The Function of Using Figures of Speech by Comparison in Coraline
The part of the utterance below shows the effect of figures of speech to give imaginative pleasure.
The toys in the toy box were still asleep , and they stirred and
muttered as she moved their box, and then they went back to
sleep .
050P.64Per1-2 Coraline takes advice to take a rest in the other mother‘s house because the cat
estimated that she will have a long day ahead. In her room, she closes her door and hauls a toy box in front of it. She knows it will not keep anyone out, but she
hopes the noise somebody would make trying to dislodge it would wakes her up. The writer put personification about how the toys inside the toy box is quite
disturbed as Coraline move their box. The writer depicted the toys as human being. The toys are assumed as
humans that can sleep, stir, and mutter. It gives a pleasure to the readers in which they can imagine how toys could be sleep. The toys, also, could stir and mutter
when their sleep is disturbed. The way the toys act is not usual in daily life. Commonly, toys will need power source or battery to make them move their body
parts and sounding voices. However, the writer personified the toys. Thus, it contributes pleasure for readers in which that action is not commonly found in
daily life. Then she pushed the tiny key into the fabric of the mirror, and she
twisted it. It opened like a door, revealing a dark space behind it. 066P.77Sim1
In the datum above, the narration occurs when the other mother gets angry to Coraline‘s bad manner to her. Suddenly she takes out a tiny silver-coloured
key. Then, she pulls Coraline into the hallway and advances upon the mirror at the
end of the hall. There Coraline sees how the other mother opened the mirror just like she opening a door. The writer makes a comparison opening a mirror to
opening a door. It gives a pleasure for the readers in which they can imagine how easy to unlock a mirror. This is not a usual activity that readers could find in daily
life. People cannot just push a key into a fabric of a mirror and twist it to unlock a mirror. In fact, a mirror is a solid object made from a glass with a shiny metallic
back to reflect the light and produce an image of whatever in front of it. In real life people could open a mirror by flip it over, not by push a key into it. Thus, it
contributes pleasure for readers‘ imagination. ―They were red, and orange and red, and red and orange and
yellow, like the embers in the nursery fire of a w inter’s
evening
.‖ 069P.81Sim1-2
This utterance is delivered by one of the three ghosts which Coraline meet in the room behind the mirror. There, Coraline asks about their names. One of the
ghost answers that they could not remember their names and the name of tulips. Somehow the ghost thought that tulips have names. She, then, mentions the colour
of tulips. She says that tulips has colour of red, mix of orange and red, and mix of
red and orange and yellow. For a better picture, the ghost compares the colour to the embers in the nursery fire of a winter‘s evening. With this direct comparison,
the readers could imagine the colour of tulips in the ghost‘s memory. It means that the tulips has bright red, orange, and yellow colour like embers. The ghost uses
embers to convey the colour of tulips. In this case, embers in the nursery fire of a winter‘s evening give new nuance to readers‘ sense of sight. This utterance can be
categorized to give imaginative pleasure for readers. The reader could visualize the colour of the tulips itself. It has bright and warm colour.
―Play fair,‖ shouted Coraline into the wind. 087P.96Apo1
The utterance is uttered by Coraline when she is alone walking down the hall. She feels that there is a wind blowing towards her. It slows her down by
hurting her. One of the ghosts says that Beldam or the other mother sent the wind to slow her down. Coraline realizes that the other mother is being cheated in their
game, that‘s why she shouts to her to play fair. Though the other mother does not present at the time, Coraline has a belief that she could hear her voice.
It gives pleasure for the readers in which they can imagine how Coraline may address the other mother though her absence. Commonly, people need to talk
face to face so their message will be delivered well to the addressee and be understood by the addressee. However, Coraline conveys her message without the
presence of the addressee, the other mother. It contributes pleasure for readers in their mind by imagining Coraline shouting into the wind. It is like she talks to
herself but actually she is talks to the other mother, who is not present by the time she shouts.
