Vorlage:Portalpar Wicked (ISBN 0-06-098710-3), or Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, is a novel by Gregory Maguire. Based upon the writings of L. Frank Baum, it is a revisionist look at the land and characters of Oz, best known from Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Wicked, published in 1995 with illustrations by Douglas Smith, presents events, characters and situations from Baum's books and the film in new and surprising ways. The events described in the book rarely contradict anything from the original story, and some detailed events come directly from Baum's book. However, Wicked gives Oz and its inhabitants a new context, which often changes or inverts the meaning suggested by the original texts.
Unlike the popular 1939 movie and Baum's writings, this novel is not directed at children. It contains language and content which catches some readers by surprise. Wicked, the hit Broadway musical based upon the novel, is also very different in tone from Maguire's book. A sequel to Wicked, entitled Son of a Witch, was published in fall of 2005. As of October 2006, Gregory Maguire is working on a third novel, A Cowardly War.
Plot
Vorlage:Spoiler The novel is a political, social, and ethical commentary on what good and evil really are. It takes place in The Land of Oz, before Dorothy dropped in. The story centers around Elphaba, the misunderstood green-skinned girl who grows up to become the infamous Wicked Witch of the West. The story is divided into five different sections.
Munchkinlanders
Elphaba Thropp was born to Melena and Frexpar Thropp, descendants of The Eminent Thropp. Frex was the seventh male in his line, and the 7th pastor. His wife, Melena, was drugged one day by a mysterious man with a bottle of green potion, and possibly raped. She then gave birth to Elphaba, in a device called The Clock of the Time Dragon, as her husband was attacked by a lynch mob. Elphaba was born with peculiar green skin and a full set of rather sharp teeth. The family survived the incident, and Melena's Nanny came to help raise Elphaba, and took the vial of green potion-labeled "Magical Elixir". About a year and a half later, a Quadling glassblower named Turtle Heart was traveling, and stopped at the Thropp residence. Melena offered him food and drink, and blew a beautiful glass ball for Elphaba. He and Melena began a secret affair, which eventually produced Nessarose, who grew up to be The Wicked Witch of the East. Brother Frex, Melena's husband, was unaware of his wife's affairs, and believed both children to be his own, and their differences to be punishments because he wasn't able to convert the Munchkinlanders to his religion.
Gillikin
Some years later, Elphaba is accepted to Shiz University, and inadvertently became roommates with Galinda, the girl who was to become Glinda, the Good Witch. Galinda and Elphaba didn't get along very well, since Elphaba was colored, and, Galinda was more interested in climbing the social ladder than becoming friends with her roommate. Galinda and Elphaba were taught by a teacher who was a Goat (a sentient version of the animal goat) named Doctor Dillamond, who showed the class that the sentient Animals were slowly being barred from access to the rest of Oz. This is further proven when Madame Morrible, the Head of Shiz University, holds a poetry soirree that turns out to be just about propaganda about holding these Animals back. Dillamond tries to find proof that there is a difference between animals and Animals, and Elphaba works as his secretary and assistant over the summer.
Elphaba becomes friends with a boy named Boq, who takes a fancy to Galinda. As she is tall, and he's a short Munchkinlander, she turns him down. He hopes his friendship with Elphaba will bring him closer to Galinda; however, he ends up becoming wrapped up in Elphaba's and Dillamond's causes. His crush on Galinda eventually subsides, and they all becomes friends, with a prince named Fiyero, who is new to Shiz. However, their friendship is shaken when Doctor Dillamond is murdered, and Galinda's chaperone Ama Clutch sees Madame Morrible's servant kill him. The rattled Ama dies. Elphaba, Galinda, and Nessarose are tempted by Madame Morrible to becomes the next rulers of Oz, but they refuse, and Elphaba decides that something must be done.
She and Galinda travel to Emerald City, where they meet the Wizard of Oz and plead the case of the Animals to him. He refuses to make any changes, and Galinda and Elphaba are to return to Shiz. However, Elphaba stays behind, and sends Galinda back to college, after saying that she can't see her again; she has decided to take matters into her own hands.
