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.