She fancied she could hear sweet music on the night air: the kind of music that can only be played on the tiniest sliver trombones and
trumpets and bassoons, on piccolos and tubas so delicate and small that their keys could only be pressed by the tiny pink fingers of
white mice. 139P.160Met1-2-3
This narration happens when Coraline lies in bed at her own house after escaping terror from the other mother‘s hand. On that night, she feels relieved and
grateful. She, even, does not feel apprehensive and nervous to start a new school the next morning. Due to the joy, she fancies that she could hear sweet music. In
that statement, the writer gives attribute to a music which can be sweet. It means that the music is pleasant and easy to be liked. The music catches Coraline‘s
interest and gives her a pleasure. The music is portrayed as something that can give pleasant. Music is being
represented as a beautiful product. Unconsciously, the readers will imagine they could hear music of joy. They can get peace, feeling better, and healing fears. The
readers could memorize the feeling of how they feel bliss. The statement could give pleasure about how beautiful the music is. It delights them through the
imagination. b.
To bring an additional imagery Figure of speech by comparison has the function to give additional
imagery intended to make the reader get the message by the five senses. The writer tries to visualize the idea to become the concrete one. Imagery has the
function to conceptualize and visualize the properties of abstract one into figurative description. It enhances the readers to transform their ideas into
imagination. Since it influences the mental of the readers to conceptualize how such description is. Thus, imagination of the readers becomes wider.
The first example of giving additional imagery is depicted in the utterance below when Coraline meet the crazy man upstairs.
―They are funny, the mice. They get things wrong. They got your name wrong, you know. They kept saying Coraline. Not Caroline.
Not Caroline at all.‖ 012P.14Per2-3
The utterance is uttered by the crazy man upstairs when he encounters Coraline at the bottom of the stairs. The old man says that the mice have a message for her.
He also comes out with the information that the mice mention her name as Coraline instead of Caroline. Indeed, in English-speaking countries Caroline is
more common as a person‘s name. It gives hint to the readers‘ that the crazy man upstairs could really communicate with the mice.
The function of figures of speech in bringing additional imagery can be seen through the utterance above. Visual imagery is vividly appeared in the
utterance. Readers could simply imagine through the visualization of how the mice correctly mention Coraline‘s name. It seems that the readers look the mice
talking with the crazy old man upstairs. Therefore, that utterance has an effect of bringing additional imagery to the readers.
Then, another example is shown the function of bring an additional imagery when Coraline and the black cat go back to the other mother‘s world to
save Coraline‘s parents. They have some conversation in the passage way between the houses when suddenly it feels like there is someone else with them
there. She put out one hand . . . and felt something
wispy, like a spider’s web
, brush her hands and her face. 042P.58Sim3
Due to sudden lights out from the candle, Coraline scrabble the room with her hand. She touches something wispy of a thin and soft fibre. She compares the
sense of touching something wispy to touch a spider‘s web. Visual imagery is vividly appeared in the statement. Readers could simply imagine through the
visualization of how the sense of touch something wispy. It seems to the readers, that they could experience to feeling of touching something wispy by imagining
touching a spider‘s web. The function of figures of speech by comparison in bringing additional imagery can be seen through this statement.
It is an example of simile that uses like as the indicator. It describes the existence of doubt mix Coraline up. The use of simile in this example also
describes the Coraline‘s feeling when her other mother showed visualization of her real parents abandon her. Reader‘s get more concrete description on
Coraline‘s feeling. Thus, it brings additional imagery to the readers. The other example of bringing additional imagery applied in the datum
below. The narration happens when Coraline manages to find the first ghost‘s soul
in her bedroom at the other mother‘s house. She puts the soul into her dress pocket and walks out into the hall when something sting her face and hands. She
tries to step forward hardly. One of the ghosts, then, whispers to her that the other mother‘s gets angry to her.
Something stung her face and hands like sand blowing on a beach on a windy day
. 084P.96Sim2
Reading this narration simply stimulates the readers in emphasizing their touch sensory of imag
ery. Since this narration tells about the stung in Coraline‘s face and hands, the readers try to illustrate the pain of being stung by sand
blowing on a beach on a windy day. Beach on a windy day usually has a lot of wind and the blowing sand may hurt peop
le‘s skin. The presence of touch sensory emerged in this narration through imagination of the reader in how such sting
appears. Implicitly, the readers try to make their sense of touch more sensitive. Therefore, this narration can be categorized as bringing additional imagery in
relation to the function of figures of speech. The last example of bringing additional imagery is found in the statement
when Coraline is about to unravel her games with the other mother. It puts the readers trying to make their sensory of sight more responsive.
The other mother was huge —her head almost brushed the ceiling—
and very pale,
the color of a spider’s belly.
119P.126Met2 It is useful for the readers to make a perception coming of their mind.