City of Emeralds
Almost seven years have passed since Elphaba has seen Galinda, Boq, or any of her friends from collge. She lives in the Emerald City now, and is secretly involved in the movement to help free the Animals and get rid of the Wizard of Oz. Fiyero, now a King and with children, comes to the Emerald City to settle business with the politicians there. He sees Elphaba praying to a likeness of St. Galinda (how her friend got her name). He follows her to her home, and they reconnect. He discovers she has started to take up sorcery, and tells her about Nessarose and Glinda, as Galinda has changed her name, to honor Doctor Dillamond. Nessa and Glinda are both sorceressess, and they miss Elphaba. She and Fiyero begin to have a love affair, and he neglects his wife Sarima, and his children, Irji, Manek, and Nor. However, one night, Fiyero comes to Elphaba's house after she attempts to kill Madame Morrible, and he is killed by agents of the Wizard. Elphaba goes to a convent, and visits a crazy woman named Yackel, and joins a convent to hide in.
In the Vinkus
Elphaba goes to Vinkus (the land Fiyero was prince of ) and meets his wife, Sarima, and his children, Irji, Manek and Nor. She brings along a boy named Liir, whom she insists is her page, and stays at Kiamo Ko, the castle there.
Characters
- Elphaba is the primary protagonist of the story, who eventually becomes known as the Wicked Witch of the West. She acquires this nickname more as a result of her sister's nickname (the Wicked Witch of the East, who was so named by her political opponents) than for any wicked deeds. Wicked adds details regarding the social and political climate of Oz which make Elphaba a more sympathetic character. She is driven into conflict with The Wizard out of concern for the welfare of sentient and linguistically adept Animals who are suffering under the discriminatory and increasingly genocidal policies of The Wizard. Dorothy unwittingly becomes embroiled in the conflict after her house kills Elphaba's sister Nessarose; Glinda gives Dorothy Nessarose's famously magicked shoes, which Elphaba fears may cause immense harm if they fall into the hands of the Wizard. Elphaba's name comes from sounding out Oz author L. Frank Baum's initials, "LFB".
- Nessarose is Elphaba's sister. She eventually inherits the position of Eminent Thropp, leader of the state of Munchkinland. Through this position, she coerces Munchkinland into seceding from Oz. As a political leader of Munchkinland, she has both supporters and detractors. Her unhappy subjects nickname her "the Wicked Witch of the East." Nessarose is also the apple of her father Frexspar's (Frex) eye, and his most favored child out of three. She was born without arms, possibly as a result of her mother's attempts to prevent another green child, and the multi-hued glass shoes are charmed by Glinda to help her to become more independent.
- Galinda, later Glinda, is Elphaba's roommate at Shiz University. As she matures, she and Elphaba become close friends. It is implied as well that perhaps Galinda has feelings for Elphaba; indeed, she cares for her deeply, and Elphaba for her in return. However, the two are separated for fifteen years when Elphaba goes into hiding. Glinda is part of the high society in Gillikin, Oz's northern state.
- Fiyero is the prince of the Arjiki. He meets Elphaba at Shiz, and later has an affair with her while she is involved in a resistance movement against the Wizard of Oz. This leads to his murder by the Gale Force, the Wizard's secret police. Elphaba and Liir later take residence in Fiyero's widow's home, Kiamo Ko.
- The Wizard is the dictator of Oz and primary villain of the story. He originally came to Oz from Earth in a hot air balloon seeking the Grimmerie, but became sidetracked when he discovered he could orchestrate a coup in Oz. It is heavily implied that he fathered Elphaba while her mother was under the influence of the Magical Elixir, which may explain Elphaba's green skin, aversion to water, and ability to occasionally read parts of the Grimmerie, which originated in the Wizard's world. After Elphaba's death and Dorothy's return to the Emerald City, the Wizard hastily leaves Oz for America in another (or the same) hot air balloon, and plans his suicide. After taking the Magical Elixir herself, Elphaba sees visions of the future, in which the Wizard fails to drown himself in the ocean. This is consistent with Baum's books, in which the Wizard later returns to Oz, alive.
