Most societies have sets of behaviors, actions, appearances, and identities they consider normative—they can have a variety of reactions to people who differ from these norms. The novel suggests that there is nothing inherently wrong with people who diverge from what a society considers normative; ideas about normativity are socially constructed and have to do with a society’s larger ideologies. Jacks, Snap, and Lulu all differ from what their society deems normative in various ways; this affects how society treats them.

Jacks is the first character who is mistreated because her society has preconceived notions about her based on its stereotypes. Jacks’s ostracization from society began when she was a young woman. Her parents kicked her out of the house. Jacks doesn’t fit into her parents’ idea of normativity, so they rescind their parental care. This rejection has ramifications for Jacks’s relationship with Jessie; Jessie is willing to offer her The Strength of Found Family, but Jacks’s fear and trauma is too great. She lives her life in isolation, with her town spreading rumors because they perceive Jacks as different and further ostracizes her.

Jacks tells Snap that this experience is common among witches. While Snapdragon makes witches real in-universe, historically, women who fell outside traditional patriarchal roles designated for women in Western society were persecuted—and sometimes killed—as witches.