In 2003, a book by Cressida Cowell entitled How to Train Your Dragon was published. Seven years later, a movie of the same name, based on her book was produced. The main reason why I chose to read How to Train Your Dragon, was that I wanted to see the differences and similarities from the book and the movie. Such as the plot and characters.
In the both the book and the movie, the story revolves around a boy named Hiccup; a scrawny kid, who lives on an island called Berk. Though the two are about Hiccup, their plot lines are completely different. In the movie, dragons are feared. They are considered to be beasts that need to be destroyed. For years the members of Hiccups tribe, the Hairy Hooligans, hunted and protected Berk from the dragons. That was until Hiccup brought down a dragon called a Night Fury and learned that dragons were not so bad. Hiccup was the first to train dragons. During the time when he found the Night Fury (now named Toothless), Hiccup has to go though “Dragon Training,” to learn how to kill dragons. At first, Hiccup does horrible, but as he begins to learn more and more about dragons though Toothless, he begins use what he knows to help him take down the dragons in the training in a harmless manner. Thus winning him first place in Dragon Training and earning him the right to kill a dragon in front of the entire village. Hiccup decides to try and show everyone that they do not need to kill dragons, but he is interrupted by his father (Stoic) and has to be saved by Toothless from the angered dragon. Toothless is captured and taken to the dragons island so that the Hairy Hooligans can get rid of all the dragons. However, a giant Queen dragon attacks them. In the end, Hiccup and the other kids kill the Queen dragon with their dragons. On the contrary, in the book, dragons are kept as pets. When the children of Burk become old enough, they are put though a test to get a rite of passage to join the Hairy Hooligans