Dragons in a Bag

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism.

Through Jaxon’s adventures, Elliott affirms the importance of family and community. Ma welcomes Jaxon into the magical community by introducing him to characters like Ambrose, Sis, and Professor L. Roy Jenkins. The titles that Ma and Sis are known by are relational terms, which emphasizes how close-knit this community is. In addition, the author uses the lens of fantasy to examine real-world threats to Brooklyn’s Black communities, particularly gentrification. The displacement of long-term residents directly correlates to the borough’s dwindling magic: “Ma looks up and down the block and sadly shakes her head. ‘Brooklyn ain’t what it used to be. Sometimes I look around and hardly recognize the place. […] Brooklyn’s lost its magic. All kinds of creatures used to call this place home. But not anymore’” (40). The changes and challenges facing Brooklyn’s communities have a major impact on the story’s structure because Ma and Jaxon strive to find a more hospitable home for the dragon hatchlings. By making gentrification and the erosion of Black neighborhoods issues for both humans and fantasy creatures, Elliott emphasizes the importance of working together to preserve communities.