Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher

This section describes the bittersweet culmination of Jeremy’s story, emphasizing his success at Overcoming Insecurities through Responsibility. Because Jeremy is faced with the inescapable reality that he must be parted from Tiamat forever, he learns to value his time with her deeply, and these intense experiences take center stage in his life even as his school-related struggles continue. The Challenges of Friendship are also further explored in Chapter 12 when Spess’s excitement at being allowed to compete in the art contest comes at the cost of another blow to the two friends’ already weakening bond. While Jeremy understands that his decision to take responsibility for the “hotfoot incident” is the right one, he is still frustrated by the unfairness of the situation. However, when Tiamat arrives and flies Jeremy away, she offers him a literal and metaphorical escape from his troubles, and from the vantage point of her back, he learns to see his own world from an entirely new angle. His view of Blodgett’s Crossing as a lush, green place seen from above provides an alternate perspective on his mundane life, reminding Jeremy of the beauty and wonder in the world.

However, although the first and subsequent flights provide temporary escapes for Jeremy, the weight of caring for Tiamat takes a toll on him to the point that his mother makes him visit the doctor. His fatigue, his worry over Fat Pete’s disappearance, and his constant need to feed the growing Tiamat all add to his burden, and these difficulties reveal The Challenges of Friendship when combined with the weight of his caregiving role. Despite his many secret sources of stress, Jeremy finds no solace in the rapid approach of Midsummer Night, for he is not ready to give up the most extraordinary relationship in his life, and his reluctance is symbolic of a child’s resistance to the inevitable changes of life as growth takes place. These internal conflicts are further illustrated as Jeremy and Tiamat reminisce over her baby teeth, shed skins, and eggshell fragments, which stand as a tangible record of their time together. Thus, this section of the novel focuses on endings, for gathering these items together allows boy and dragon to fondly recall their time together and say goodbye. Significantly, Jeremy’s relationships with others have their conclusions here as well. He and Spess have mostly drifted apart, and although his connection with Mary Lou has changed to a friendly one, he does decline her offer to accompany him when he sends Tiamat home. Finally, the animosity between Mr. Kravitz and Jeremy ends on an anticlimactic note, with Mr. Kravitz uncharacteristically wishing Jeremy luck at his new school.

While Jeremy doesn’t receive proper closure with his formerly antagonistic teacher, he does eventually find resolution after the anguish of Tiamat’s departure. As Miss Priest tells Jeremy, “Nothing you love is lost […] The only things you ever really have are the ones you hold inside your heart” (151), and her words reflect his search for closure and carry a message of comfort regarding the nature of love and separation. She explains that separation from the things and people we love is inevitable, but she also stresses that such vital connections endure even after the people who forged them are gone. With Jeremy’s separation from Tiamat, Coville endeavors to impart a vital life lesson about the nature of endings, which are a central part of everyone’s life. The author therefore stresses that resisting important changes can cause far more problems than accepting them, for when Jeremy resists Tiamat’s departure, he causes her to become trapped halfway through the gate, caught between her own need to move on and Jeremy’s desire for her to remain. Jeremy’s desperate attempt to hold onto her causes her intense pain and shows the destructive potential of clinging too tightly to loved ones who must move on with their own lives. In the end, motivated by this realization, Jeremy finally relents and lets her go. Ultimately, Jeremy’s journey is one of growth and learning, and this chapter represents a culmination of that experience.

Despite returning home to his ordinary life, Jeremy’s brush with magic has irrevocably changed him. His grief also keeps him isolated and creatively paralyzed for the rest of the summer and partway into autumn. This period of artistic inactivity underscores how integral Tiamat had become to his sense of self. His parents’ concern about his lack of drawing and his avoidance of Mary Lou, despite her attempts to connect with him, further emphasize the disconnect between his inner turmoil and the external world. When the Thatchers attempt to remedy Jeremy’s sadness with their Halloween party, the event is meant to rekindle a sense of wonder and magic in him. However, Jeremy only responds when his connection to Tiamat is magically reestablished, and this renewed relationship heals his sorrow when he realizes that he will always have access to Tiamat’s heart and mind, and she to his. This event allows Jeremy to find a balance between immersing himself in magic and remaining grounded in his own world, and the return of his interest in art indicates that he has finally healed from the sadness of losing his extraordinary friend. The story therefore concludes on a hopeful note, and by resuming his art, Jeremy symbolically reclaims his identity and begins to heal.