Wicked is a musical that delves into the backstory of the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. It’s based on the novel series by Gregory Maguire. The narrative centers on Elphaba Thropp, exploring her life and the circumstances that led to her being labeled as “Wicked.” I recently had the pleasure of seeing Wicked twice. Once with my mother for Mother’s Day, and once in Southampton with Sophie as a birthday present.
The Wizard of Oz introduces Elphaba as the green-skinned Wicked Witch; Wicked provides a deeper understanding of how her appearance leads to societal exclusion and discrimination. This is akin to the experiences of many disabled individuals. From birth, Elphaba’s green skin marks her as different, leading to alienation and mockery from those around her.
In the book, she also has aquagenic urticaria—an allergy to water. This is where the rumour that water will melt her skin comes from. The play refers to it a couple of times with off-hand comments and a comment of “you must not get wet” but doesn’t go into detail about the condition. As someone who as suffered from aquagenic urticaria, I know just how painful that condition can be. I really do not want it to come back.
Note, this review is likely to contain spoilers
The “Problem Body” in Wicked
There’s a lot of “Problem Body” in the Wizard of Oz. Sally Chivers and Nicole Markotić defines the problem body a one that fails to achieve the norm. In a fantasy world, like Oz, it’s hard to define what normal is. It’s the attitudes of others that can really tell us what is and is not accepted. This comes strongly with several characters, specifically Elphaba, Nessarose and Doctor Dillamond. All treated differently because of their physical appearance, and all accepted at different levels.
Doctor Dillamond, who could easily be a representation of racial discrimination. He is forbidden from teaching and begins to lose is ability to speak (literally) as his rights are taken away from him. However, as Elphaba is not a talking animal, she is slightly more accepted than her professor. Her green skin, sets her apart and subjects her to severe mistreatment. This green skin can be seen as a metaphor for various forms of otherness, including disability.
Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose, who is wheelchair-bound, presents a contrast in how they are treated by society. While Nessarose is not fully included, she does not face the same level of overt discrimination as Elphaba or Doctor Dillamond. She is given access to a professor’s room which is inferred to be a luxurious treatment. Her appearance also does not cause her to be the subject of scorn or torment. Additionally, Nessarose is to inherit Munchkin Land as governess upon her father’s death despite being the younger sister. It’s inferred that Elphaba is not given the title, despite being the oldest, due to her green skin. It’s also possible that if they had a third, younger, able-bodied sister, then that child would surpass them both.
Contrasting behaviours in the sisters
The character traits of the sisters further illustrate their societal roles. While Elphaba is kind and compassionate, Nessarose is often portrayed as entitled and clingy. Nessa’s neediness is evident in her relationship with Boq, who desires to distance himself from her. This isn’t because of her disability, but because of her possessive nature and unwillingness to let him go after he took her to a dance once. And yes, he took her to the dance, not because he had feelings for her, but for alterer motives. He was promised by the woman he had a crush on that it would make her see him as a hero. Nessa was used to highlight Glinda’s not-so-good behaviour.
Nessa sees herself as hard-done by and doesn’t seem to notice or care about her own sister’s hardship. She sees her disability as the problem as to why she does not have any friends, which is potentially why she has a clinging nature. However, the few friends that Elphaba makes, despite being discriminated against on a different level to her sister, shows that it is not necessary Nessa’s disability that prevents her from having connections, but her attitude. This is further highlighted by Nessa taking away the rights of her citizens as she becomes their governess.
Elphaba, on the other hand, faces relentless exclusion and ridicule. Her green skin makes her a target of scorn, and she is often made a laughing stock. However, her resilience and kindness eventually earn her three friends: her goat professor, Doctor Dillamond, and two popular students, Glinda and Fiyero. Aware of her own lack of rights, she fights for the rights of others.
Self-Worth message of Wicked
Both sisters have low self-worth. Elphaba also feels guilty for her sister’s condition. Her father placed the blame on Elphaba’s green skin. Wanting to avoid another green-skinned child, he instructed his wife to eat a plant daily that caused Nessarose to be born prematurely. Throughout the musical, Elphaba is self-conscious of her skin, attacking students attitudes before the students are able to show their colours first.
It is through Glinda and Fiyero’s help that Elphaba gets confident in her own skin. Once she realises that beauty is subjective, she realises her own worth. This is important when she finally goes to see the Wizard, who attempts to manipulate her. Realising the truth about the Wizard, Elphaba, now confident with herself, sticks to her principles.
Eradication of Disability
Within narratives, the eradication of disability is a recurring theme. This is evident in stories such as The Secret Garden, Heidi, and even more modern narratives like Me Before You. Wicked is no different when it comes to Nessa Rose. Attempting to help her sister, Elphaba enhances Nessa’s slippers so that she can walk.
What stands out in Wicked is how Nessa’s newfound ability to walk impacts her relationships. Boq uses Nessa’s ability to walk as an opportunity to leave her, explicitly telling her, “Now you won’t mind that I go.” However, Nessa’s personality does not change with her newfound ability. She remains entitled and clingy. In a desperate attempt to retain Boq’s affection, she casts a spell that almost kills him. Elphaba intervenes to save Boq, turning him into the Tin Man—another form of otherness that can be seen as a disability.
We all know from The Wizard of Oz that Nessa dies. Death is often another way to eradicate disability, but at the point of Nessa’s death, she is no longer disabled; she is just cruel. This shift highlights that her core issues were never about her disability but her personality. The disabled population now consists of those whom Elphaba tried to save, such as her goat professor and Boq, now the Tin Man. This continuing presence of disabled characters in the narrative emphasises that disability cannot simply be eradicated but must be understood and accepted.
Overall thoughts
Wicked provides a rich and complex exploration of disability through its characters and narrative. By examining the experiences of Elphaba, Nessarose, and Doctor Dillamond, the musical highlights the various ways in which societal attitudes shape the lives of those deemed different. The contrasting behaviors of the sisters, along with the eradication of disability theme, underscore the importance of self-worth and acceptance. Wicked ultimately suggests that true change comes not from eradicating differences, but from embracing and understanding them.