Dragonkeeper

Rats, particularly Hua, serve as a symbol for intelligence and loyalty regardless of outward appearances, exploring a different angle of Friendship and the Meaning of Loyalty. Within Chinese culture, rats have a more positive connotation than in European cultures; they are part of the Chinese zodiac and are typically associated with traits such as intelligence, ambition, and honesty. People born in the year of the rat are also considered to be good friends of people who are born in the year of the dragon, although the novel never explicitly states whether this symbolism is intentional. Yet at the same time, most characters in the novel treat Hua as a pest to be feared or killed, showing that even the positive cultural symbolism of rats does not necessarily equate to fair treatment. Much like Ping, who is a hereditary Dragon Keeper yet is enslaved and abused, Hua is seen as a pest worthy of nothing but death, and even Danzi shares this view until Hua saves him from the centipede. The presence of rats therefore shows that appearances can be deceiving; an enslaved girl can become a Dragon Keeper just as a rat can be a loyal, heroic friend.