Analyzing Gregory Maguire's 'Wicked'
About four days ago, I had the pleasure of viewing the timeless classic "The Wizard of Oz". It was always a favorite of mine since my childhood. I saw it again first when I was twenty and my perspective of the fantasy had not changed much; however, this time I saw it in an entirely new light was more than an adult looking at a childhood fantasyland viewing it an adult perception. My attitude towards the classic has changed after reading Gregory Maguire's "Wicked" "Wicked is the account of what happened in Oz prior to Dorothy's arrival. There are many interesting facets to the story. Most intriguing is the idea of just what is evil? How do we as a society see good and evil right and wrong? In this paper, I will examine the ways in which Elphaba
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strived to do good but was always viewed as evil due to the color of her skin. Elphaba was born on a moonlighted evening in a strange road-show wagon tick the time machine. Her mother was of nobility while her father was a voice for the God who has no name. It is a strange world; there are normal size people, dwarfs, and over sized people. They live peacefully, but there is the constant threat of their land be overtaken by the government. A class system is in place. Elphaba was delivered by a midwife. She was born with a full set of teeth and green skin. She was also born with an extreme allergy to water; water actually burns her skin. She was far from normal as a child; she was slow to develop language. Her mother rejects her and leaves her to the care of her nanny. Elphaba's father flex made up for her mother's lack of love. He was devoted to the proper development of this special child. Soon she gained knowledge of right and wrong .Eventually she was able to be around other children. She prospered under the care of her nanny and father while Oz became a chaotic world under the rule of the Wizard. The Wizard is power hungry; he wishes to control all of Oz. There is great political and social up rest; meanwhile Elphaba's family suffers in their own way. They live as simple people. The father is often not present. She is spreading the word of the unnamed God. Her mother chews on the leaves of a plant that produce hypnotic delusions and drinks herself into drunkenness. Another child is born to Melana and Frex this time the child is normal in skin color but she has no arms. The time comes when Elphaba matures and is ready to venture out into the world. Although they are poor Flex wants his daughter to have the best Education and he sends her to the Shiz School. At Shiz Elphaba encounters students of different political social and economic backgrounds. Most of them are quick to reject Elphaba because of the color of her skin. Throughout, her time at Shiz Elpaba strives to do what is right. She is an advocate intelligent animals and she always favors those who have not been born into higher society. When one of Elphaba's favorite professors is killed and she suspects the head mistress is a part of it, Elphaba decides she can no longer tolerate life at Shiz.
After leaving Shiz Elphaba becomes a poltical rebel; but she will not harm others . Hervalue will not allow her to take lives or harm innocent people. She becomes involved with a prince from another country who is married; and while she views the relationship as wrong, she cannot help but to fall madly in love with him. After he is murdered by another radical group, Elphaba commits herself to a monastery. In the meanwhile; both her sister, Nessarose and her friend Galinda graduate from Shiz and take their places in the society. Galinda rules the north while Nessarose becomes a powerful dictator of the munchkin people. Both women are under the tight rule of the Wizard. Prior to going to the monastery, Elphaba lived her life for one political or social cause; however after leaving the monastery Elphaba's cause is bent on finding the Prine's wife and seeking her forgiveness, but the Wizard has a plan in motion;he had followed the whereabouts of Elphaba throughout as he viewed her as a great threat to his power. At one point he imprisons all those who were in opposition to his power. When Nessarose is murdered accidentally by Dorothy's sudden arrival in Oz, an entire venue opens. Nessarose’s, death brings about a power struggle and race to see who will rule Oz. The Wizard and other are afraid that Elphaba will come to rule, while other fear the Wizard will take over. Munchkinlanders had suffered much under the rule of Nessarose. It was either her way or no way. She often cast spells on those who would not follow her rule.
