Maguire

Paper Summary:

The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the book "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" written by Gregory Maguire. The paper analyzes the main character of the play, Elphaba,whose name came from the letters of L. Frank Baum's name (el-pha-ba). The paper tells us that Baum was the author of the original "Wizard of Oz" books, and the witch's name is a tribute to the author who first told the story about the Wicked Witch that everyone is familiar with in the books and the film, but this is the story of her childhood. The paper notes how the book describes her background, what made her into such an evil and wicked witch, and makes her more of a sympathetic character to the reader. The paper also notes that Elphaba is not really bad, she is just colored that way, at least that is what this book tries to prove.

From the Paper:

"From the very beginning of this dark and yet enchanting novel, Elphaba is different, unique, and a bit frightening. Her father (supposedly) is a minister, and her mother is a great beauty - both Munchkins, who have a normal-sized daughter. She enters the world in the back of the Clock of the Time Dragon, and from the moment she is born, there is something about her that simply cannot be explained or ignored. The author writes, "But even with these effects of light and atmosphere, the midwives couldn't deny what they saw. Beneath the spit of the mother's fluids the infant glistened a scandalous shade of pale emerald" . Elphaba is different, and she faces that challenge repeatedly throughout the novel. It is her "cross to bear" so to speak, but as she matures, it also becomes her claim to fame and her allure. She was not always "wicked" as the story shows, in fact, she has a heart almost as big as the Tin Man's, but it is broken, and she succumbs to the evil side of her nature by the end of the novel. Elphaba, throughout most of the book, has a good and decent heart that is often broken because of her appearance. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Maguire, Gregory. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. New York: ReganBooks, 1995.

More papers on Maguire:

• Essay # 90362 : "Maguire's Personality Development"
• Essay # 71886 : "Film: "Jerry Maguire"
• Film Review # 69738 : "Jerry Maguire"

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