Dragons in a Bag

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism.

Nine-year-old Jaxon’s mother, Alicia, tries to shield him from the family’s problems, such as their landlord’s efforts to evict them from their apartment in Brooklyn, New York. When she has to appear in court, she asks an elderly woman whom she calls Ma to watch Jaxon for a few hours. Jaxon has never met the mysterious woman before and assumes that she’s his grandmother. The thought of his mother leaving him with a stranger makes him feel like crying, but he makes sure that his mother doesn’t see that he’s upset. Jaxon would rather go to the house of his friend Vikram Patel, whose parents are fond of him and consider him a good influence on their son.

At first, Ma curses and refuses to let Jaxon into her apartment. Alicia begins to cry and pleads, “You’re all he has” (3). Jaxon has never seen his mother beg before. He wants to hold her hand, but he shies away from the door and grips onto his backpack’s straps instead. When Ma closes the door, Alicia wearily dries her eyes and takes her son’s hand, preparing to leave. Ma opens the door and says, “One day.