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Analysis of Wicked, the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the East by Gregory Maguire

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Wicked, the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the East is a fantasy book by Gregory Maguire. It follows the life of the Wicked Witch, the character from the Wizard of Oz, from her birth to her death, or her pseudo-death. It also explores the question the nature of good and evil. The main character is, of course, the Wicked Witch, Elphaba. She is born green, with really sharp teeth, and afraid of water. When she gets near water, she just gets really scared, and when she cries or a couple drops of water get on her it burns her. When she is still young her father, who is a minister, decides they will move to the Quadling country to try to convert the people there to the faith of the Unknown God. Elphaba is described many times …show more content…

Madame Morrible tries to get them to work for the Wizard, but she puts a spell on them so they won’t remember. Afterwards, Elphaba goes “underground” with a revolt against the Wizard. Fiyero spots her one day, and they start talking. Even though she tells him to go away for his own safety, he keeps meeting up with her and they have an affair. Elphaba tries to murder Madame Morrible but fails. Fiyero, who watched her, goes to her apartment, where members of the Wizard’s private army are waiting. When Elphaba comes back, she finds massive amounts of blood all around the room, but no body. She goes into shock, and seeks refuge with a religious order. It is implied she has a son but you never actually know because she was in a coma for the first year. She stays for seven years in all. Elphaba, with her son Liir, goes to the Vinkus to beg forgivness from Fiyero’s wife, Sarima. Sarima is dead set against Elphaba telling her anything upsetting, so Elphaba’s wish is never fulfilled. By now, Elphaba has learned a little magic from a book she found in Sarima’s library, but is actually from our, and the Wizard’s, world. Nessarose, who is now the ruler of Munchkinland and a witch, writes, and Elphaba goes to visit. While she is gone the Wizard’s forces storm the castle and carry off Sarima and her family, leaving only Liir. After seven years of unsuccessful search

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