CHILDREN’S LITERATURE REIMAGINED: INTERTEXTUAL DIALOGUES WITH FAIRY TALES IN NEIL GAIMAN’S “CORALINE” AND “THE GRAVEYARD BOOK”
Keywords:
Intertextuality, fairy tales, children’s literature, postmodern fantasy, archetypes, narrative transformation, Gothic motifsAbstract
This paper examines how Neil Gaiman employs intertextual strategies in Coraline and The Graveyard Book to engage with, transform, and subvert classic fairy tale traditions. Drawing on theoretical frameworks of intertextuality from Julia Kristeva and Gérard Genette, the research investigates how Gaiman reworks familiar motifs and structures from the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, and broader European folklore. By focusing on elements such as the double, enchanted spaces, liminal figures, and moral ambiguity, the study argues that Gaiman not only revitalizes the fairy tale genre but also addresses modern themes of autonomy, identity, and death in children’s literature. Through close textual analysis and comparative readings, this research aims to contribute to the understanding of how contemporary fantasy for young readers draws power from intertextual engagement with literary tradition.
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