- Madame Morrible is the headmistress of Elphaba and Galinda's college (Crage Hall) in Shiz. She is suspected by Elphaba and her friends to be responsible for the murder of Dr. Dillamond. At one point, she proposes that Elphaba, Galinda, and Nessarose become future behind-the-scenes rulers in Oz, a proposal which they never willingly follow. Elphaba suspects that Madame Morrible has at least some magical powers and may have indeed controlled the fates of the three women. It is possible that she spies on Elphaba and sends messages to Liir through the Carp in the well at Elphaba's home in the Vinkus; the Carp dies at about the same time as Morrible. Morrible dies of natural causes minutes before Elphaba attempts to murder her.
- Doctor Dillamond is a talking Goat and professor at Crage Hall in Shiz. Assisted by Elphaba, Dr. Dillamond performs research on the differences between animals and Animals (intelligent animals). He suspiciously dies from a slit throat; Madame Morrible claims that this is an accident, but her account is contradicted by Galinda’s Ama (chaperon), Ama Clutch, who claims she witnessed the event.
- Boq is a Munchkin who grew up with Elphaba and reunites with her at Shiz University. At first, he is only interested in talking to Elphaba in the hope that it will help his crush, Galinda, notice him. However, over time Boq and Elphaba become close friends and help Dr. Dillamond with his research, along with his college mates Crope and Tibbett. Later in life, Elphaba meets Boq while she is on the hunt for Dorothy along the Yellow Brick Road. He is now married to Milla, one of Glinda's friends from the University and has many children.
- Dorothy Gale is a 12 year-old girl who lands in Oz in her house, which crushes Nessarose. She takes Nessarose's shoes under the advice of Glinda. These shoes are seen by many as a symbol of power over Munchkinland. During her travels, many citizens of Oz are superstitious about her because of these shoes and her name. Her first name sounds like a reversal of the name of the "king" of her land (Theodore Roosevelt). The Gale Force fear her for her last name. The Wizard sends Dorothy to kill Elphaba, but Dorothy's intention is to ask her for forgiveness for killing Nessarose. Elphaba does not know whether to treat Dorothy with kindness or to fear her. Dorothy accidentally kills Elphaba by pouring water on her in an attempt to put out a fire on Elphaba's dress.
- Liir is a boy who leaves the mauntery with Elphaba for the Vinkus. It is heavily implied that Elphaba is his mother and Fiyero is his father. She does indeed admit that there is a year of her life she does not remember, during which she could have borne Liir. Extremely chubby, Liir played with his supposed half-siblings while he and his mother stayed with Fiyero's widow. He is also the main character of Maguire's sequel to Wicked, Son of a Witch.
- Yackle is a mysterious crone who appears frequently in Elphaba's life and who Elphaba suspects may be exerting control over her fate and be Lurline, the mythical founder of Oz. She is first mentioned by Nanny as an old gypsy woman from whom she bought the medicine which would stop Melena's second child being born green. Later, she appears as an old woman guarding the door to the Philosophy Club and later still, she appears as Mother Yackle, the head of the mauntery (a unionist nunnery) who takes care of the homeless Elphaba.
- The dwarf claims to be an immortal sent to Oz to prevent the Grimmerie from returning to Earth. With his Clock of the Time Dragon, he seems to Elphaba to either be able to control fate or predict it.
- Grommetik is a tik-tok creature, servant to Madame Morrible. It is strongly implied he is involved in a sinister plot orchestrated at least in part by her. From what is described in the novel, it is similar to Tik-Tok from Baum's original Oz series.
- Nanny is a member of the Thropp family, though whether by blood or employment is never explicitly revealed. By the conclusion of the book, she has raised three generations of the Thropps, most notably having acted as chaperon to Nessarose, Elphaba and Glinda during their years at Shiz. She is still vital well into her eighties. Her attitude reflects this, as she is stoic, speaks her mind, and holds to somewhat inflammatory 'Lurlinistic' pagan beliefs.
- Frexspar is Elphaba, Nessarose, and Shell's father (at least in the emotional and physical sense; there are questions of whether he shares biology with some of the children). Frex is a devout Unionist priest. Nessarose was his favorite child, and to her he gave the famous jeweled slippers.
