Elder Wisdom and Cultural Preservation in Dragons in a Bag

Abstract

In many Black communities, elders have served as keepers of cultural knowledge, passing down traditions, survival strategies, and stories through oral storytelling when written records were destroyed or denied. However, in children’s literature, older characters are often sidelined or presented as obstacles to young protagonists’ independence, reflecting Western values that privilege youth
autonomy over intergenerational connection. This pattern has real consequences for young readers’ understanding of cultural transmission. This is especially true in communities where oral traditions are essential for preserving knowledge that formal education has historically erased or devalued. While recent scholarship on Afrofuturist children’s literature has examined language use and world-building, less attention has been paid to how these texts position elder characters as active agents of cultural sustainability. This study examines Zetta Elliott’s Dragons in a Bag (2018) to ask how elder characters function as cultural sustainers in contemporary Afrofuturist children’s literature, and what does this reveal about the role of intergenerational dialogue in preserving endangered cultural practises? By closely reading the novel, I focus on the relationship between the protagonist Jax and Ma, a Black witch who teaches him about magic based on African diaspora traditions. This research examines how Elliott builds the narrative around passing
knowledge from elder to child. The analysis reveals that Ma simply does not give Jax magical abilities; rather, she actively teaches him the history, responsibility,  and cultural context behind that power. This intergenerational teaching model challenges the common fantasy theme where young heroes gain power without help or understanding. The study suggests that by highlighting the importance of elder wisdom, young Black characters can better understand and use their power. Elliott shows how oral storytelling and conversations between generations can keep cultural knowledge alive, which written systems have not been able to do. This 
research adds to the discussions about cultural sustainability and multilingual education. It shows that children’s literature can acknowledge oral traditions as real knowledge systems. This gives young readers the chance to see how cultural preservation happens through everyday conversations between generations rather than only through formal institutions.