The uniform for candidacy is a white tunic. Keevan’s injuries make the journey difficult, and he falls several times, dirtying his tunic, so that when he finally arrives at the cavern, his white robe is “no longer spotless” (27). In contrast, he is greeted with “the backs of the white-robed candidates” and a “white human wall” (27), emphasizing the pristine color of the other boys’ uniforms. Discuss the significance of this juxtaposition between Keevan’s state of dress and that of the other candidates within the cavern.

Anne McCaffrey is known for creating strong, intelligent female characters within the realm of science fiction. Consider the two main female characters in “The Smallest Dragonboy,” Keevan’s foster mother, Mende, and the Weyrwoman, Lessa: Which qualities do they embody, and are they constructed differently from the male characters? Use examples from the story to support your answer.

At the beginning of the story, Beterli has claimed the egg marked with “a large yellowish splotch in the shape of a dragon backwinging to land, talons outstretched to grasp rock” (9). Given that bronze eggs usually bear distinctive markings, it’s suspected that particular egg contains the bronze dragon.