28 pages • 56 minutes read
Anne McCaffreyThe Smallest Dragonboy
Fiction | Short Story | Middle Grade | Published in 1973A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Dragon Eggs
The dragon eggs symbolize the importance that Keevan’s society places on size as an indicator of worth. The wingsecond refers to a “promising egg” at the beginning of the story, noting how “the stretch marks were larger than yesterday” (8). Stretch marks are types of scars that usually depict the fast stretching or shrinking of skin, so they are evidenced more often during growth spurts. Just as Keevan battles with others’ speculation based on his physical size, the dragons are subjected to these same biases. The stretch marks on this particular egg deem it “promising,” suggesting it shows potential for success, yet it hasn’t proven that just yet. Candidates make presumptions about which dragons to target or strive for based on cultural biases that they impose upon the dragons, rather than on actual knowledge of the dragons’ attributes. The eventual event of the dragons’ hatching is another symbol in the story, as dragons in Keevan’s society are assigned value at their hatching. In this case, Heth’s hatching coincides with his Impression on Keevan, which symbolically allows Keevan to “hatch” and discover his own value. Likewise, the hatching symbolizes Keevan’s rebirth as the brave dragonrider K’van, who is the new target of both respect and envy from the other candidates.
Hot Sands
The hot sands symbolize the pressure Keevan feels to prove himself capable to everyone around him and the obstacles in his path. When Keevan first enters the Hatching Ground cavern at the start of the story, he notices “the sands underfoot were hot, even through heavy wher-hide boots” (4). The cavern is a space that inspires both great hope and great stress and anxiety for Keevan; the place holds so much potential for either success or failure. The pressure of the upcoming Hatching Day is exemplified in the burning sand that Keevan feels through his thick soles.
Still in the cavern, after immersing himself in daydreams of Impressing any of the colored dragons, Keevan’s first thought upon resurfacing to reality is how hot the sands are, exclaiming “shells […] but the sands are hot!” (8). In daring to hope to Impress various dragons, Keevan emboldens his efforts and increases the pressure on himself to succeed. Later, he stumbles to the Hatching Ground cavern in his injured state, hastily clad and barefoot, “the sands hot on his bare feet” (27). The pressure is more heavily upon him than ever, made even hotter by the obstacles he faces along the way. The hot sands on his bare feet are one last test of strength and a testament to his developing endurance: Though their heat burned through his thick shoes at the beginning of the story, he is able to tolerate their contact with his bare feet now, asking “What was pain to a dragonman?” (24).
When Keevan believes he failed to make it to the Hatching Ground in time to Impress a dragon, he “tripped and collapsed sobbing to the warm sands” (28). Already, the hot sands have warmed, signifying a decreasing amount of pressure upon him, whether through failure—as he believes he missed his opportunity—or through success. This symbolism continues as Keevan “tried to burrow into the sand” (29); when he looks up at Heth, who’s Impressed on him, the dragon’s wet wings are “drooping in the sand” (29). What was originally hot sand, and then warm sand, is now just “sand,” which suggests that its heat is either entirely dissipated or no longer noticed. The intense pressure upon him has abated because he succeeded.
Heth the Bronze
Heth’s portrayal serves as a mirrored version of Keevan, embodying his insecurities and perceived frailties. When Heth first approaches him, Keevan lashes out in hostility, thinking it’s a peer coming to taunt him for his failure at Impression. This reaction wounds Heth, and when Keevan finally looks up, he regards Heth, who is portrayed as dejected: His “wings were wet, the tips drooping in the sand” (29). He reflects Keevan’s prior sense of rejection and inadequacy in his interactions with his peers and his father earlier in the story. Heth “sagged in the middle on his unsteady legs, although he was making a great effort to keep erect” (30-31). He is a bronze, arguably the largest breed of dragon and the most desired, yet he “sags” and stands “unsteadily.” Simply standing requires “great effort” from him. Despite his size, he is physically weak, which mirrors Keevan’s weakness early in the story that leaves him “breathless, chest heaving” (3) while attempting to keep up with his peers.
Once Keevan recognizes that Heth is in front of him—Impressing on him—Heth is anxious for his acceptance, asking “Don’t you like me?” (31). Keevan embraces Heth with welcoming arms “patting the damp, soft hide, opening the fragile-looking wings to dry them” (31). This imagery focuses on the massive creature’s physical descriptors, all of which are vulnerable and delicate, from its fragile wings to its soft hide. Next, Keevan is “wordlessly assuring the hatchling over and over again that he was the most perfect, most beautiful, most beloved dragon in the Weyr” (31). This scene signals Keevan’s coming of age as he transforms from a vulnerable child to a nurturing caregiver. In this rite of passage, Heth takes Keevan’s place as an insecure creature in need of acceptance and reassurance. In turn, Keevan becomes the powerful dragonrider K’van, assuming for Heth the same responsibilities that Mende filled for him as the source of reassurance and unconditional acceptance.
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