“From the beginning of the novel with Frex, the character attempt to discover the orgins of evil. Some believe that a person may be born evil Sarima believe all children are born good and evil is learned. The witch herself even though she is called wicked, tries to do good for those dear to her. Nessarose had not tried to do good she cared very little about those she governed. Thus at her death citizens of Muchkinland viewed themselves as finally free. But it is Dorothy presents that beings about Elphaba’s end. Elphaba only knows it was Dorothy’s house that bought about the demise of her sister because the Wizard seeked to have Elphaba join his focuses or meet her death; she thinks Dorothy is in league with the Wizard. She being to take drugs so that she wont sleep in attempt to be ready when Dorothy comes for her. When Dorothy is captures and bought to the castle we see a manic Elphaba. The sole purpose of Elphaba meeting Sarima was to ask for her forgiveness because Sarima never allowed Elphaba to ask for forgiveness; she was always tormented.
Elphaba always said she had no soul. At the castle Elphaba has grown manic and asked Dorothy why she has come when Dorothy tells her she has come to ask for forgiveness for killing Nessarose. Elphaba goes into a frenzy. She tells Dorothy that she is her soul; Elphaba has come to catch up with her. She is torment that herself, a grown woman was never able to ask for forgiveness but here a near child was able to ask her for forgiveness. She lit her broom to fire to make light for a dark passage. She put the fire out when she reached her designation but a few embers remained on the broom. In her motion of turning around Elphaba sets her dress on fire when Dorothy sees this she attempts to help Elphaba with drench her with water. Because Elphaba was allergic to water the incident brings about the most horrific scene I’ve ever read in a book. She was melting from her waist to her head and from her waist to her feet she was blazed with fire. Maguire writes, “It was the baptism of above and the fires of hell below.” Elphaba life flashes before her scene by scene. It is a poignant account of her life. “Then finally the angel of death comes barring his gift of death.” From the writer Socrates, “Plato dialogue we learn that death cures the ills of life.” This is true of Elphaba also, her death put an end to her life of her …show more content…
struggles of attempting to be good in life but always running into self-disruptive thought of herself as evil and soul-less. In a strange way, Elphaba becomes the evil she fought but in her last moments her soul comes to meet her and she dies a whole person with the knowledge that as individuals we are given the chooses of whether we wish to live our lives living right or living wrong. For the better part of her life Elpaba did select goodness as her path. Wicked in written form has become a widely read work. The book leads to a musical which has touched an even greater audience. Sometimes has written wicked worked on many levels and different find different things in the show. Producer David Stone said, “A ten year old lacks the twister and the story of how the scarecrow becomes the scarecrow. A ten year older might love the story of a green girl who becomes accepted and the popular girl who becomes good. Young adults might get individual in the friendship between these two women’s and the sacrifices we all make in our lives. Older adults might be interest in the story of how government determine what is wicked or what is good based on how people look (Chicago Suntimes via Internet.) Sharon Shulv-Elsing has written the following concerning wicked quoting, “A kirks review she writes Maguire has created a truly great and flawed heroine in a novel that is a psychological analysis on one of the most evil characters in the century (Internet)
While down South this weekend I sat down with a friend of my sister-in-law he had read wicked and had this to say, “It is simply one of the best books I have ever read Maguire attempts to show us that thing aren’t always what they seem.
We have been brainwashed into images of good and evil. In the childhood fantasy the witch is green and is seen as a evil doer throughout the movie. Well she was different just like us African-Americans; always seem to be evil because our skin color is differs from others around us. Elphaba like us does gain acceptance but she like us had to struggle oh so many struggles, she never yield it, she never sold out. She never joined forces with that crocked political wizard of oz. She stayed true to her values. I was amazed how the society girl Galinda finally became a good person. Yes while she was up in society her moral values were lacking. I was delighted to see her transformation I always was intrigued in the end when Elphaba becomes manic you see what an impact drugs can have on individuals in our society. She becomes paranoid thinking the young Dorothy is out to get her. When she learns that Dorothy comes to ask for forgiveness, the truly beauty of the book is revealed. I remembered Elphaba stating that Dorothy was her soul coming to caught up with her. “Miss.Thang had a soul all the time but we become what we think of ourselves. She sees herself as thee scorned person society has made of her. I think her death although the end of her is
what brings her back to sanity as she is flooded with images of the life she lead. We-she realizes that she has thrived to do the right thing. She had been good and it is society that has banned her wicked (Roy T. Porter, Teacher of Alternative Education Greensboro, N.C.) I was grateful for Mr. Porter insight. For my own part this book focused me to look at my own value systems. In the manner rather of which I view others. I have always attempted to be fair and objective. Now I am making even greater effort.
