The Cardboard Kingdom

“‘Wait, are you a boy?’

‘I’m the Sorceress!’

‘Cool. Well, I’m, uh…The Huntress!’”

Upon being asked, Jack neither confirms nor denies that he is a boy. His reiteration that he is the Sorceress suggests that, at this point, his role-playing is less about a specific gender identity and more about exploring an identity that he feels most comfortable embodying. Shikha’s unquestioning acceptance of Jack’s response highlights how inclusive this group of friends is.

“‘Honestly, Sophie. You should know better than this. Nice little girls don’t talk so loud, you know.’

‘I’m…I’m sorry Meemaw.’

‘In my day, girls knew to behave and be quiet. Not act like a hellion or yell like a banshee.’”

Meemaw’s adherence to outdated and heavily patriarchal gender expectations weighs heavily on Sophie, dampening her mood and robbing her of the excitement she feels about creating a bombastic costume. Because she is a naturally boisterous and energetic person, her grandmother’s scolding begins to make her feel ashamed of who she is.

“‘She means well, Sophie. It doesn’t always come out right…but she means well.’

‘She called me a hellion. Whatever that is. She said no one likes loud girls. That nice girls are quiet and behaved.’

‘She used to say that to me, too. And she wasn’t right then, either.’”

In this passage, The Importance of Parental and Guardian Support plays a prominent role in resolving Sophie’s conflict with her grandmother, for her mother validates her feelings and reassures her that there is nothing wrong with her behavior or interests.. When Sophie’s mom is away, the girl gives up on making a costume and turns into a shell of herself because her Meemaw constantly criticizes her, but when her mom comes home and provides reassurance, her excitement and confidence return almost immediately, and she proudly embraces and expresses her true identity.

“Someone got hurt because of something I made…and that makes me feel gross. All I wanted to do was make cool stuff, you know? I didn’t want to compete with you. It just brought out the worst in me. In both of us.”

Even though Becky and Alice are ultimately just children competing for their friends’ attention, this chapter illustrates how the necessity to compete with other businesses—a core tenet of marketplace capitalism—can lead to situations that are less than favorable for consumers. Becky starts off just wanting to “make cool stuff,” but she soon engages in a competition with Alice, and she tries to outperform her competitor rather than making a product that her customers want or need.

“‘Here I am, fair princess! Jump into my arms, and we’ll escape!’

‘Uh, what? I’m good, thanks.’

‘Like in the movie! It’s not like we have to kiss. Geez!’

‘I didn’t want to!’

‘Ha ha, Miguel. Why are you being weird?’

‘I’m not weird. You’re weird.’”

Earlier in the chapter, Miguel is depicted daydreaming about the prince from a movie he’s just seen. When his friends begin to reenact the movie, he is unhappy with his role until Nate, who is playing the prince, suggests that Miguel be the princess. Miguel initially enjoys this, but when it comes time for the rescue, his sudden discomfort reveals that he is still processing his feelings toward the prince in the movie, and by extension, toward Nate. The circumstances of their play force him to confront these feelings in a way he is not yet ready for.

“You know, I can command animals, too! It’s more like we’re buddies. C’mon, Speedy!”

The Animal Queen is incredibly bossy and controlling from the moment she is introduced. Seth navigates this quirk by trying to show her that she doesn’t have to be so bossy and that things will be more fun for everyone if they are both on more equal footing. His dog, Speedy, obeys Seth’s commands, but Seth sees Speedy as a friend rather than a subject.

“Stupid book! I did everything you said and nothing worked!”

Egon loves science, but he quickly learns that developing friendships takes more than following a procedural list of instructions. In attempting to follow book’s advice on how to make friends, Egon stops being himself and loses focus of the fact that he would do better to make friends with like-minded people. When things finally click and he becomes friends with the Scribe, it is because he is being himself and has found someone with shared interests.

“‘I have left my kingdom to find someone. My captain of the guard! He hasn’t reported for duty in a few days and…well, I’m worried.’

