Wicked: Uncovering the Dark Truths Behind the Musical and Novel
Anyone attending the Wicked this week likely knows it is based on the popular musical. This musical also adapts the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. The Wicked novel offers a darker view of The Wizard of Oz and Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch. Some parts of the book are unsettling and could haunt readers.
The ‘Wicked’ Novel Portrays the Wizard of Oz as a Villain
In the original Wizard of Oz, the Wizard is a charlatan. He tricks the people into believing he is a powerful sorcerer. In the Wicked novel, he seeks the Grimmerie, a powerful magic book, and becomes a tyrant in Oz. He exploits magical residents for his gain and strips rights from talking animals. The most shocking twist reveals the Wizard is Elphaba’s father. He drugged and raped her mother, which leads to Elphaba’s birth and green skin. His flight from Oz is made to seem like a cowardly escape from a rebellion.
Elphaba Takes a Dark Path in the ‘Wicked’ Novel
Elphaba’s story in the Wicked novel is similar to her portrayal in the musical and film, but there are major differences. Notably, her relationship with Fiyero Tigelaar develops after he marries someone else. Their affair results in Elphaba giving birth to a son, Liir. After this, she hides in a convent for seven years and later joins Fiyero’s family. Tragedy strikes when the Wizard’s men capture Fiyero’s whole family, revealing he had them killed, except for his daughter. This drives Elphaba to madness, leading her to kill Madame Morrible and pursue Dorothy Gale for the silver shoes that belonged to her sister Nessarose. In her frenzy, she mistakenly believes the Scarecrow is Fiyero reincarnated.
Elphaba’s relationships include her friendship with Glinda. Despite their different paths, they reconnect until Glinda confesses to giving Nessarose’s slippers to Dorothy. After Elphaba dies, Glinda cares for her granddaughter Rain in the book Out of Oz, which is part of Maguire’s “The Wicked Years” series.
Future ‘Wicked’ Books Discuss Elphaba’s Legacy
Besides Wicked, Gregory Maguire wrote three sequels: Son of a Witch about Liir, A Lion Among Men focused on the Cowardly Lion, and Out of Oz, which shows Oz in turmoil after the Wizard and Dorothy leave. These sequels maintain the dark themes of Wicked, highlighting war and racism, transforming Oz from a fantasy into a troubled land.
Wicked hits theaters on November 22, 2024.