I've always wondered if the speed of time in the normal world is parallel to the speed of time in the other world (i.e., if Coraline spent 4 hours in the other world, would she be missing in the normal world for 4 hours?)
The other world was carefully constructed by the beldam to represent Coraline's real life. Upon her initial visit to the other world, Coraline is shocked at how the world beyond the door is a better version of her own. However, Coraline makes the decision to not be complacent in accepting this world's initial appeal. She is prompted to consider how her other mother has deceived her, and she is forced to unpack the motivations for the beldam's deceit. Later in the novel, Coraline is convinced that her other father is an innocent and complacent character. Later, she discovers that this persona was merely an illusion in order to convince Coraline that he is not a suspicious or sinister figure. Through her exposure to the other world, Coraline learns to understand how appearances can differ from the reality of a situation.
