Book Group Discussion Questions
From the publisher (HarperCollins):
Gregory Maguire fashioned the name of Elphaba (pronounced
EL-fa-ba) from the initials of the author of The Wizard of Oz, Lyman
Frank Baum-L-F-B-Elphaba. Wicked derives some of its power from the
popularity of its source material. Does meeting up with familiar
characters and famous fictional situations require more patience and
effort on the part of the reader, or less?
Wicked flips the Oz we knew from the classic movie on its head.
To what extent does Maguire's vision of Oz contradict the Oz we're
familiar with? How have Dorothy and the other characters changed or
remained the same? Has Wicked changed your conception of the original?
If so, how?
The novel opens with a scene in which the Witch overhears
Dorothy, the Lion, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Woodman gossiping about
her. She's "possessed by demons," they say. "She was castrated at birth
. . . she was an abused child . . . she's a dangerous tyrant." How does
this scene set the stage for the story, and what themes does it
introduce?
What is the significance of Elphaba's green skin? What are the
rewards of being so different, and what are the drawbacks? In Oz -- and
in the real world -- what are the meanings associated with the color
green, and are any of them pertinent to Elphaba's character?
One of Wicked's key themes is the nature and roots of evil. What
are the theories that Maguire sets out? Is Elphaba evil? Are her actions
evil? Is there such a thing as evil, a free-floating power in the
universe like time or gravity? Or is evil an attribute of the actions of
human beings? (Hint: Turn to pages 231 and 370 for scenes that will draw
you into the conversation.)
Discuss the importance of the Clock of the Time Dragon. Does the
Clock simply reflect events, or does it shape them? Why is it
significant that Elphaba was born inside it? That Turtle Heart was
killed by it? What revelations does it offer to Elphaba and the reader
when she reencounters it at the end of the book?
The first section of the book ends powerfully but enigmatically
when the young Elphaba is discovered under the dock, cradled in the paws
of a magical beast as if sitting on a throne. How do you interpret this
scene, and what do you think it foretells, if anything?
The place of Animals in society is an important theme in Wicked.
Why does Elphaba make it her mission to fight for Animal rights? How
else does social class define Oz, and why?
[Galinda] reasoned that because she was beautiful she was
significant, though what she signified, and to whom, was not clear to
her yet" (page 65). Discuss the transformation of Galinda, shallow Shiz
student, to Glinda the Good Witch. How does she change -- and by how
much? What is her eventual "significance," both in Oz and in the story?
Discuss the ways in which Elphaba's determination and
willfulness lend purpose and order to her life, and the cost of being
such a strong character. Elphaba isn't the only strong female character
in Wicked. How do Nessarose, Glinda, and Sarima deal with the issues of
power and control? Where do each of them draw strength from? Is the
world of Maguire's Oz more or less patriarchal than millennial
America?
Wicked is an epic story, built along the lines of a
Shakespearean or Greek tragedy, in which the seeds of Elphaba's destiny
are all sown early in the novel. How much of Elphaba's career is
predestined, and how much choice does she have? Do you think that she
was no more than a puppet of the Wizard or Madame Morrible, as she
fears?
Early in their unlikely friendship, Galinda catches a glimpse of
Elphaba and thinks she "looked like something between an animal and an
Animal, like something more than life but not quite Life" (pages 78-79).
Discuss the dual, and sometimes contradictory, nature of Elphaba's
character. Why does Elphaba insist that she doesn't have a soul?
Who or what is Yackle? Where does she appear in the story, and
what role does she serve in Elphaba's life? Is she good or evil -- both
or neither?
Was Elphaba's story essentially a tragedy or a triumph? Did she
fail at every major endeavor, and thus fail at life; or because she
refused to give up or change to suit the opinions of others, was her
life a success? Is there a possibility that Dorothy's "baptismal splash"
redeemed Elphaba on her deathbed, or was this the final indignity in a
life of miserable mistakes?
Page last updated: Sep. 11, 2006
