Some of the original characters from"The Wizard of Oz"
In this article, Sophie Harrison recalls the several attempts by Gregory Maguire to modernise The Wizard of Oz to build a fairyland out of an American classic. Harrison calls “Wicked” a “hefty prequel” that is deemed for adults due to its dark undertone. Like many other individuals, Harrison comments on the feminism portrayed in “Wicked” as well as Elphaba’s coping methods with being an outsider. Gregory Maguire’s vast array of influences from various classic tales seem to be a continuous trend depicted in his writing. Harrison even said that the original author may have “discovered Oz rather than invented it”. She calls Maguire a “confident interpreter” of his work due to the multiple trilogies he has written for “Wicked”. However, Sophie Harrision commented on Gregory Maguire’s confidence when inventing new material and difficulty using scenarios from “The Wizard of Oz”. She recalls that some of the characters felt like they “belonged in someone else’s fairy-tale”. Harrison believes that the author needs to believe in its own accuracy and choose to involve key features of the character because there is not much room for satire without causing an awkward reading experience. The case of Elphaba was different because Maguire was writing about the influences in her life that made her the villainous character we know today. Harrison believed that Maguire’s novel showed an obsessive allegiance to classic retellings but manages to reveal an inventive side. Gregory Harrison believes that Maguire is full of creativity but lacks in the skill of formal language due to the extensive amount of childish slang used. Maguire’s “Wicked” is a meticulous retelling that demonstrates an unusual complexity that was not grasped in the original.
Source Citation
Harrison, Sophie. "No Place Like Oz." The New York Times Book Review 9 Oct. 2005: 17(L). Literature Resource Center. Web. 19 Oct. 2011.
Idina Menzel in the musical "Wicked" on October, 2003
Katie Mediatore broadcasted a positive review for “Wicked” for its eccentric role on women. This article accounts a diverse list of novels which depicts the protagonist to be strong and independent women. Mediatore describes the endurance shown by women in history to reflect the hardships they had to face to belong in the fictional and non-fictional world. She also believes that women are the architects of new societies while men are the “explorers of unknown worlds” (Christopher Columbus comes to mind). The struggle to belong in a new world is a familiar task amongst women in our society and most will adapt to survive. Hatshepsut was an Egyptian queen who regularly posed as a man to attain respect from the public. History portrays women as the manufacturers of society to resemble the previous civilization and the male as the heroic identity. Female heroin’s often have male characteristics to provide a capable personality. Katie Mediatore commemorates “Wicked” for its strong representation of women. Elphaba was a tourist in her own land due to her physical abnormalities and was later accepted when she was introduced to another outsider. Her intelligence and sympathy drove her to fight for the talking animals of oz after The Wizards decree to execute them. Her only chance at love and acceptance from society was destroyed due to her defence of the animals of oz. Katie Mediatore quoted that “Wicked” was a “fantastic secret history of Oz “ and readers would be absorbed into the magical perspective of the Wicked Witch of The West before she was deemed wicked.
Source Citation
Mediatore, Kaite. "Mistress of her intergalactic domain."Booklist15 Apr. 2005: 1443.General OneFile. Web. 19 Oct. 2011.
The Wicked Witch of the West and Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz"
Publisher’s weekly illustrates Elphaba as a monster who grows up to be an unconventional representation of how readers depict her. Her green complexion and “huge teeth” are mentioned to provide contrast between her activism in animal rights and nursing other individuals. They deem this relationship “strange and imaginative” because it is not commonly seen in pop-culture. The article seems to play into the stereotypical aspect of The Wizard of Oz which is the complete contrast of “Wicked”. They call the novel a modern retelling of the classic story to create a “tense realm” that is open for interpretation. The Publisher’s Weekly article mentions the Wizard as a type of dictator that restricts the rights of animals in Oz. They call her mother a “giddy alcoholic” and father a “hermit-like minister”. They depict the humor as “puckish" and say that the novel has a tendency to believe in the worst aspects while lacking hope and confidence for the future. The theme of good and evil receives a nod of approval for its “fantastical meditation” and complexity. The article concluded by saying Elphaba’s free will captivates readers even though her future is clear before opening the novel.