‘Ooooh, a missing captain?’

‘Did the Sorceress ensnare him with a dark spell?’

‘Maybe he was hunting a giant beast…but the beast got him first!’

‘What? No! […] Seth wouldn’t have gone anywhere without telling me!’

[…] ‘I believe his father has moved out.’

‘Yeah, his parents have been fighting.’”

This scene depicts the collision between fantasy and reality, for the real-world problems that Seth is facing have started to impact the children’s play. The Animal Queen begins speaking in pretend, fantasy terms, and the others initially follow suit, not realizing that the Animal Queen is talking about Seth. However, when the other kids realize who she means, they immediately drop the veneer of imagination and explain what has happened in clear, sober terms that reflect the true gravity of the situation.

“‘You shouldn’t worry, Seth. Make the most of your summer. Go play with your friends.’

‘Mom, I don’t…I’m tired.’”

Seth is so upset by his parents’ separation—and more specifically, by his father’s aggressive behavior—that he cannot sleep. This inner turmoil demonstrates the profound effect that problems at home have on all areas of a child’s life. Because Seth is so upset and tired, he no longer wants to play, and the depiction of him in this chapter uses a deliberately desaturated color palette to create a stark contrast with the happy, friendly boy depicted earlier in the novel.

“‘What in…Seth, is that you?’

‘It is I…the Gargoyle! […] Do not attempt to enter, intruder!’

‘Huh. Does your mom know you’re up there?’

‘The Gargoyle is on patrol! I defend the whole block! From villains and monsters…and…and all kinds of evil.’

‘Huh.’”

Seth creates his alter ego as the Gargoyle to deal with his parents’ separation. This tactic allows him to distance himself from the problem and assert a form of control over his situation, even if it is only an illusory one. When his dad arrives, Seth is in costume as the Gargoyle and never acknowledges his real identity. He also generalizes and expands the threat of his father to the entire neighborhood, and when his father sadly departs, the moment reflects the deep wedge that separates the various family members. Thus, the Gargoyle’s “victory” over Seth’s father, the intruder, is tinged with sadness and regret.

“Amanda, never be afraid to be different.”

There is some irony and hypocrisy in what Amada’s dad tells her in this passage, for it soon becomes clear that he dislikes certain kinds of differences, as when Amanda wears a moustache to emulate him. He initially does not understand her attempt to be like him, and his cultural background causes him to perceive her costume as an unacceptable deviation from social expectations.

“‘The neighbors, what will they say? What would they say back home?’

‘I don’t…I was trying to help my friends. Like you said.’

‘I said no such thing. Take it off and go to your room.’”

Amanda’s dad’s disapproval of her wearing a moustache is rooted in social expectations and fears of what other people might think. His question, “What would they say back home?” also suggests that his prejudice is culturally based. Later in the story, he recognizes the harm that these beliefs are causing Amanda and shows his willingness to let go of his biases.

“I’ve told you about many magical creatures […] They are strange and different, Amanda. And at first they are scary. Sometimes it is hard to accept what you don’t understand.”

It is telling that Amanda’s dad roots his apology in this metaphor about magical creatures. Dominican culture is important to him, for it grounds him and provides a sense of predictability. Because Amanda and her family live in America, her father’s fondness for his cultural background also provides the family with a sense of connection to their heritage and place of origin. However, some of his beliefs have also led to a rigid and skewed understanding of the way things should be, and as a result, Amanda’s father instinctively views deviations from his cultural expectations as wrong, strange, or scary.

“Friendship is a weakness found only in humans. Robots have no need for it.”

Unlike all the other children in the novel, Connie is never seen out of her costume. She is most comfortable role-playing as a robot because the persona functions as a defense mechanism against the uncertainty and potential disappointment of trying to make friends. In her mind, rejection does not matter if she can always fall back on the idea that robots do not need friends.

“Listen, we can’t make you have a birthday party, but we think it would be good for you to celebrate and meet some new…foolish humans.”

