The Cardboard Kingdom

The opening chapter, “The Sorceress,” introduces the recurring theme of The Transformative Power of Play, for the children of The Cardboard Kingdom eagerly explore new ideas and experiment with their identities as they figure out who they want to be. This dynamic gains particular prominence when both Jack and his neighbor choose to adopt roles that challenge traditional gender expectations. The chapter begins with Jack roleplaying as the Sorceress, but when he becomes distracted and upset by his neighbor’s amusement at his antics, the narrative emphasizes his embarrassment, shame, and frustration, suggesting that Jack is aware that his taste for dressing as a Sorceress conflicts with societal expectations. However, the sequence of images (5) makes it clear that the Sorceress displays all the qualities that Jack wants to see in himself. Significantly, the artwork reflects this tension between inner desires and external pressures, for at the top of the page, Jack sits alone on his bed, exuding dejection after the incident outside. This scenes stands in contrast to the image below, which depicts Jack smiling when his sister gives him a new sorceress crown. In the second picture, a sorceress-shaped shadow is projected on the wall behind Jack, emphasizing the fact that his alter ego is an important part of who he truly is, even if that aspect must sometimes remain hidden.

As the Sorceress, Jack feels empowered and confident, and he enjoys himself in way that he cannot access when he is limited to being the person that everyone sees as just “Jack.” Despite his neighbor’s initial criticism of his antics, it soon becomes clear that her own creative choices reflect The Celebration of Diversity, for just as Jack prefers the Sorceress to a more traditional role, his neighbor scorns being cast as the princess and indignantly leaves the game until she can return as the Knight in a costume that she creates for herself. Thus, just like Jack, she breaks free of social expectations and uses The Transformative Power of Play to express her true self. With their roles finally sorted, the three friends finish the day engaging in epic battles and adventures, building a level of rapport that would have been impossible without the imaginative force of their collaborative game. Although the children manage to break free of various stereotypes, the entire sequence serves to illustrate the powerful hold of dominant ideologies and the overriding pressure to conform. This dynamic becomes clear when Jack resorts to casting his new friend in a role that meets gender expectations, even though he himself yearns to subvert those expectations with the persona of the Sorceress. Most importantly, however, this initial story sets the tone and illustrates the importance of play as a safe haven that allows the children to resist social pressures and explore alternative identities that more closely align with how they see themselves.

The underlying idea that play provides an avenue to explore identities is further underscored when Sell strategically juxtaposes images and ideas to emphasize key points throughout the chapter. Early on, images of the children’s play are depicted in two ways: “reality,” which shows them in their cardboard costumes, and “fantasy,” which depicts their play as they experience it, with more realistic depictions of the costumes, magic, and monsters involved (8-9). However, this pattern shifts by the end of the chapter, and when Jack and his neighbor finally take on the roles that suit them best, the reality/fantasy juxtaposition is replaced by pure fantasy in a two-page spread that depicts their play throughout the afternoon. The juxtaposition is gone, and the image bleeds right to the edge of the page, showing that they are finally the people they want to be and are fully immersed in their role-playing. The artistic rendition of “reality” only returns when the play is done, and the new rapport between the children is wordlessly depicted in the glow of warm orange light that surrounds them as they contentedly lounge together drink lemonade. As the cardboard remnants of their play lie strewn all around them, it is clear that they are delighted by the opportunity to be their true selves for an afternoon.

Sophie’s chapter, “Big Banshee,” introduces The Importance of Parental and Guardian Support. Shackled by her Meemaw’s outdated cultural expectations, Sophie longs to express her boisterous, outgoing nature, and her banshee costume ultimately symbolizes her determination to embrace a more positive view of her Meemaw’s accusation that she is a “banshee” and a “hellion.” The profound effects of familial judgments become immediately apparent as Sophie sadly tries to conform to her Meemaw’s wishes, losing her positive energy and withdrawing into herself as a result. As her Meemaw’s disapproval causes her to stop playing with her friends altogether, the negative impact that this dynamic has on Sophie is most clearly depicted on page 41. The page is divided into 12 equal-sized panels arranged in a three by four grid; however, rather than progressing from left to right, as is typical of western literature, the panels can also be read downward in columns. For example, the leftmost column shows Sophie gradually distancing herself from playing with her friends, while the middle column depicts her doing chores with Meemaw and becoming increasingly miserable. Finally, the rightmost column shows her trying and failing to redesign her costume. This multifaceted panel layout can be read in a myriad of ways, and the smaller, more intricate pictures emphasizes the interminable passage of time, showing how unnatural and depressing it is for Sophie to suppress her true self.

However, Meemaw is not the only source of misunderstanding that Sophie must overcome, for Shikha initially thinks that Sophie’s costume design looks mean, whereas for Sophie, her costume is just “big!” (35). Thus, even amongst her peers, Sophie must work to declare the true nature of her personality and chosen persona, and she benefits greatly when the people around her show her approval and support. This shift becomes evident toward the end of the chapter when Sophie’s mom returns with the cardboard and gives her daughter the reassurance she needs to make her costume. The first thing she does in this “big” costume is defend her friends from a bully, and this bold feat implies that although Sophie is big and loud, she is also selfless, kindhearted, and eager to protect her friends.