Source Citation
"Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West." Publishers Weekly 21 Aug. 1995: 45. General OneFile. Web. 19 Oct. 2011.
My interest towards this author was established through my combining fascination and curiosity towards the story of the little green skinned girl namedElphaba (or more commonly familiarised as The Wicked Witch of the West).It is fair to say that my motive to read the novel was not due to my prior knowledge of the author, but because of the positive critical acclaim surrounding the musical adaptation of Wicked. But simultaneously, i can not conclude my reasoning with out confessing Gregory Maguire’s contributions towards the choice of my novel. Since i was an infant, i have considered the Wizard of Oz to be my favorite film. So when Ms. Brievik (my present english teacher) recommended me the novel Wicked and explained how it exhibited the wicked witch of the west as the main protagonist, i was automatically hooked. Grergory Maguire’s continuity from the "Wizard of Oz" has the power to make it stand on it’s own as a separate identity and simultaneously as equals.
Biograghy
Gregory Maguire in 2003
Gregory Maguire is an author born on June 9th, 1954 in Albany New York. His mother died while he was an infant and he was raised by his aunt due to complications with his father. He received his B.A. and Ph.D. in English and american literature. He was a proffeser at Simmons College and co-direcor of children`s literature. In 1979, Maguire co-founded a non-profit charity called Childrens Literature of New England and a board member of the National Children`s Book and Literacy Alliance. He currently has a wife named Andy Newman and three adopted children from undeveloped nations.
Other Published Works/Genres
Confession of an Ugly Step Sister by Gregory Maguire
Gregory Maguire is a popular author among children and adults and his novels show a wide range of versatality from genres to age group. Maguire commonly uses fantasy in his novels but in a realistic manner which can be associated with the world we live in.His popular works are frequently continuations of classic stories that are in the point of view of other individuals. Maguirehas also written a five-novel trilogy through an unorthodox perspective from the characters in “The Wizard of Oz” entitled“the Wicked Years” and a series for young readers called the “Hamlet Chronicles”. Confessions of an Ugly Step Sister-The tale of the classic story of `Cinderella` in the perspective of one of her ugly stepsisters
Lost- revolves around a writer trying to solve the mystery of her missing cousin and the strange supernatural presence that exists in her old aprtment
Missing Sisters – about an orphan who realises she has a twin after going to summer camp
Making Mischief: A Maurice Sendak Appreciation- an analytical overview of the illustrations in “Where the Wild Things Are”
Influence
The Wicked With of the West from "the Wizard of Oz"
Hitler in 1937
Gregory Maguire’s writing is notably influenced from past children’s stories. He uses the general plot line while adding depth to the incomplex original. Maguire was raised in the late 1950’s so he was constantly exposed to the annual broadcasting of the Wizard of Oz. The habitual theme of good and evil was introduced while watching a news story about a child who was kidnapped and murdered by a pair of schoolboy’s. Continuous thought about the nature of evil prompted his actions to write the novel “wicked” as a means of exploring the underlying motives of villainous individuals. Gregory Maguire’s mother died while giving birth to him and coincidentally, Elphaba’s sister became disabled after her mother continuously ate a sleep inducing herb for the hope that her second child would not have green skin. Elphaba was guilt ridden about her sister’s disability because she believed her green skin was what prompted her mother’s actions. After Gregory Maguire’s mother passed away, he wound up living with his aunt. The second half of his childhood was exposed to literature from his aunt’s poetry and it was an early influence in his creative writing. Wicked was also influenced by a news article which compared Saddam Hussein to Adolf Hitler. The article frightened him because he began thinking about evil in modern day society. The beginning of the gulf war prompted his complex thoughts about the nature of good and evil. This began the writing process of the novel “Wicked” where the characters do not seem to display a clear moral standing. The Wizard’s leadership in “Wicked” can be closely compared to Adolf Hitler’s rule. The animals (Jewish race during the Nazi rule) were not treated as equal citizens and had minimal rights compared to the humans (Aryan race). As you can clearly distinguish, Gregory Maguire’s writing was influenced by many events that occurred in and around his life. He even quoted that his past often subconsciously appears in his writing technique because the events in our life shape us as human beings.
