Dragonkeeper

“The girl had no idea what her master had in mind. Lao Ma seemed to know, though. She shook her head and chanted prayers of forgiveness.”

The fact that Lao Ma already knows what Lan is planning suggests that Lan has pickled dead dragons before in order to escape punishment. Given that two dragons remain when there were once 12, the narrative obliquely suggests that Lan has been shirking his duties for many years. Lao Ma’s refusal to intervene also illustrates Lan’s intense control over Huangling, for even though he is doing something cruel and evil, nobody has the will or the inclination to stop him.

“He made gentle metallic noises, the same sounds that he made whenever she brought him milk. They sounded like the wind chimes that hung outside the palace entrance hall to ward off evil spirits. It was a melancholy sound, but the girl thought it meant he was pleased. A rasping voice disturbed the peace of the courtyard.”

This passage uses contrast through imagery to highlight the contrast between Danzi’s gentle kindness and Lan’s malicious cruelty. Even the aesthetics of each character’s voice and appearance supports this idea, for just as Danzi’s voice is compared to the beauty of wind chimes, Lan’s rasp cuts off Ping’s enjoyment of the dragon’s company. These images suggest that Ping must choose between two different views of the world: Danzi’s wisdom or Lan’s cruel tyranny. Both male characters are essentially vying for control over Ping’s mind and worldview, but the extended description of Danzi foreshadows the fact that his influence will prevail.

“Characters and pictures of dragons were cunningly woven into it in gold threads. The dragons were slightly raised, as if real tiny dragons had been sewn into the fabric. The silk slipper was embroidered with fine stitching, also in gold, forming spiral patterns that reminded the girl of high wispy clouds.”

Even in this early scene, Ping’s instinctive affinity for dragons shines through in the author’s vivid descriptions of dragon-themed artwork. Up to this point, Ping has only ever seen the outside world depicted in art, but in this moment, her fascination foreshadows the idea that Ping is destined to become the true Dragon Keeper.

“The girl’s clothes were wet, and her teeth were chattering. She was shivering violently, and her head ached. She crawled up to the dragon. His scaly body was hard and rough. Close up he had a rather unpleasant smell, like a mixture of overripe plums and fish brine, but he did give off some warmth.”

This passage presents an apt example of the author’s habitual use of short sentences and blunt, visceral descriptions—both of which are designed to appeal to relatively young readers. By attending to various senses (the “hard and rough” touch of the dragon’s scales and the oddly rotten yet briny scent of his body) the author strives to produce a fully realized vision of this up-close encounter. The pragmatic inclusion of unpleasant smells also balances the fantastical nature of the dragon himself, lending the narrative a degree of wry verisimilitude. Following these earthy descriptions with the reminder that Danzi is warm also cements the dragon’s presence as a welcoming one despite his unique scent.

“Why would you want to go anywhere? This is a comfortable cave. You have everything you want here and the dragon hunter won’t be able to find you. I’ll come and visit you when I can.”

This passage shows how much Ping needs to grow. Her abusive upbringing has forced her to accept bare limitations as adequate, and for this reason, she cannot understand why anyone would want more than the bare necessities of survival. Her offhand tone makes it clear that she must grow to understand that there is more to the world and that both she and Danzi have much more to live for and achieve.

“Ping thought about the poor family who had given her, a complete stranger, more kindness in one night than the mean-spirited Dragon Keeper had in her whole life. She fingered the bamboo square around her neck. ‘Master Lan must have known my name all along,’ she said.”

Ping’s healing process necessitates the realization of the full harm that other people have inflicted upon her. Her quiet tone of sudden understanding reflects a barely realized source of grief that she has yet to fully process. When she recognizes that Lan did not even care about her enough to make her aware of her own name, she begins to understand the true limits of her former life under his tyranny. Now, Ping must experience kindness in order to grow and demand the better treatment that she deserves.

“It was discovered that some young men, when they were in the presence of dragons, developed a second sight. They were able to locate lost items and, when their skills developed, to read men’s hearts. Those who developed a strong bond with a dragon could even glimpse the future. The tribal chiefs used these young men to help them make decisions.”

This passage deliberately uses masculine terms to emphasize the culturally ingrained misogyny that has prevented women’s involvement in dragon-keeping throughout the novel’s internal history. Each phrase uses the word “men,” implicitly erasing women from the narrative of the Dragon Keepers—even though Ping, a young girl, is the only person left to continue this legacy. This dynamic foreshadows Wang Cao’s betrayal, which is enabled by Danzi’s misguided assumption that the true Dragon Keeper should be male because this position has always been held by men in the past.

