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
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
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