The image of dragon in literature. Pedagogical perspectiveon the basis of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien’s Hobbit

• Main Author: Anna Hyla
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wydawnictwo LIBRON 2018-12-01
• Series: Konteksty Pedagogiczne
• Subjects: Hobbit; Tolkien; dragon; hero; morality development
• Online Access: https://kontekstypedagogiczne.pl/kp/article/view/34

This article focuses on the dragon character in literature, taking Tol-kien’s Hobbit as an example while employing a pedagogical perspective. The dra-gon, as the antagonist, is a recurring motif in literary fiction, especially in fantasy, and together with the hero represents the struggle between good and evil. Smaug the dragon and other characters, as well as their moral codes and motivations, are analysed in the context of other similar classic literary works, e.g. Beowulf. The author then proceeds to present how discussing the antagonist character in class, and using various methods for forming morality, may benefit the development of children’s moral code and emotional intelligence.