“I came into possession of a copy of a page from the Book of Rites—one of the Five Classics. I have studied this page for six years. It is my hope that if I study hard and pass the examinations, I will be able to work with the Scholar of Great Knowledge who is the expert on the Book of Rites and…”

The Book of Rites, a real book, is a compilation of texts that precedes the Han Dynasty by several hundred years; it is considered to be a key text of Confucianism. This text discusses the idea of li, or traditional practices that could bring order to the confused present. This passage alludes to Ping’s own role as Dragon Keeper; by reviving a lost tradition, she is helping to stabilize the Han dynasty, even if she does not realize it.

“Ping looked around the room. It was empty except for a pile of rags that must have been the family’s bed. Her anger disappeared. She took back the pouch and opened it. She took out two cash and some of the smaller copper coins and gave them to the boy. She knew what it was like to be hungry enough to steal.”

This passage proves that Ping is kind and empathetic, even though many of the people she meets are cruel and vindictive. In this scene, she gives the thief some of her own money because she recognizes that he needs it, and her action proves that her own suffering and poverty have not made her greedy and miserly. While Ping has flaws, this moment highlights her positive character traits, which will only be strengthened in the following chapters.

“In the country, there were wild animals and bad weather, but the few people they met were kind and friendly or kept to themselves. There had been some friendly people in Chang’an, but there were unpleasant people as well. The capital was too big and it confused her. Before, she had thought that there were two types of people in the world—good and bad. Now she had learned that she wasn’t the only one who got too hungry to be good.”

The novel deliberately seeks to complicate Ping’s childlike, simplistic ideas of good and evil, and her encounter with the desperation of others teaches her that people are rarely what they initially seem to be. This passage also shows her inner struggle with the concept that all good people can commit evil acts if they are subjected to desperate circumstances. Because Ping has encountered more sinister people than helpful ones, the narrative implies that her world is broken in some way, as every person is striving for their own sake instead of the sake of others. Ping must learn to overcome her own selfish impulses and protect others—namely, the dragons—in order to become a good person in her own eyes.

“People believe dragon lives in lake and has not awoken from winter sleep to bring spring rains. Know dragons hate iron, so throw iron in lake to drive him out.”

This passage provides an example of the diction that the author employs in Danzi’s speech. The missing articles and pronouns combine with his abbreviated sentences to convey that he is not accustomed to speaking in human languages. However, his ability to communicate clearly and succinctly also shows his intelligence, suggesting that he holds human traits despite his otherworldly nature.

“Ping had always been alone. The only people she could remember being in her life were Lao Ma and the horrible Lan. They weren’t friends, though. Master Lan had never shown her a moment of warmth, and though Lao Ma had been kind enough to her, she had only ever thought of her as a slave.”

In this lament, Ping reflects that her trauma comes from never being treated as a human being who is deserving of love and respect. Adults have only ever treated her as an object or as subhuman, and Danzi is therefore the first “adult” to treat her kindly, even though he also demands much of her. As Danzi’s regard teaches Ping about Friendship and the Meaning of Loyalty, she finds true companionship and faith. Lao Ma and Lan forced her to labor for them, but Danzi asks her to do things for him because he knows that she can accomplish these goals and become a celebrated Dragon Keeper.

“The rain continued to fall. Ping sat with the rat and the dragon in the rock overhang, sipping tea and looking out at the wet landscape and the rapidly filling lake, enjoying the simple pleasures of being warm, dry, and well fed.”

While Ping needs to accept that she deserves better than her upbringing has provided, she nonetheless retains the ability to enjoy simple pleasures, and this is continually presented as a positive trait. Ping does not take things for granted, and she enjoys her existence even in situations when many people would complain. As a result, she has more energy to care for Danzi and to pursue their collective goals.

“‘Boatman must be dishonest or unfriendly,’ said Danzi. ‘Possibly unskilled.’ Ping liked the look of the boat, though. It was well kept.”

This passage foreshadows the false nature of Jiang Bing’s show of friendship. While the boatwoman is initially portrayed as being mistreated due to the prevalence of misogyny, Danzi’s immediate concern that she is dishonest turns out to be true. Ping is deceived by the appearance of the boat and the ostensible kindness of Jiang Bing, but Danzi’s worry stems from his greater experience and intuition.

“Wucheng was very different at night. The streets were now busy with strange people going about their business. There were hooded figures whose faces were hidden. There were men wearing gowns painted with strange shapes. There was a woman whose hair was pure white.”

In the world of this novel, people who look strange are often not to be trusted, and these ominous descriptions of the necromancers’ city thus foreshadow the troubles that Ping is currently courting. In this passage, Ping’s wary perceptions of Wucheng reflect her staunch belief that people who appear to be evil must indeed be evil. However, with Jiang Bing’s imminent betrayal, Ping is about to learn that the inverse of this simplistic principle is not always true.

“Ping ran towards the gates. Six people were standing across the street, barring her way. She stopped. They were strange, thin figures with fluttering gray robes and long straggly hair that blew about their heads even though there was no wind. They had blank staring faces. There was something else about them. They were floating just above the ground.”

