Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher

To indicate the stormy nature of the challenges to come, Coville begins Chapter 3 with vivid descriptions of rain, lightning, and thunder, creating a tense atmosphere that foreshadows great change in Jeremy’s life. However, the sudden end of the storm and the emergence of the moon shift the mood from despair to hope, and as Jeremy carefully follows Mr. Elives’s instructions for the hatching despite his doubts, his attention to detail indicates that he is Overcoming Insecurities through Responsibility and will soon begin to experience The Mutual Benefits of Caregiving. His careful preparations also demonstrate his level of commitment and highlight a key aspect of his character: his willingness to take risks and follow through on his beliefs, even when they seem improbable. The fantastical elements of the story are also apparent in Coville’s description of the hatching process, which blends awe and suspense as Tiamat forms an initial mental bond with Jeremy. As the boy’s fear quickly changes to a sense of protectiveness for the little dragon, he experiences The Challenges of Friendship when he realizes that “it didn’t seem right to leave a baby out here to fend for itself” (39) and resolves to protect Tiamat from the world. Unlike the other animals in Jeremy’s life, Tiamat is not a pet. She is, for all intents and purposes, her own person and must be treated with compassion and respect, and even the pair’s first cautious interactions reveal this fact. Significantly, the chapter concludes with the rising sun, a symbol for a new beginning, and this image captures the essence of Jeremy’s story, which is defined by a balanced blend of the ordinary and the magical.

The new instructions for Jeremy emphasize the seriousness of raising a dragon, but at this point, Coville playfully emphasizes the humor of the situation, expounding on Jeremy’s revulsion upon handling the slimy chicken livers and his frustration at the antics of his dog Grief. These details add a layer of domestic comedy to the otherwise fantastical task of raising a baby dragon, and because Jeremy’s efforts occur in such a mundane setting, Coville implies that any child in the world might someday find themselves in a similar circumstance. In this way, the very ordinariness of Jeremy’s surroundings convey the idea that the more extraordinary events of the novel are equally possible and accessible, for Mr. Elives’s shop might magically appear in any town in the world.

As Jeremy and Tiamat get to know each other and experience The Mutual Benefits of Caregiving, their mental bond becomes a central aspect of the narrative. Even before Jeremy fully realizes the importance of this connection, the instructions provide pointed foreshadowing about the challenges to come, for a crucial part of the instructions concerns the note about a dragon’s sensitivity to its Hatcher’s emotional state. By stressing the need for Jeremy to remain in control of his feelings, Coville foreshadows Tiamat’s later actions when the boy becomes frustrated and overwhelmed by the ongoing challenges of the school setting. The narrative therefore implies that Jeremy’s journey will require him to grow and mature even as Tiamat grows from a tiny hatchling into a magnificent full-grown dragon.

Even in these early chapters, it is clear that despite Jeremy’s troubles at school, he will also find an array of unexpected allies. Chief among these is the enigmatic Miss Hyacinth Priest, whose unwavering support stands as a sharp contrast to the hurtful behavior of Jeremy’s art teacher, Mr. Kravitz. Additionally, Jeremy’s cordial conversation with Mary Lou foreshadows the fact that the girl will soon become a valuable friend and ally despite the protagonist’s embarrassment over the obvious crush that she has on him. As the children’s conversation about books continues, it is notable that the authors mentioned—C. S. Lewis and Natalie Babbitt—are famous authors of children’s fantasy. Lewis is known for The Chronicles of Narnia (1950-1956), while Babbitt wrote Tuck Everlasting (1975). By mentioning these authors, Coville firmly places his own works in the same literary genre.