Book Choice Submission

 Novel Title- Wicked

Gregory Maguire
Publication date: 1995
519 pages

2)     2) The reason I chose Wicked was due to the positive critical acclaim for its musical adaption. I first heard about Wicked the musical from the fox television show, Glee. Glee featured a cover of “defying gravity” from the Wicked musical and it still remains one of the most popular downloaded Glee songs on iTunes. Another reason I chose wicked was because the Wizard of Oz continues to be one of my favourite movies from the time I was an infant. After reading the back cover blurb i was intrigued to look at the Wizard of Oz from a different perspective. The original tale of good versus evil has been a main theme in The Wizard of Oz but a book that challenges our perceived notions is surly something to be intrigued about.

3)     Wicked has displayed an immense amount of descriptive writing in the first couple of chapters. “Below the Yellow Brick Road looped back on itself like a relaxed noose” (Maquire 1). With great descriptive novels you are transported to an alternate universe where the book's reality seems to suit your own. Though the book posed a great first impression, I had trouble following along to the vague information that was being revealed in the first couple of chapters. To grasp a clear understanding of some key features surrounding the birth of Elphaba, I had to browse the internet to acquire information about the novel that was not clearly illustrated.

4)     I have read up to page 32 which are the first 5 chapters including the prologue. Each chapter is short compared to the other books i have read which had a tendency to stretch the chapters to 50 pages. The prologue featured the wicked witch of the west as we know her through pop culture to be spying on Dorothy, The tin man, the scarecrow and the cowardly lion. It is the first time we clearly see the events in the Wizard of Oz in her point of view. This chapter was very surprising to read because it depicts the wicked witch in a very vulnerable state. The next chapters feature the birth of the wicked witch and the dilemma surrounding her green skin colour.

5)     The story begins in the town of Rush Margins, Munchkinland in the Land of Oz. The first couple of chapters in Wicked deal with the birth of Elphaba. Elphaba is born to Melena Thropp and Frexspar, an itinerant unionist minister. Frexpar is the seventh son of a seventh son, and the seventh pastor in his family. Frexpar seems to be less than interested in the imminent birth of his first child due to the big sermon he is to give that day which causes a feud between the soon to be parents. When Frexpar leaves Melena, he receives a letter from a fellow minister regarding the Clock of the Time Dragon. An individual consequently shows up after the congregation pleads to see the time clock which has the ability to provide prophesies. Frexpar tries to point out flaws regarding the the clock to remind them of the judgment of the unnamed god but everyone seems oblivious to his words. The Clock opens and shows a little toy Frexpar with a secret stash of gold being stabbed and eaten by the congregation. The congregation starts to beat up Frexpar due to their belief of the prophesy but he is later saved. The women who are helping Melena with her labour hustle her out of the house and into the Clock of the Time Dragon when they hear a mob is coming after her. Elphaba is shortly born with skin the colour of emerald city. Melena and Frexpar have a difficult time generating enthusiasm for their new born baby because they are depressed and horrified of her “deformity”. Melena's old Nanny arrives and she becomes paranoid by thinking Elphaba is able to understand what she is saying even in her state of infancy. They try to come up with several plans to cure Elphaba including an exorcism but nothing seems to work. We find out that Melena had several affairs with other men including doing recreational drugs and alcohol. The nanny and Melena speculate that she was raped and vaguely remembered drinking a green tonic.

 6) The main theme in wicked is the nature of good and evil. This seems to be the prevailing theme in the novel which comes as to no avail because the main protagonist is a witch. The book is slowly starting to show us that no one is simply good or evil and that everyone has flaws. Neither good nor evil is specifically defined which may be precisely the point of the novel. Elphaba is a newborn baby but she still holds evil characteristics due to her skin colour and sharp teeth. A novel that claims to hold the perspective of a witch will automatically feature her notion of life which shows a more vulnerable and relatable side of an individual, even if they are a witch. Another theme in Wicked is Fate versus free will. The designated hero in an epic adventure often has a really hard time avoiding destiny, and Elphaba is no exception. We know Elphaba’s fate as the wicked witch of the west even before we know anything else about her.  In fact, the way we have to read wicked plays an important role in the theme of fate and free will because the reader knows of her fate as the wicked witch of the west. The Clock of the Time Dragon is another clue of this theme because it is a device that can predict the future which already has a fate designated without free will. An important question in this novel will be “was Elphaba’s death fated to happen or did her choices effect her impending doom.

7)     7) One of the secondary sources i found was from Blog Critics- Books by Murphy Dailey and she said that she was surprised by the level of excitement and imagination featured in the novel which surprised me. She said that because a musical adaption was made before she read the novel that it was going to be subpar. Her first impression and post-reading knowledge provide a strong contrast due to her low expectations before reading the novel. This review can also illustrate a basic theme in Wicked to not judge a book by its cover. The Times review also shows a clear similarities between critics and its effect on readers. Most of the review said that Wicked provided their hearts with a different perspective of figures deemed villainous in fiction and nonfiction.

8)     “All souls are hostages to their human envelopes, but souls must decay and suffer at such indignity” (Maguire 13).

8) I think this quote display’s a contrast based on normal human interpretations. Growing old usually entails becoming wiser and more accepting of oneself. This quote shows us a different perspective of the soul being ashamed of their human carcass throughout their growth instead of being accepting towards it. This quote can strongly relate to Elphaba and how she had to live her own life being ashamed of the way she looked instead of fully developing as a human being and turning to villainous attributes.