Snapdragon

“Our town has a witch. She fed her eye to the devil. She eats roadkill and casts spells with the bones…That’s the kind of bull the dumb kids at my school say. Witches ain’t real. She’s just an old loony.”

The opening lines of the graphic novel introduce The Social Effects of Being Perceived As Different. Jacks lives alone in the woods, wears an eye patch, and has a unique relationship with animals. The rumors the townspeople spread about her foreshadow the truth but assume the worst.

“‘Their mama’s dead and you helped Good Boy—I thought maybe…I thought maybe you could help them.’ ‘Well, c’mon. Bring ‘em on inside. They look a few weeks old…that’s lucky…They’ll be ready to be on their own in a month or so…Keep ‘em warm, feed ‘em…they’ll likely survive.’”

These lines characterize how Jacks defies the town’s assumptions of her. The town imagines her to be a creature-eating witch. She is actually a compassionate caretaker of animals and she helps Snap with the possum babies without a second thought.

“‘Then how’d you escape?’ ‘Easy! I walked backward off her property with my eyes shut! That’s the only way to escape a witch!’ ‘Oh, really? And did you do it with a rosemary sprig in your pocket? Everyone knows that’s the secret!’ ‘Wait a second…No! Because rosemary only works during dream sequences!’ ‘I knew that! It was a test! What you really need to carry with you angelica root—’ ‘Bound with the witch’s hair!’ ‘I never met someone my age who likes the Witch’s Hill movies!’”

This moment solidifies Snap and Lulu’s friendship. Both are perceived as different for various reasons. Snap is a girl who doesn’t like girly things. Lulu is a trans girl who, at this point, is not yet out and is judged for liking girly things. As she and Snap find that they are passionate about the same movie series, this demonstrates The Strength of Found Family. Though both feel judged by their peers at various times, they feel safe and secure with each other.