Little Jack Horner

An Elf in the Corner - Is Jack a Boy At All?

In this image, Jack is either very small, or his Christmas pie is very large; either way, it is difficult to see him in this image as having much to do with reality. The proportions in the image are particularly jarring because the detail of the illustration itself is so precise in all other aspects, from the fingernails of his right hand to the elegant angularity of the holly leaves in his hat. He is indeed a figment of some sort, and appears elf-like with his pointed slippers, his arguably pointed ear, his noteworthy hat that seems as though it might more likely belong to a resident of the North Pole than a naughty little boy assigned to a corner. The sprig of holly in the band in this image links the scene to the winter holiday season. Given Jack's rosy cheeks and his very non-penitent pose and facial expression, it is plausible to think that Jack is not a boy at all, but a Christmas elf who has hauled an entire pie with him onto a stool and proudly enjoys it there, propped up for all to see.