Critical Essay: How Did Elphaba Become Wicked?

In Wicked, we are allowed a glimpse into who the wicked witch of the west possibly was. Despite a fascinating story and set of characters, there is much that can be looked at more in depth to gain a better understanding. One such way would be using feminist criticism, essentially the focus of which is to see the ways women are oppressed in a male dominated society (owl.purdue). This is necessary in order to properly analyze the text or to find some possible flaws in the novel, as well as to see how everything plays into what one could possibly consider to be a major, if not the most important point of the novel. How did Elphaba become wicked? The fact that Gregory Maguire creates so many strong female characters, Elphaba arguably being the

They are as a majority opinionated, and the ones with the largest roles are incredibly tied into sensuality. There are many thematic relations to sexuality such as it being one of the many familial traits and legacies, but the fact that Gregory Maguire has both Elphaba and her mother-two incredibly sensual woman, have major life altering issues that are of direct consequence of these sexual acts is noteworthy. Despite this, other characters both male and female do not seem to be directly against the sensuality. For example at the very beginning of the novel, after the birth of Elphaba, attempting to ascertain the reason for her green skin, Nanny says to Melena, “You were lusty and sneaky and good at it. I’m not looking down at you (1.2).” Much later, Elphaba is depicted as also being sensual, seducing Fiyero in order to distract him when they argue, as she asks him to oil her breasts to which he replies “I’m not that stupidly male” and she responds “Yes you are”, which goes to show how comfortable people in Oz are with the sensuality of all, women in particular. However, this affair with Fiyero lead to a child that leads to another familial legacy, that of Elphaba being a poor mother, which as stated by Cochren, “Elphaba’s relationships with mother figures throughout her life directly affect how she herself is as a mother...As one of the more frightening roles she fulfills, bad

According to Kelly, “Elphaba is infected (or at very least intimately connected) with death from birth...Several characters close to her are killed because of their association with her demonstrating her carrier status by infecting others with death.” This implication that Elphaba is truly a curse as her Father somewhat jokingly called her, implies that she brings about the death of others simply by being around them. If this was the case, then there would likely be no exceptions, yet not every important person in her life dies-and multiple deaths are out of her scope of influence. Even if she had never been born-certain deaths may likely still have occured. If she is guilty, then the Wizard would have to share the guilt as his coming into power establishes the society that leads to the society that makes all these deaths possible. Just as certain deaths were fated to occur with or without her, so to is her own fate sealed in accordance with the original. Despite her established death and title, the novel creates a strong young woman with powerful views and goals. Other than removing the Wizard from power, Elphaba also has the desire to obtain animal rights. However, just as her own character becomes twisted and unrecognizable by the end, so to is this goal as she ends