Beyond the existence of Danzi, the appearance of the necromancer’s six sentry ghosts emphasizes that the world Ping lives in is fantastical, not purely historical. The ghosts are described as identical, and this trait implies their lack of personhood. Their very homogeneity conveys the threat that they represent, and it is clear that they are not a neutral part of Wucheng’s environment.

“Though she tried to keep them on other things, Ping’s thoughts kept returning to Jiang Bing and how willing she’d been to trust the boatwoman. She would be much more cautious in the future. She would still be courteous to people she met, but she would guard her trust very closely.”

Ping’s ruminations over Jiang Binig’s betrayal reflect her inner growth. However, her decision not to trust people automatically is a product of her trauma as much as her wisdom. In fact, there is not a single person in the novel she can fully trust—not even Danzi, since even he chooses Wang Cao over her at one point. In her mind, Jiang Bing’s betrayal seems like a sign that nobody can be trusted at all. Ironically, despite Ping’s resolution in this scene, she will quickly choose to befriend the emperor despite her devotion to Danzi.

“Ping could see her own reflection. There was nothing unusual about her face. Nothing that made her look any different from any other girl in the empire. But in her heart she knew the dragon was right. It was as if a secret place inside her that had always been closed, had opened. She felt pride swell her chest. A few months ago she had been a nameless slave; now she had discovered that she was a special person.”

The novel’s primary message is that special people can come from any social class. Ping clearly fits the well-worn trope of “the chosen one,” which appears often in coming-of-age stories with fantastical premises. In this context, her special abilities and her calling transcends even the power of the emperor. Ping’s moment with the mirror thus shows her growth upon accepting this calling, since she finally recognizes that her lowly background does not have to control her future.

“She realized that though the Emperor was surrounded by people day and night, he never had anyone he could talk to. Ping smiled. It was a new experience for her as well to talk to someone around her own age.”

Ping’s intense loneliness is compounded by her youth, since she has no idea how people her age are supposed to behave. The emperor, however, is an ironic choice of a companion, for despite the pair’s vast differences in social status, he also has no idea of how teenagers are supposed to act, even though he is the most powerful person in China. In many ways, this unlikely similarity contributes to their rapport, since they each have no specific expectations for how the other person should act.

“Liu Che went over and picked one of the white flowers. He gave it to Ping. As they walked, the mist below evaporated in the morning sun and revealed the countryside stretching off into the distance. The Yellow River snaked away to the east like a bolt of ocher cloth that someone had carelessly thrown out across the landscape.”

Many of Ping’s interactions with Liu Che take on a romantic tone, as when he gives her a flower in a passage that emphasizes the gentle beauty of the landscape. The palace and its surroundings are also described in dreamlike terms, suggesting that this life cannot be a lasting possibility for Ping. Liu Che’s impossibly high social status prevents him from being a true romantic interest, and Ping’s role in the novel is to embrace duty and piety, not romantic love.

“A few days before, when the dragon had left her, she wouldn’t have cared if she’d plunged to her death from a mountain. But she knew now she didn’t want to die. She felt a new strength fill her. She didn’t draw it from the darkness around her. It came from within.”

Prior to this point, Ping has been drawing her strength from Danzi and from her purpose, not from herself. This passage directly shows her inner transformation from a person driven by external forces to someone who is capable of using her inner strength to withstand external trauma. Ping must decide to live for her own sake, and although Danzi’s guidance can help to get her there, she cannot rely on him forever. This moment thus foreshadows his departure at the novel’s end.

“The seal of the Imperial Dragon Keeper lay on the rock at her feet. She picked it up and traced the beautiful carved dragon with her fingertips. Then she raised it above her head, ready to hurl it into the distance. She looked across the valley to Liu Che. She lowered her hand and put the seal in her pouch. Though Liu Che didn’t realize it, she was doing what was best for the dragon. She was still the Imperial Dragon Keeper.”

Ping’s symbolic act in this passage shows her recognition that the world is bigger than the whims of one emperor. While Liu Che cannot see beyond himself, she recognizes that serving the empire is a much more cosmic responsibility than obeying Liu Che. In this moment, she (unlike the emperor) is capable of seeing the greater good, which involves caring for as they need her to, not as the emperor expects her to.

“Danzi carefully lifted the creature from her lap and licked off the mucus with his long red tongue, then placed it on the sand. It balanced for a moment on its fragile legs and then collapsed onto its belly. Ping saw that the little creature was covered in fine purple scales—shiny and smooth like fish scales. There was a row of soft spikes running down the length of its body from its head to the tip of its tail. The frayed edges at the end of each leg were tiny toes. It was a baby dragon.”

The tender tone and delicate imagery in this passage help to describe Kai’s vulnerability. His toes are tiny, and his scales are smooth and even his spikes are soft, and he clearly needs protection and care, just as a human infant would. The bald statement, “It was a baby dragon,” also conveys a sense of Ping’s wonderment at this development, suggesting that Kai is a true rarity in the world.