This suggestion is equally as tenuous, but extremely enjoyable. Is there one? Strangely, the only thing that we know about the Wicked Witch of the East is her shoe size, and that fits … coincidence? This theory is based on the observation that, in Oz, Dorothy meets alternative versions of several 'real life' characters, but never an alternative version of herself. Dorothy is actually The Wicked Witch of the East.Īdmittedly, we're getting into slightly more tenuous grounds. A more sombre ending, since we've just spent two hours becoming emotionally invested in the character of the (framed) Wicked Witch … maybe it's best to believe that she does survive. That said, even within Wicked the musical it could be argued that the 'escape' of Elphaba and Fiyero is metaphorical and, when they say that they can never come back to Oz, it's because they have both died. So what really happens? Well, she fakes her own death so that she can escape Oz with the Scarecrow … who just happens to be the love of her life, Fiyero. In the story of Wicked the musical, the idea that Elphaba could be 'melted' with water is a rumour spun by her enemies as a way of making her seem super evil. And Wicked the book would agree, but Wicked the musical suggests that it was all a ruse. The Wizard of Oz would say that she dies. Whilst Pink Floyd say that it is a complete coincidence, lots of fans claim that, if you watch The Wizard of Oz on mute with The Dark Side of the Moon album playing, there are loads of moments that sync too perfectly for it to be a coincidence. This theory has a whole Wikipedia page dedicated to it, and it seems to have really torn apart the seemingly very large group of Pink Floyd / Wizard of Oz fans. Pink Floyd's album, The Dark Side of the Moon, synchronises with The Wizard of Oz. Wicked presents a less black and white option: that Glinda (or, Galinda) is fundamentally good, but not initially as brave as her close friend, the Wicked Witch of the West (Elphaba).Ĥ. It does seem a bit suspicious that Glinda the Good gains so much power from the events that transpire who's to say that she didn't plan the whole thing? This theory has been voiced at different levels, starting at 'she could have said about the shoes earlier', and ending at 'maybe she dropped the house on the Wicked Witch of the East herself, and manipulated the whole story'. Now, the Wizard needs a scapegoat and doesn't want anybody to believe what Elphaba says about his own wickedness, so he makes everybody believe that Elphaba herself is wicked, and thus she becomes known as the Wicked Witch of the West. Whichever version of this story you read, the Wizard is always a bad guy.Įlphaba, who just wants to do the right thing, flies off the handle and both literally and It turns out that of all the issues in Oz are the Wizard's doing. Things are going wrong in Oz, so Elphaba (the 'Wicked' Witch) goes to find the Wizard and asks him to help put things right. Elphaba, is really the hero of the whole story, and not the villain.īut how can that be? Here's an absurdly brief breakdown. The premise of the book / musical Wicked is that the Wicked Witch of the West, a.k.a. The Wicked Witch isn't wicked.Īre people born wicked? Or do they have wickedness thrust upon them? Perhaps they're not really wicked at all. Bilge Ebiri sums up the six theories that I have mentioned, as well as one theory that I will go on to talk about later, in his article: 7 Theories of What The Wizard of Oz Is Really About. Jung? These ideas have been widely debated. Does it mirror populism? The psychoanalytic theories of C.G. Both of these theories rest on the major flaws of characters in The Wizard of Oz (no heart, no mind, no courage, not a wizard, completely wicked – you get the idea). Perhaps it's about the general incompetence of adults. It has been argued that the story is a religious allegory (the yellow brick road leading to paradise) but, oddly enough, it has also been argued that it is an allegory for atheism (after all, the paradise at the end of the yellow brick road is false).Įqually, it could be said that the story is all about feminism (or, rather, the failings of men – which is not the same thing). It's quite hard to find something which The Wizard of Oz hasn't been said to represent. The Wizard of Oz is a representation of politics, religion, feminism … the list goes on. For this blog, I have sifted through the most enjoyable theories that I could find on The Wizard of Oz and Wicked, and have summarised my absolute favourites. And Wicked is, essentially, a whole conspiracy theory in itself: an alternative slant on the well-known story one which, personally, I much prefer. I think I could probably write a book on the numerous conspiracy theories that surround The Wizard of Oz.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |