Wicked: Dorothy’s True Nemesis?

You’d think, wouldn’t you, that the Wicked Witch of the West’s beef was pretty straightforward? Green skin, flying monkeys, trying to get those ruby slippers- classic villain stuff. But then you dive into the books, particularly Wicked: For Good, and oh man, it gets complicated. Suddenly, the whole narrative you thought you knew, the one from the movie and even the first stage musical, it shifts. We’re talking less clear-cut good vs. evil, and more… well, honestly, it’s a bit of a messy relationship, and Dorothy Gale, that innocent farm girl, actually plays a much larger- and dare I say, more antagonistic– role than you might ever expect. It’s not just about some darn shoes; it’s practically personal.

It’s tempting to see Elphaba as just inherently ‘wicked,’ right? I mean, it’s in her name. But the beauty- and the tragedy- of Gregory Maguire’s world is that nothing is ever that simple. Elphaba’s journey is paved with misunderstandings, prejudice, and a whole lot of really bad luck. And guess who often ends up as a catalyst for a lot of that bad luck? Yep, our sweet, unassuming Dorothy.

When Good Intentions Go Terribly Wrong

Okay, so let’s cut to the chase. In Maguire’s For Good- and warning, major spoilers here if you haven’t read it, though honestly, you should go do that right now, it’s brilliant- Elphaba isn’t just annoyed by Dorothy. She kind of, sort of, blames her for everything that went sideways. It’s not a direct, malicious hate at first, more like Dorothy represents the final straw in a lifetime of frustrations. Think of it like this: you’ve had a really bad day, spilled coffee, lost your keys, and then someone accidentally steps on your foot. That person probably isn’t evil, but for a split second, you really hate them.

The Slippers and the Symbolism

The ruby slippers- or in the books, the silver slippers, a key difference (and a nod to Baum’s original vision anyway)- they’re more than just fancy footwear. For Elphaba, those shoes represent her sister Nessarose’s last, tangible connection to her. Nessarose, the Wicked Witch of the East, who was tragically- and quite accidentally- crushed by Dorothy’s house. Nessarose, who Elphaba had a deeply complicated relationship with, bound by duty and guilt. So when Dorothy, without really understanding, takes those slippers off Nessarose’s dead feet, it’s an act that Elphaba sees as a profound disrespect, a theft of personal belonging, and basically a symbol of everything that’s been ripped away from her.

• Point: Dorothy taking the slippers isn’t just about fashion; it’s literally taking a piece of Elphaba’s deceased sister.
• Insight: This turns Dorothy into an unwitting antagonist, not because she’s bad, but because her actions have devastating personal consequences for Elphaba.

Now, Elphaba at this point is already a pretty broken figure. She’s been disillusioned by the Wizard, seen her friends suffer, and lived a life on the fringes of society. Her sister’s death and the subsequent “theft” of the slippers just pile onto that already enormous emotional weight. It’s less about Dorothy being evil and more about Dorothy being the final straw for Elphaba’s descent into a kind of desperate, vengeful madness. Dorothy is just in the wrong place at the wrong time, repeatedly, making choices that, from Elphaba’s perspective, are deeply frustrating and hurtful.

“It’s not usually the grand, sweeping gestures that turn us into villains, but the accumulation of small, seemingly insignificant slights, until one day, you just snap.”

The Unseen Consequences of Heroism

And then there’s Toto. You know, Dorothy’s little dog. Harmless, right? Well, in For Good, Toto actually bites Elphaba, pretty severely. Now, put yourself in Elphaba’s shoes- or lack thereof, since Dorothy has them. You’re already at your wit’s end, grieving, feeling persecuted, and then this small, yappy creature, belonging to the girl who basically ruined your life, attacks you. It’s such a minor detail, but it perfectly encapsulates the kind of infuriating, dehumanizing experiences Elphaba goes through, almost always tangentially related to Dorothy and her companions.

The Wizard’s Influence and Elphaba’s Paranoia

It’s not just the direct interactions, though. Elphaba, like many who have been repeatedly gaslighted and betrayed, has a deep-seated paranoia. She suspects everyone, and for good reason. The Wizard, the very man who brought Dorothy to Oz (albeit accidentally), is also Elphaba’s greatest foe, the one who manipulated her, exploited the Animal rights movement she passionately championed, and basically made her a pariah. So, anyone even remotely connected to this corrupt system, or seen as a pawn in it, becomes an object of Elphaba’s increasingly justifiable suspicion and anger. Dorothy, being the Wizard’s new “friend” (again, complicated, I know), gets caught in that crossfire.

• Point: Dorothy’s association with the Wizard, however innocent, paints her as part of the oppressive system Elphaba fights against.
• Insight: This broadens Elphaba’s anger from personal slights to systemic injustice, with Dorothy becoming an unfortunate symbol of that system.

It’s a classic case of mistaken identity mixed with valid grievances, really. Dorothy, with her pure heart and undeniable innocence, is just trying to get home. But from Elphaba’s perspective, Dorothy is a powerful foreign agent, wielding magical items (those silver shoes!), inadvertently causing destruction, and aligning with the very institution Elphaba has dedicated her life to fighting. It’s a tragedy of miscommunication and differing perspectives, where neither character is truly evil, yet they become existential threats to each other’s existence and peace of mind.

More Than Just a Witch Hunt

So, the idea that Dorothy is Elphaba’s true nemesis, in a very real, personal, and profoundly damaging way, isn’t just a sensational claim. It’s actually a pretty nuanced and heartbreaking aspect of Maguire’s deeper narrative. It reframes the whole Wizard of Oz story, turning it from a simple fairy tale into a complex exploration of how circumstance, misunderstanding, and political intrigue can twist even the most well-intentioned individuals into adversaries. It makes you wonder, if Elphaba and Dorothy had ever really sat down and talked- without the Wizard’s scheming or the pressures of Oz politics- could things have been different? Would history have unfolded the same way? My gut says probably not, and that’s the real gut punch, isn’t it?