The Cardboard Kingdom

From the moment he is introduced in the text-free first chapter, Jack adopts the role of the evil Sorceress and positions himself as the arch-villain during play. He constantly treats his younger sister as his “minion” and spends his days causing trouble for the other children. Often, his actions are just a part of the game, but there are also times when he crosses a line, as when he breaks the table in the Dragon’s Head Inn. However, for Jack, the word “evil” is a code for far more than mere villainy, and the deeper nuances of his chosen role are implied during the emotional conversation with his mother in the chapter entitled “The Army of Evil.” His mom’s oblique references to the Sorceress indicate her awareness that Jack is likely someone who has an LGTBQ+ identity, and when she tries to vaguely broach the subject with him, he assumes that she is talking about the fact he is “evil.” His response is genuine and reveals that “evil” is the label he has adopted to define his sense of being different. At this early stage of his life, he simply doesn’t have the vocabulary or conceptual understanding to delve any deeper into his feelings.