Connie’s dad is incredibly supportive of her and deftly navigates a difficult situation by adopting Connie’s way of thinking and speaking. Likewise, he refrains from forcing her to change or engage in activities that she doesn’t enjoy. However, he also recognizes that it is important that she has friends and a social life so that she can learn how to navigate social situations.

“I have had it, Jack! No more potions, no henchmen, and no Sorceress in this house!”

In this passage, the frustration that Jack’s mom expresses stems from her displeasure at his tendency to mistreat his sister, not from his choice to dress up as a woman or do “evil” deeds. This conflict comes full circle by the end of the chapter, as Jack learns that he can be “evil” without treating everyone as his “minions.”

“No one gets it. I’m evil. I don’t care what people think. They can say what they want. Do I care? NO!”

While Jack’s insistence that he doesn’t care suggests the precise opposite, the artwork on pages 184 and 185 vividly depicts his dejection just as the empty swing beside him emphasizes his loneliness. When the Knight shows up, his dejection turns to anger to mask the fact that he is upset, and his insistence that he doesn’t care is an attempt to convince himself as much as anyone else.

“‘I want you to know that I’m okay with it. It’s totally fine that you’re…you know…’

‘What? Evil?’”

Jack doesn’t have any concrete definitions or labels for his gender identity at this point. It’s something he is still figuring out, and “evil” is the blanket term he uses as a placeholder in the meantime. Nonetheless, this exchange between Jack and his mother demonstrates that he knows he is different in some ways, and it is also a way for him to lean into that difference and use it to empower himself rather than sinking into an isolated state.

“I haven’t summoned you here to be my minions…but rather…to be my allies. And together we will be…The Army of Evil! Mwhahaha!”

Jack feels more empowered and validated after the conversation with his mom. He has also realized that she objected to how he was treating others, not to his choice to dress up as the Sorceress. By making his former minions into allies and equals, he finds a new way to be “evil” without alienating others or isolating himself.

“I told you, Nanna. I’m too old to play dress-up.”

Despite all his claims that he is too old to play dress-up, Roy clearly longs to join the other children in the neighborhood. The image in the panel at the top of page 203 succinctly captures the tension he feels, for on the left side, Roy longingly looks out the window at the children playing, but on the right side, the novel depicts the teenagers who represent the social pressure to grow up. Thus, this visual representation stresses that Roy himself is caught between two different worlds.

“It’s your fault! I hate this neighborhood, I hate those kids, and I hate living in this house! I just want to go live with my mom again.”

In addition to struggling with the conflicting desire to grow up, Roy is also dealing with a troubled family situation that makes it necessary for him to live with his Nanna; as the novel implies, his mother is currently incapable to taking care of him for an unspecified reason. In this exchange, it is also clear that he doesn’t actually hate the neighborhood, the kids, or his life with his Nanna; instead, he feels a general frustration over the lack of control in his life. This is another reason he resorts to bullying, for doing so provides him with a small and illusory sense of control.

“‘Working at the Inn has totally been fun…’

‘Of course! It’s been a huge success!’

‘I know. Maybe it sounds dumb, but…I feel like I missed out on having my own adventure.’”

The difference between Alice and Becky has always been that Becky wants to connect with her friends, while Alice is more interested in making a profit. This conversation reveals that Becky feels she has missed out on adventure. However, by the end of the chapter, Alice abandons her more detached perspective and has as much fun as anyone as they all take down the multi-headed dragon that Jack and his Army of Evil have created.

“‘The Army of Evil has [the Dragon’s Head]! You must split up and follow the map to fight the three—’

‘Give it back or else!’

‘Not before everyone gathers for the final adventure of the summer! Because…We seriously spent a lot of time on it.’”

Jack’s approach to “evil” in this chapter demonstrates how much he has grown. He is no longer trying to antagonize everyone, and he puts a massive amount of effort into creating a fun adventure for all of his friends. This scenario still allows him to be the villain, but he does so in a way that benefits everyone.