by Sarah Halstead
The protagonist Aventurine goes through a hard time, she turns into a human when she is a dragon. Silke, a random person comes and saves her from Greta, a nice person in the square. Silke finds a place to get Aventurine money, and to buy her a new dress. Marina, a chocolatier gives Aventurine a job at a chocolate house, and a place to live. The king of the town helped Aventurine persuade people with her idea. In The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis, the protagonist Aventurine gets into a hard time and friendship helps her no matter what she is going through. I hope you like my essay about friendship and compassion.
Silke helped Aventurine with a lot of things like: getting her money, and getting her a dress to wear. Silke came out of nowhere and came to Aventurine. Silke helped Aventurine get money by going to sell her own hair, once Aventurine got the money. Silke guided her to get a dress to wear, they picked out a purple dress. I think Aventurine should’ve gotten a dress to blend in with the crowd, but the color really expresses Aventurine’s dragon side. Later in the story, Aventurine is with Greta, Greta is the person who saved Aventurine from the forest. Silke finds Aventurine in the market, and pulls her to a crepe place and talks to her about going back to the Chocolate Heart. On page 134, the author Stephanie Burgis shows tone, mood, and friendship at the same time, “Silke poured for each of them with a flourish. Then she scooped up the empty tray and moved back a step, looking expectant.” This text really shows the theme: friendship and compassion.
When Marina gave Aventurine the job of an apprentice at The Chocolate Heart, and gave her a house above The Chocolate Heart. Marina kicks out her old apprentice because she says that he poisoned the chocolate. Marina doesn’t have an apprentice now, Marina comes to Aventurine. Aventurine says that chocolate is her passion, after a while of debating Marina hires her. I think that Marina is a very nice person; she sometimes can be strict too. Marina is a complicated character. Marina didn’t save Aventurine’s life but she made Aventurine life fulfilling by letting her work at The Chocolate House. Chocolate made Aventurine’s life very comforting and calming at the same time. This supports the theme because Marina is a friend of Aventurine and she helps Aventurine when she wants a job at a chocolate house. On page 165, author Stephanie Burgis shows flashbacks by saying, “Well. Those fancy courtiers made a lot of jokes about my chocolate that night. The queen made one or two herself, and those got printed in the paper the next day.” When Marina says this it makes Aventurine realize that it doesn’t matter if something bad happens, you can still stay there.
The royal family helped Aventurine with her idea to get her family to not destroy the town searching for Aventurine. Aventurine’s dragon family is coming to the town to get her, they think that Aventurine is still a dragon. Aventurine and Silke came into the town hall where the mayor, king, princesses, the mayor’s wife, and more guards. Aventurine gives an idea to everybody there: Aventurine will stand on the highest point in the town hall and talk some sense into the dragons. They first disagree, but then the king says that she is the only one who knows what’s best because she was a dragon. This shows that even though everybody thought that it was a bad idea, the king said it was ok because Aventurine had the most knowledge of her own family. I wish that the king would make all of the chocolate houses nice just like how Marina was so nice to Aventurine. On page 13 the author Stephanie Burgis shows casual language by saying, “Aaargh!” This part of the story gives an example of how the king might not feel comfortable with Aventurine’s idea.
All in all, the theme of the book is friendship, friendship can help you even if you don’t think anybody can help you. Like when Silke helped Aventurine with all of her problems. Also, when Marina hired Aventurine as her apprentice. And finally when the royal family agreed with Aventurine’s idea. Even though life might not be perfect in your opinion, when you have friends it feels life is the best it can ever be.