Essay Questions

Can the novel be treated as a coming of age story? Support your answer by citing examples in the novel.

The titular hero Eragon starts off in the novel as a simple farmer living out a hardscrabble existence in rural limbo and ends the novel as a heroic dragon rider. More than just a chronicling of his transformation from farmer to warrior the book also narrates his character growth from his beginnings as a naive young boy who was enamored more with the power and possible glory that being a dragon rider would bring him to his eventual maturity and coming to full grips with the weight of responsibility that comes with becoming a dragon rider. Following that flow of events, the novel may indeed be treated as a coming of age story.

How is the theme of identity explored in the novel?

The theme of identity is explored through the eponymous main character. His name also becomes a plot device of sorts used to further this theme. The main character begins as a humble farmer but he is given the rather lofty name of Eragon, a legendary hero. Being a humble farmer his name seemed almost like a bad joke because far as Eragon is concerned he is as far away from his epic namesake as can be. When events start to come together and he trains to become a dragon rider, Eragon, little by little begins to live up to his name embodying the nobility and selflessness once displayed by his namesake.

Who or what does Saphira symbolize in the novel?

Saphira embodies both Eragon’s higher aspirations, particularly a life grander and nobler than just tilling soil and harvesting crops. She also symbolizes Eragon’s potential for greatness. She, like her rider, is clumsy at the beginning but both of them possess a bravery that is beyond their years and great raw potential.