strived to do good but was always viewed as evil due to the color of her skin. Elphaba was born on a moonlighted evening in a strange road-show wagon tick the time machine. Her mother was of nobility while her father was a voice for the God who has no name. It is a strange world; there are normal size people, dwarfs, and over sized people. They live peacefully, but there is the constant threat of their land be overtaken by the government. A class system is in place. Elphaba was delivered by a midwife. She was born with a full set of teeth and green skin. She was also born with an extreme allergy to water; water actually burns her skin. She was far from normal as a child; she was slow to develop language. Her mother rejects her and leaves her to the care of her nanny. Elphaba's father flex made up for her mother's lack of love. He was devoted to the proper development of this special child. Soon she gained knowledge of right and wrong .Eventually she was able to be around other children. She prospered under the care of her nanny and father while Oz became a chaotic world under the rule of the Wizard. The Wizard is power hungry; he wishes to control all of Oz. There is great political and social up rest; meanwhile Elphaba's family suffers in their own way. They live as simple people. The father is often not present. She is spreading the word of the unnamed God. Her mother chews on the leaves of a plant that produce hypnotic delusions and drinks herself into drunkenness. Another child is born to Melana and Frex this time the child is normal in skin color but she has no arms. The time comes when Elphaba matures and is ready to venture out into the world. Although they are poor Flex wants his daughter to have the best Education and he sends her to the Shiz School. At Shiz Elphaba encounters students of different political social and economic backgrounds. Most of them are quick to reject Elphaba because of the color of her skin. Throughout, her time at Shiz Elpaba strives to do what is right. She is an advocate intelligent animals and she always favors those who have not been born into higher society. When one of Elphaba's favorite professors is killed and she suspects the head mistress is a part of it, Elphaba decides she can no longer tolerate life at Shiz.
After leaving Shiz Elphaba becomes a poltical rebel; but she will not harm others . Hervalue will not allow her to take lives or harm innocent people. She becomes involved with a prince from another country who is married; and while she views the relationship as wrong, she cannot help but to fall madly in love with him. After he is murdered by another radical group, Elphaba commits herself to a monastery. In the meanwhile; both her sister, Nessarose and her friend Galinda graduate from Shiz and take their places in the society. Galinda rules the north while Nessarose becomes a powerful dictator of the munchkin people. Both women are under the tight rule of the Wizard. Prior to going to the monastery, Elphaba lived her life for one political or social cause; however after leaving the monastery Elphaba's cause is bent on finding the Prine's wife and seeking her forgiveness, but the Wizard has a plan in motion;he had followed the whereabouts of Elphaba throughout as he viewed her as a great threat to his power. At one point he imprisons all those who were in opposition to his power. When Nessarose is murdered accidentally by Dorothy's sudden arrival in Oz, an entire venue opens. Nessarose’s, death brings about a power struggle and race to see who will rule Oz. The Wizard and other are afraid that Elphaba will come to rule, while other fear the Wizard will take over. Munchkinlanders had suffered much under the rule of Nessarose. It was either her way or no way. She often cast spells on those who would not follow her rule.
“From the beginning of the novel with Frex, the character attempt to discover the orgins of evil. Some believe that a person may be born evil Sarima believe all children are born good and evil is learned. The witch herself even though she is called wicked, tries to do good for those dear to her. Nessarose had not tried to do good she cared very little about those she governed. Thus at her death citizens of Muchkinland viewed themselves as finally free. But it is Dorothy presents that beings about Elphaba’s end. Elphaba only knows it was Dorothy’s house that bought about the demise of her sister because the Wizard seeked to have Elphaba join his focuses or meet her death; she thinks Dorothy is in league with the Wizard. She being to take drugs so that she wont sleep in attempt to be ready when Dorothy comes for her. When Dorothy is captures and bought to the castle we see a manic Elphaba. The sole purpose of Elphaba meeting Sarima was to ask for her forgiveness because Sarima never allowed Elphaba to ask for forgiveness; she was always tormented.
