Wicked: Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

Gregory MaguireFiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1995

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

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Discussion Questions

Essay Topics

How do Elphaba’s childhood traumas lead to her death? Write an essay in which you analyze why or how Elphaba could have avoided dying in infamy.

A major conflict in this novel is the tension between destiny and free will. Is Elphaba destined to become the Wicked Witch of the West, or does she manifest her own solitary life? Use evidence from the novel to support your response.

In this novel, powerful women with endless potential are pitted against one another. What institutions of power control these dynamics, and what is Maguire’s commentary on gendered identity and politics?