Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
April 20, 2003
We live in the day and age of confusion and especially after the chaos that greeted the beginning of the 21st century, people struggle to define what is good and what is evil. While doing so, they hope for a definition that is lucid and proper, and perhaps this "clear signal" can help them compartmentalize the elements they encounter in their lives. But what if there is no exact definition of good and evil, then what should one do?
We were told at some point in our lives that Glinda the Good Witch was the beautiful, fair and kind creature; while the Wicked Witch of the West was the dark-green, ugly and vindictive one. The opposing forces laid out the moral landscape of the land of Oz according to L. Frank Baum. Then came Gregory Macguire with a new spin of this classic tale. It was a chronicle of the life of Elphaba, later known as the "evil" WWW.
What I like about this novel is that it basically brings up the general idea of looking at the other side of the coin. What were the circumstances that pushed Elphaba to the reputation of the Wicked Witch? Could it be that she was not all together that bad, but the priciple ground she stood on was incompatible with the standards of the common society in the land of Oz? This book is a good read. (Originally posted 12/31/2002)