How To Train Your Dragon
One of my favorite things to do is rewatch an entire movie series before the release of a new installment. This year I’m revisiting the animated classic How To Train Your Dragon. The successful children’s book series became a massive film franchise and recently spawned a new Orlando theme park as well as a live-action reboot coming out this summer. Though geared toward younger audiences, the whole family can find something to enjoy in these films.
Hiccup is not like every other Viking. What he lacks in strength and courage, he makes up for in mechanical ingenuity. During an attack on his village, Hiccup manages to bring down a mysterious “Night Fury,” but can’t bring himself to finish off the wounded dragon.
Hiccup befriends the dragon and names him Toothless. He designs a mechanism that allows Toothless to fly again and learns to ride him. Further experiments allow him to ace all his training exercises by gently subuding dragons rather than killing them. He learns that dragons are actually peaceful creatures who only attack the village to appease a giant monster.
When Hiccup’s father, chief Stoick, discovers what’s been going on, he calls him weak and disowns him. But after the monster overpowers Stoick’s forces, Hiccup and his fellow teens save the day with the help of their new dragon friends. Stoick realizes he was wrong to let his preconceived bias blind him to a better solution and apologizes to his son.
Hiccup’s reluctance to follow tradition shows us that one person with deep-rooted principles can break the mold. He’s driven by compassion, not weakness. Though they started as bitter enemies, dragons and Vikings work together for the rest of the series.
Some say we’re living in an unprecedented time where people are more at each other’s throats than ever before. I don’t know if that’s true. We’ve always had disagreements, and enemies are a fact of life. But our era is defined by anger, prejudice, and a lack of empathy. Those looking to stir up tension are getting louder, as battles rage all around us. We have a choice to engage in the chaos or to find another way.
Hiccup befriended Toothless because “I looked at him, and I saw myself.” If our tradition is to alienate and demonize, we can transform culture by showing patience and compassion. When we seek to understand each other, we might just find we have something in common. Maybe we're not enemies after all.