When they read the color of a spider’s belly, the first thing coming up in their
mind is that the other mother‘s skin has turned pale like the colour of a spider‘s belly. It attracts the readers to imagine the fair skin of the other mother. A visual
term of the readers immediately puts the position in their mind to build their imagination. They will get a mental picture of how pale the other mother is. Thus,
the readers see the other mother as Coraline sees her. The role of imagery here has important role to make the readers felt the situation happened that is described by
the narration in Coraline novel. This statement occurs to describe the other mother‘s true appearance. Coraline first see her similarity to her own mother, but
now she realizes that the other mother does not look anything at all like her own mother.
c. To add emotional intensity
Figure of speech is often used to express abstract thing that creates emotional sense. It helps in expressing words used in an extraordinary way in
order to add beauty and emotional intensity. The readers could feel the similar experience and sensation to what the character feels.
The first example of adding emotional intensity in figures of speech by comparison applied in Coraline is presented below.
She had the feeling that the door was looking at her, which she knew was silly, and knew on a deeper level was somehow true.
037P.54Per3
This narration is describing Coraline‘s feeling when she is about to save her parents in the other mother‘s world. She has tried to call police for help, but they
thought Coraline is having a nightmare. That‘s why Coraline force herself to once again back to the other mother‘s world. She personifies the door between the two
worlds as it may look at her. She thought of being watched by the door which makes her feel anxious and frightened. The same feeling is also experienced by
the readers when they read this narration. The writers intended to make the readers get into the story by sharing the same feeling with the character in
Coraline novel. Personification as figures of speech by comparison helps the reader to feel the unpleasant feeling of the character.
The next example is depicted in the statement when the other mother asks Coraline to talk about Coraline‘s ingratitude toward her.
She popped another blackbeetle into her mouth and then another, like someone with a bag of chocolate-covered raisins
. 065P.77Sim2-3
While having conversation, the other mother offers snacks to Coraline. Expecting it is to be a toffee or a butterscotch ball, Coraline looks at it. The bag is half filled
with large shiny blackbeetles, crawling over each other in their efforts to get out
of the snack bag. The other mother enjoys her snack very much. It looks like someone with a bag of chocolate-
covered raisins. Coraline‘s feeling at the time probably is full of disgust to the other mother‘s behaviour. The same feeling is
also experienced by the readers when they read the statement. The way the writer wrote how the other mother enjoying the living blackbeetles as snacks is indeed to
make the readers experiencing the same feeling with the Coraline. Through this figure of speech in this statement, the readers could feel the emotion experienced
by the character in Coraline novel. The next example of adding emotional intensity is portrayed below when
Coraline successfully back to her world.
The sky was a robin’s-egg blue, and Coraline could see trees and,
beyond the trees, green hills, which faded on the horizon into purple and grays.
128P.135Met1-3
Coraline and the black cat feel relieved after struggling to pass the other mother to get back to the real world. Coraline sits down on grandmother‘s armchairs, and
the cat spring up into her lap and make itself comfortable. Both are looking out through the window. Now they could see a bright clear daylight sky which makes
them feel grateful. There is no longer crude drawing of a house, thick mist, and grey sky.
By reading this narration, the reader immediately imagines how clear the sky is just like the colour of a blue robin‘s-egg. The mood appeared in the
narration could touch the reader‘s feeling by reading this statement. The figures of speech by comparison contained in that narration are able to bring emotion for the
reader such as feeling of comfort, secure, peace, and relieved embedded in the statement itself. The reader could have the same feeling experienced by the
characters when they read this narration. The last example of adding emotional intensity in figures of speech by
comparison applied in Coraline novel is presented below.
―There‘s a but, isn‘t there? Said Coraline. ―I can feel it. Like a rain cloud.
‖ 139P.142Sim1-3
The utterance above is stated by Coraline when she is in her dream, having picnic with three children. Those children are the tree ghosts from the other mot
her‘s world. They, together with Coraline, cherish the moment. The other mother case
is over and done for them, but not for Coraline. Coraline notices it when one of the ghosts left hanging her words about leaving in peace. She could feel her words
is like a rain cloud. I t is about to drop rains but keep holding it. Coraline‘s feeling
by that time is full of doubt, worry, and feeling of insecure. The same feeling is also experienced by the readers when they read this statement. The way the writer
wrote that way is indeed to make the reader experience the same feeling with the character, Coraline, in the novel story. The reader can compare Coraline‘s word
―like a rain cloud‖ with their feeling when they see a rain cloud hanging on the sky. Therefore, this example of simile as figures of speech by comparison applied
in Coraline novel could simply influence the readers‘ feeling.
