freedom. Like a teenager or young adult, Aerius realizes that he can become his own person and doesn’t have to replicate his creators and their aspirations.

“[Books] are one of the oldest forms of Transformative Magic. They have the Power to change Everything. Hearts. Bodies. Minds. Souls. Whole fucking Worlds. People burn them for a Reason, you know.”

Allan speaks this quotation to Aerius, explaining that books can be a powerful source of liberation. While books and writing are sometimes portrayed negatively in the novel, this comment functions as an important reminder that storytelling is a powerful and universal human need. It clarifies that writing/art is not bad, but it has to happen from a place of generosity and surrender, not a place of ego. This offers a new perspective on Authorial Control and Agency Over Narratives.

“We met our own Shadows, now so much closer to the Earth, no longer a Stranger, and my Heart was full, Reader, no longer broken.”

This quotation uses lyrical and figurative language to describe the moment when Aerius finally transforms back into a rabbit and overcomes The Pain of Unrequited Desire. He transforms while frolicking in the moonlight with Tyler—he returns to his true self once he stops trying to force it and surrenders to the moment. The quotation captures how the return to rabbit form means experiencing a closer bond with nature and the cessation of his emotional suffering.

“Now we’re going to be the famous ones finally! We’re crying, nodding messes too now at the thought of that.”

This quotation captures the Bunnies’ reaction to learning that Samantha is seemingly willing to help them secure a book deal. The Bunnies respond with elation, since their deepest longing is to achieve recognition for their writing. The quotation shows how vulnerable the Bunnies are in their hubris and desire to be famous. Their excitement leads them to untie Samantha, which allows her to seize the axe and break free.