“Nanny knew Melena might still think about killing the child, but somehow she doubted it. Nanny held her valise to her, feeling bandits again. Inside her valise was hidden her gold garter (she could always claim it had been planted there without her knowledge, whereas it would have been hard to claim it had been planted on her leg in the same circumstances). She also had squirreled away the ivory crochet hook, three of Frex’s prayer beads because she liked the carvings, and the pretty green glass bottle left behind by some itinerant salesman selling, apparently, dreams and passion and somnolence.
She didn’t know what she thought. Was Elphaba devil’s spawn? Was she half elf? Was she the punishment for her father’s failure as a preacher, or for her mother’s sloppy morals and bad memory? Or was she merely a physical ailment, a blight misshapen apple or a five-legged calf? Nanny knew her worldview was foggy and chaotic, pestered by demons, faith, and folk science. It didn’t escape her attention, however, that both Melena and Frex had believed uncompromisingly that they would have a boy. Frex was the seventh son of a seventh son, and to add to that powerful equation he was descended from six ministers in a row. Whatever child of either (or any) sex could dare follow in so auspicious a line?
Perhaps, thought Nanny, little green Elphaba chose her own sex, and her own color, and to hell with her parents.” (30-31)
Hold on now… Melena wanted to kill her baby??? Elphaba hadn’t done anything to her. But it seems like mommy dearest has some issues. And aren’t minister’s wives supposed to be very accepting and loving?
I think that poor little Elphaba is in for a rough life ahead. Her own mother couldn’t stand her the moment she was born. I don’t know about you but that would screw me up quite a bit. No wonder little Elphie ends up being wicked. She didn’t start out being the way she was in the Wizard of Oz at birth. In fact, I’m pretty sure that this book will prove her to be pretty much blameless for the way her life was. As I continue to read this it becomes more and more apparent that the fact that so much of the characters’ views and outlook have to do with superficial things and kind of points out how selfish people can be. This book is really bringing out the flaws in how we live our lives with idols and how we view other people, even our own flesh and blood. I cant wait to see what happens next and find out how other people react to Elphaba’s unusual color.
She didn’t know what she thought. Was Elphaba devil’s spawn? Was she half elf? Was she the punishment for her father’s failure as a preacher, or for her mother’s sloppy morals and bad memory? Or was she merely a physical ailment, a blight misshapen apple or a five-legged calf? Nanny knew her worldview was foggy and chaotic, pestered by demons, faith, and folk science. It didn’t escape her attention, however, that both Melena and Frex had believed uncompromisingly that they would have a boy. Frex was the seventh son of a seventh son, and to add to that powerful equation he was descended from six ministers in a row. Whatever child of either (or any) sex could dare follow in so auspicious a line?
Perhaps, thought Nanny, little green Elphaba chose her own sex, and her own color, and to hell with her parents.” (30-31)
Hold on now… Melena wanted to kill her baby??? Elphaba hadn’t done anything to her. But it seems like mommy dearest has some issues. And aren’t minister’s wives supposed to be very accepting and loving?
I think that poor little Elphaba is in for a rough life ahead. Her own mother couldn’t stand her the moment she was born. I don’t know about you but that would screw me up quite a bit. No wonder little Elphie ends up being wicked. She didn’t start out being the way she was in the Wizard of Oz at birth. In fact, I’m pretty sure that this book will prove her to be pretty much blameless for the way her life was. As I continue to read this it becomes more and more apparent that the fact that so much of the characters’ views and outlook have to do with superficial things and kind of points out how selfish people can be. This book is really bringing out the flaws in how we live our lives with idols and how we view other people, even our own flesh and blood. I cant wait to see what happens next and find out how other people react to Elphaba’s unusual color.
4 comments:
Actually, I thought about reading Wicked for this assignment, but I heard it was really long, and I didn’t want to not be able to finish it. I wanted to read it because I heard it was a good book. I have friends that have read it who have told me how it was funny, and sometimes they’d read out parts that they thought were good. From that plus this post, I actually want to read this book outside of class. Maybe I’ll read it over the summer; it sounds really interesting!
The mother, who’s a minister’s wife, wants to kill her own baby because it wasn’t perfect? Well now that is just disturbing and unholy… After all that mistreatment in the baby’s childhood, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the baby would turn evil! I have heard so many good things about this book and the musical. I have also seen the book and it is hella long, but from the little snippet you have posted and all the good reviews, I might just have to go read it and see it. Looking forward to more of your posts!
Wicked is a great book and really puts an interesting view of the witch of the west. Your quote brings out the conflict that elphaba will face in the coming years. I hope you really enjoy the book and how it puts a spin on the original Wizard of Oz.
To be the mother in this quote would be putting your self into a very hard situation. Depending on what their religion says, having a green baby could be a sine of their god sentencing them to eternal damnation. If anybody were to find out about the child, there lives would change drastically and nobody wants that. Any way, hope you enjoy the book. I haven’t read it but the musical is amazing.
Post a Comment