We Love You, Bunny

“Except that you got it wrong. So fucking wrong. About us.”

The Bunnies speak this quotation as they complain about how Samantha represented them in her novel, introducing the theme of Authorial Control and Agency Over Narratives. The quotation reveals their desire to tell their side of the story and make a case for why they are not actually villains. Despite this stated goal, the Bunnies’ version of events does not actually make them more sympathetic; instead, it heightens the impression that they lack self-awareness.

“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.