Dragons in a Bag

Ma is a witch who helped raise Jaxon’s mother, Alicia. The elderly woman wears a purple housecoat, and she has “white hair” that looks “like an angry cloud” and “murky blue-black” eyes (7-8). The description of Ma’s hair reflects her initial gruffness. At the start of the novel, she intimidates Jaxon with her unwelcoming manner, and she angers him with hurtful remarks: “You ain’t got a home—remember? That’s why your mama left you here with me” (30). As the story continues, Elliott reveals that Ma’s harsh and jaded demeanor is the result of exhaustion. The witch is nearing retirement, and she doesn’t have an apprentice to share the burden of her responsibilities. Ma’s decades of experience make her wise, powerful, and well-respected within the magical community, and she uses this expertise to mentor and protect Jaxon. Her growing bond with the boy draws out her caring and nurturing side. For example, their reunion in Chapter 12 makes it clear how close the two characters have become: “I take a deep breath and say, ‘Ma, can I give you a hug?’ ‘Of course you can!’ she cries before wrapping her arms around me” (130). As Elliott reveals the strain and exhaustion that Ma is under, the reader gradually sees the loving heart beneath the gruff exterior of this round, dynamic character.

Ma serves as a mentor and grandmotherly figure to the protagonist, proving instrumental to his growth and the novel’s structure. The inciting incident occurs when Alicia leaves her son with Ma, and Jaxon spends much of the plot trying to find his way back to the witch. This mission leads him to progress on his journey toward responsibility and personal growth. In addition, Ma is a key figure in the theme of magic and wonder. She reveals to the main character that magic is real, and she entrusts him with the baby dragons. Ma also develops The Importance of Family and Community. She helps the author examine the negative effects of gentrification on Brooklyn’s Black neighborhoods: “I used to know the name of everyone in my building—and they knew mine. Now I don’t even know half the folks on my floor. They move in and act like strangers, not neighbors” (40). In the final chapter, Ma demonstrates the value of family and gives the resolution a hopeful tone when she opens her heart and home to Alicia in Chapter 13: “I know things haven’t been…right between us, but you’ll always be family to me” (143). Ma’s bond with Jaxon is at the heart of the novel, and she welcomes him into new realms of family and magic.

Alicia is Jaxon’s mother. They share a strong familial resemblance: “We have the same dark eyes, long eyelashes, and curly eyebrows that creep across our faces like twin caterpillars” (7).

Alicia is openly affectionate, showering her son with hugs and kisses during her appearances in the novel’s first and final chapters. Even though Jaxon feels nervous about sharing his desire to become Ma’s apprentice with his mother, her unconditional love gives him the courage he needs to broach sensitive subjects: “Mama loves me. No matter what I say or do, that will never change” (141). One way in which Alicia expresses her love is through her efforts to shield her son from the family’s problems, including their landlord’s efforts to evict them. Alicia’s protectiveness arises from loss and a belief that she and Jaxon are all each other has; Jaxon notes, “After my daddy died, Mama made it seem like it was just the two of us against the world. And I liked it that way because I knew I could count on her to be there for me” (97). The emotional and financial strain that Alicia experiences as a single parent is a significant source of stress for her. For example, her desperation is audible when she pleads for her estranged mother figure to watch Jaxon in Chapter 1: “Please, Ma. You’re all he has” (4). Alicia is a loving and protective parent who needs help taking care of Jaxon, and the stress that her character is under illustrates the great importance of family and community support.

As the protagonist’s parent and closest relative, Alicia makes important contributions to the novel’s plot and themes. She sets the story’s events into motion when she leaves her son with Ma, who is a complete stranger to him at the time. Alicia’s clear need for a support system emphasizes The Importance of Family and Community, and this need leads her to begin repairing her strained relationship with Ma. Although Alicia is present in only a few scenes, Elliott makes the character more dynamic through her shifting relationship with magic. When Alicia was younger, Ma considered her a promising prospect for an apprentice because she was “very bright” and “curious” (36). However, her connection with magic was complicated by her strained relationship with her father and a frightening experience in the magical realm, leading her to reject the extraordinary and seek an ordinary life. At the end of the novel, Alicia is shaken when she learns that her son wants to be a part of a world that she wants nothing to do with, but she begins to express understanding and cautious curiosity about his supernatural adventures. The author offers hopeful signs that Jaxon and Ma may be able to help Alicia gain a sense of wonder in the everyday even though she’s currently mired in real-world problems.

Kavita is the younger sister of Jaxon’s best friend, Vikram. Her age isn’t specified, but she’s less than nine years old. Kavita’s immaturity shows when she threatens to tattle on her brother, making him take her along to the park for his rendezvous with Jaxon. Her curiosity proves helpful when she shares some of her knowledge about dinosaurs with the protagonist, but this trait crosses the line into nosiness when she looks through Ma’s purse. Although she gets into mischief, Elliott characterizes Kavita as good intentioned. Feeding the dragons goes against Ma’s rules, but the young girl is unaware of this and is trying to be kind to the hatchlings, which seem sad and hungry to her. Even Sis, who is adamant that all the dragons belong in the magical realm, defends Kavita’s character: “The girl is no thief—she now feels bound to the creature just as it feels bound to her” (134). Kavita’s immaturity and curiosity cause problems for Jaxon and the other characters, but she has good intentions.

Kavita is a minor character who exerts a major impact on the story’s structure. She only appears in Chapters 8 and 9, but her impulsive decision to take one of the baby dragons while they are in Jaxon’s care is one of the most momentous actions in the novel. This event intensifies the suspense, the conflict, and the theme of family and community. Kavita feels a familial bond with the baby dragon, but the infant needs to be with its siblings, posing a complex problem for Ma and Jaxon to solve in the series’ next installment. In addition, Kavita’s actions underscore differences within the magical community and raise divisive questions about the relationship between the two worlds. While Sis believes that all fantastic creatures belong in the magical realm, Professor Jenkins sees the hatchling’s presence in Brooklyn as proof that the two worlds should be more connected: “‘It’s destiny!’ L. Roy proclaims triumphantly. ‘Magic will find its way back into our world no matter how hard you try to keep it out’” (125). The theft of the baby dragon also impacts Jaxon’s relationship with the other characters because he feels that he must correct the situation to prove that he deserves to be Ma’s apprentice. Kavita’s connection with the dragon shapes the novel’s plot and has important implications for the themes of magic and community.