d. To concrete meaning in a brief compass
The last function of figures of speech is concreting the meaning in a brief compass. Through this way, the writer does not require a dozen of words to
describe something. Since the text could be multidimensional, the writer merely tries to make it in brief compass. Thus, the writer can illustrate the meaning
colourfully. The first example of concreting the meaning in a brief compass is found in
the utterance below. ―Well, how did you get here?‖
―Like you did. I walked,‖ said the cat. ―Like this.‖ 024P.35Per1-4
Coraline just met a black cat that suddenly spoke to her. Surprised, Coraline asks so m
any things about the other mother‘s place and about the cat itself. She wonders how the cat could also get in to the other mother‘s world. The
cat answers that he just walks. The cat, then, shows her by walking behind a tree, but did not come out the other side. However, when Coraline walks back toward
the other mother‘s house, the cat surprisingly appears again. The cat only answers ―like this‖ to represent the method of its way to get in and out from the two
worlds. From the utterance above, the readers knows how the cat makes the statement more compact rather than explaining much.
―It‘s big enough for her,‖ said the cat. ―Spiders’ webs only have to be large enough to catch flies.
‖ 061P.73Per1-4
The datum above is uttered by the black cat that is addressed to Coraline to describe the size of the other mother‘s world. Spiders‘ webs here are a metaphor
of the size of the other mother‘s world and its function. The statement gives implicit meaning that Coraline is a prey which has trapped at the other mo
ther‘s created world. The flies, here, represents Coraline‘s situation in the other mother‘s
world. From the utterance above, the reader sees how the character makes the statement more compact rather than explaining much even though it has the same
meaning. It is done by the character in order to get aesthetic values in creating words.
The other example of concreting meaning in a brief compass is also portrayed below.
―Yes,‖ said Coraline. ―There were. I think you‘re planning to turn me into one of them. A dead shell.
‖ 076P.88Met4
The utterance above is uttered by Coraline when it is addressed to the other mother in the kitchen. It happens when the other mother fetch Coraline out of the
cupboard. Coraline says to her that there are other children in the cupboard. However, the other mother seems tease her by deny it. Coraline then says that
there really are the other children and she believes the other mother wants to turn her into one of them, a dead shell. It gives implied meaning that the other children
is a mere empty form without any souls within it. Therefore, Coraline mention dead shell in that statement which means it has the external form but lacks the life
inside it and it cannot perform its proper purpose. Coraline assume that the other mother wants to take away her soul by the proof of the presence of the other
children. In this utterance, Coraline ensure her conclusion. It merely makes such a brief compass statement that the other mother is targeting Coraline‘s life.
Therefore, this utterance can be classified to have the function to concrete meaning in a brief compass.
The next example of concreting meaning in a brief compass is portrayed when the other mother flatters Coraline.
But she loved Coraline as a miser loves money, or a dragon loves its gold
. 099P.104Sim4
The sentence above happens when Coraline meets the other mother after struggling to get two of the children‘s souls. The other mother convinces Coraline
about her love. Indeed, Coraline realize the other mother‘s love is true. However, her love is just the same with how a miser loves money or a dragon loves its gold.
The other mother has a great desire to posses Coraline. She, also, does not has an intention to let her go from her world. That brief compass statements simply
expres s the other mother‘s possessive trait. Therefore, that sentence can be
classified as function in figures of speech by comparison to concrete meaning in brief compass.
From the types of figures of speech by comparison above can be noticed that Neil Gaiman as Coraline
‘s writer used metaphor, simile, personification, and apostrophe in his novel. Mostly, he used simile in Coraline novel to directly
compare two things are actually different but has a significant resemblance. It uses conjuction such as like or as to make a comparison. It helps the readers to imagine
the situation and condition in the story. Meanwhile, apostrophe is only used once in Coraline. The writer does not tend to make a direct address towards some
absent or non-existance person or thing in Coraline novel. In the functions of figures of speech by comparison, all functions is
applied in the novel. To bring an additional imagery is the most frequently
occurred in Coraline novel. Simile gives the most contribution in providing additional imagery to the readers because it is able to get the idea by visual term.
Readers‘ sense of sight, hearing, and touch play a role get the mental picture of figures of speech applied in the story.
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