Response to Argument

Luo Jiner, Smily

Dr. J. Marquardt

ENG 1430

Mar 30st

Word Count: 328

Response to Argument       

My partner offered me an argument against my claim that the How to Train Your Dragon is a Cinderella story. She said that there is no identifying object in How to Train Your Dragon. However, there is an identifying object in the How to Train Your Dragon while my partner didn’t see it.

Identifying object is a specific thing that pushes the development of transformation. In traditional Cinderella story, identifying object is glass slippers. The king recognizes Cinderella by asking all girls to try the glass slippers because the glass slipper could only fit for Cinderella’s feet. This plot is ridiculous but it shows that glass slippers link up Cinderella and the King.

In the How to Train Your Dragon, Toothless’ artificial tail plays a similar role as glass slippers. At the beginning of the movie, Hiccup shoots the Toothless and Toothless’ tail breaks. A dragon without tail can’t fly and will die soon, so Hiccup made an artificial tail for Toothless. Unfortunately, Toothless can’t control the artificial tail by himself. Hiccup then makes another device so Hiccup could ride Toothless by controlling the artificial tail. Toothless is grateful that Hiccup gives him the second life. Hiccup begins to learn how to ride a dragon at that time. During the fight against the evil dragon, Toothless’ artificial tail burns by the fire breathed from the evil dragon. Toothless and Hiccup dropped from the sky and Toothless uses his wings to protect Hiccup. Hiccup didn’t die but loses a leg due to the fire. People make another artificial tail for Toothless and an artificial leg for Hiccup. They are both lack a “tail” now. That’s obviously that Toothless’ artificial tail links up Toothless and Hiccup. They become good friends because of the tail and their disability also shows the tail is a symbol in the How to Train Your Dragon. So Toothless’ artificial tail is an identifying object and the How to Train Your Dragon is a Cinderella story.