Elphaba always said she had no soul. At the castle Elphaba has grown manic and asked Dorothy why she has come when Dorothy tells her she has come to ask for forgiveness for killing Nessarose. Elphaba goes into a frenzy. She tells Dorothy that she is her soul; Elphaba has come to catch up with her. She is torment that herself, a grown woman was never able to ask for forgiveness but here a near child was able to ask her for forgiveness. She lit her broom to fire to make light for a dark passage. She put the fire out when she reached her designation but a few embers remained on the broom. In her motion of turning around Elphaba sets her dress on fire when Dorothy sees this she attempts to help Elphaba with drench her with water. Because Elphaba was allergic to water the incident brings about the most horrific scene I’ve ever read in a book. She was melting from her waist to her head and from her waist to her feet she was blazed with fire. Maguire writes, “It was the baptism of above and the fires of hell below.” Elphaba life flashes before her scene by scene. It is a poignant account of her life. “Then finally the angel of death comes barring his gift of death.” From the writer Socrates, “Plato dialogue we learn that death cures the ills of life.” This is true of Elphaba also, her death put an end to her life of her …show more content…
struggles of attempting to be good in life but always running into self-disruptive thought of herself as evil and soul-less. In a strange way, Elphaba becomes the evil she fought but in her last moments her soul comes to meet her and she dies a whole person with the knowledge that as individuals we are given the chooses of whether we wish to live our lives living right or living wrong. For the better part of her life Elpaba did select goodness as her path. Wicked in written form has become a widely read work. The book leads to a musical which has touched an even greater audience. Sometimes has written wicked worked on many levels and different find different things in the show. Producer David Stone said, “A ten year old lacks the twister and the story of how the scarecrow becomes the scarecrow. A ten year older might love the story of a green girl who becomes accepted and the popular girl who becomes good. Young adults might get individual in the friendship between these two women’s and the sacrifices we all make in our lives. Older adults might be interest in the story of how government determine what is wicked or what is good based on how people look (Chicago Suntimes via Internet.) Sharon Shulv-Elsing has written the following concerning wicked quoting, “A kirks review she writes Maguire has created a truly great and flawed heroine in a novel that is a psychological analysis on one of the most evil characters in the century (Internet)
While down South this weekend I sat down with a friend of my sister-in-law he had read wicked and had this to say, “It is simply one of the best books I have ever read Maguire attempts to show us that thing aren’t always what they seem.
We have been brainwashed into images of good and evil. In the childhood fantasy the witch is green and is seen as a evil doer throughout the movie. Well she was different just like us African-Americans; always seem to be evil because our skin color is differs from others around us. Elphaba like us does gain acceptance but she like us had to struggle oh so many struggles, she never yield it, she never sold out. She never joined forces with that crocked political wizard of oz. She stayed true to her values. I was amazed how the society girl Galinda finally became a good person. Yes while she was up in society her moral values were lacking. I was delighted to see her transformation I always was intrigued in the end when Elphaba becomes manic you see what an impact drugs can have on individuals in our society. She becomes paranoid thinking the young Dorothy is out to get her. When she learns that Dorothy comes to ask for forgiveness, the truly beauty of the book is revealed. I remembered Elphaba stating that Dorothy was her soul coming to caught up with her. “Miss.Thang had a soul all the time but we become what we think of ourselves. She sees herself as thee scorned person society has made of her. I think her death although the end of her is
what brings her back to sanity as she is flooded with images of the life she lead. We-she realizes that she has thrived to do the right thing. She had been good and it is society that has banned her wicked (Roy T. Porter, Teacher of Alternative Education Greensboro, N.C.) I was grateful for Mr. Porter insight. For my own part this book focused me to look at my own value systems. In the manner rather of which I view others. I have always attempted to be fair and objective. Now I am making even greater effort.