Themes in “Wicked"
Nature of Good and Evil
Elphaba and Belinda in the Broadway musical "Wicked"
The main them in “wicked” is the nature of good and evil. Throughout the novel, the definition of these two identities has unsuccessfully been resolved. “Wicked” teaches us that evil is a matter of perception instead of fact. We know Elphaba’s ultimate fate as the Wicked Witch of the West but the story provides the reader with a new perspective which supports her actions with reason. Since we are taking the journey through life beside Elphaba, the audience can only sympathise with the character. Fate
the Wicked Witch of the West in "The Wizard of Oz"
Elphaba’s death as the Wicked Witch of The West is known before the reader even opens the book. Was her life predetermined? Was she in control of her life or was she merely waiting for her impending doom. The knowledge the reader beholds before reading the novel is an important aspect in this theme because free will seems to be non-existent from the time she is born to her untimely death. Religion
Religion is an important theme in “Wicked” because it is a constant aspect in the Land of Oz. Elphaba’s father is a priest and follows unionism. The people practiced their religion very spiritually and affected every aspect of their lives. The Land of Oz is commonly divided by different types of religion which can ultimately lead to violence and discrimination. The Land of Oz closely ties with the world we live in where people used to be divided by their belief system and race.
Family
Elphaba’s family is a recurring theme in “Wicked”. After her birth, she is secluded from the outside world and her family becomes her only source of human interaction. The theme continues after the birth of her disabled sister, Nessa. They are closely tied because they both share physical abnormalities.
Women
Broadway musical, "Wicked"
The women of “Wicked” have played a significant role throughout the start of the novel. The witches of Oz are the powerful figures in “The Wizard of Oz” and are concentrated of all female identities. Also, the novel is set in the perspective of Elphaba, a female figure. Their characters often shape the course of the novel and have the highest significance when it comes to their roles. Examples- Elphaba, Melena, The Nanny, Nessa, Glinda, Sarima
Similar Authors
J.R.R. Tolkien
These authors closely tie with Gregory Maguire because they have published works that are retellings from other prospective (not only characters, but “common” settings are shown in a different light).
Donna Jo Napoli, Priscilla Galloway, Robin McKinley
These authors write fantasy similar to Maguire’s technique. The setting is illustrated in another world completely different from our own.
CS Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling
Biograghy:
“Gregory Maguire.” Gale Databases n. Pag. Gale Literacy Databases. Database. 11 October 2011.
"Interview: Gregory Maguire Discusses His Book Wicked, Which Is the Basis for a NewMusical, and His Other Work Based on Fairy Tales."National Public Radio. ProQuest Learning: Literature, 30 Aug. 2003. Web. 11 Oct. 2011.<http://literature.proquestlearning.com/quick/displayMultiItem.do?Multi=yes&ResultsID=13256B6D7D8&forAuthor=0&QueryName=reference&ItemNumber=1>.
"Mr. 'Wicked'."New York Times Magazine. 11 Mar. 2007eLibrary. Web. 11 Oct. 2011.
Gregory Maguire Home Page,http://www.gregorymaguire.com (October 11, 2011).
Critical Articles:
"Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West," Publishers Weekly 21 Aug. 1995: 14. General OneFile. Web 11 Oct. 2011.(http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA17203147&v=2.1&u=ko_k12hs_d21&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w)
Mediatore, Katie. "Mistress of her intergalactic domain." Booklist 15 Apr. 2005: 1443. General OneFile. Web. 11 Oct. 2011(http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA137502539&v=2.1&u=ko_k12hs_d21&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w)
Fraser. Stephen. "Wicked with words: Gregory Maguire reimagines fairy tale." Writing! Feb.-Mar.2006:8+. General OneFile. Web. 11 Oct. 2011. (http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA141492675&v=2.1&u=ko_k12hs_d21&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w)