- Chistery, Killyjoy and the Bees are the animals which accompany Elphaba on the way to Kiamo Ko by coach. The Bees are taken along as a source of honey for the travelers, and it is suggested that through dormant magical talent, Elphaba sets them upon the coach cook, whom she dislikes and is later found stung to death at the edge of a cliff. Killyjoy, the cook's dog, takes an instant liking to Liir, who decides to keep him. On the way, they also pick up Chistery, a snow monkey, who later in the book is taught by Elphaba to speak in hopes of completing Dr. Dillamond's study of how all life is connected. However, he only manages to mimic what others say, although he gains the ability to speak in full, comprehendable sentences in Son of a Witch. Elphaba then sews wings onto the backs of him and the other monkeys.
- Melena is Elphaba, Nessarose, and Shell's mother, and comes from a high class family. She has mostly pagan traditions, which contradicts Frex's statements. She has very loose morals, and dreams of her days as a pampered girl, despite her rebelling against it at the time. She has a taste for alcohol and pinlobble leaves.
- Avaric is a friend of Boq's, and Galinda's. He is described as being the "perfect asshole". Late in the novel, Elphaba visits him, and they have a discussion about evil with some of his friends.
- Crope and Tibbett are boys who attend Shiz University along with Boq. They later become members of the main group of friends that features in the first part of the book. It is heavily suggested that the two are homosexual; however, it is never explicitly proven, only through sexual comments passed by the two about each other or other boys. While Crope eventually becomes a sort of valet for 'Lady Glinda', Tibbet goes mad from his experiences at the Philosophy Club (being publicly raped by a Tiger) and later dies.
- Turtle Heart is a wandering glassblower from Quadling country. He comes upon Melena's home while Frex is out preaching. Melena and Turtle Heart have an extended affair, and it is suggested that Frex may have had intimate relations with him, as well. It is also strongly suggested that he is the father of Nessarose.
- Ama Clutch is Galinda’s Ama (chaperon). She is present throughout Galinda and Elphaba's time at Shiz. She loses her sanity after witnessing the death of Dr. Dillamond.
Objects
- The Grimmerie (derived from grimoire) is a book of Magic that originated on Earth but was taken to Oz by a wizard to prevent it from being used for evil. It is sought by the Wizard of Oz and is the reason he traveled to Oz. It ends up in the possession of Elphaba. While in the musical adaptation it is suggested that the Grimmerie is a sole book with no others of the same title, it should be noted that in Gregory Maguire's original, Elphaba describes it as being 'a' Grimmerie, meaning that Grimmerie is probably an Ozian word for a book of magic and that it most likely has a more distinguishing title. The book is bound in black leather with worn, purple pages written upon in glittering silver ink.
- The Magical Elixir is a bottle of potion that Elphaba keeps with her throughout her life. It was presented to Elphaba's mother once who took it and had bizarre dreams. It may have been the Wizard who gave it to Elphaba's mother and fathered Elphaba at that time. Elphaba takes some of the Elixir late in life and has many prophetic dreams. Some are so disturbing to her that she rarely sleeps for the rest of her life. This may contribute to her loss of wits near the end of her life. This is the object Dorothy takes to the Wizard as proof of Elphaba's death. While in the musical it is suggested that the Elixir is responsible for Elphaba's colouring, it is not so stated in the book and we can only guess at such things.
- The Clock of the Time Dragon is a travelling show which contains many magicked tiktok puppets that act out prophetic scenes. At the top of the tower-like container that holds the show, there is a painted clock, hands perpetually at one minute to midnight, and above that, a tiktok dragon so lifelike as to strike not a little awe in the hearts of all who see it. It is the center of the pleasure faith religion and is accompanied by the dwarf. Elphaba is born inside the Time Dragon, and receives the revelation that the Wizard is her father from the Dragon. Many of the characters in the Dragon's shows are later hunted down and killed.
Relation to Society
Elphaba is the primary character responsible for demonstrating Maguire's specific societal concerns. She may be seen as a commentary on segregation (through the metaphor of Animal rights), politics, religion and women's rights.
Sources
- Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West Study Guide The *social concerns section was used as a source.