The Wizard's Role in the Wicked Witch's Downfall

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there was a wicked witch who terrorized the people of the kingdom. She had long, tangled black hair, a crooked nose, and a cackling laugh that sent shivers down everyone's spines. The wicked witch would cast spells on innocent villagers, turning them into frogs or locking them in eternal slumber. The people of the kingdom lived in fear and despair, unable to find a way to defeat the wicked witch. She seemed invincible, with her powerful potions and dark magic. But one day, a brave young man named Ethan decided that enough was enough.

According to author and Oz series originator Lyman Frank Baum [May 15, 1856-May 5, 1919], there originally were four wicked witches who terrorized the beautiful, enchanted, magical land of Oz. They were the Wicked Witches of the East, North, South, and West. Glinda the Good and another unnamed Good Witch managed to take over the rule of the Red Quadling Country of the South, and of the Blue Munchkin Country of the North, respectively. So Baum's story began with two good witches, and two wicked witches. Close to the beginning of the book, the Wicked Witch of the East was killed when Dorothy's farmhouse landed on her. A bit more than midway through the story, the Wicked Witch of the West was killed when Dorothy threw a bucket of water on her and melted her into nothingness. So the story ended with no wicked witches, and two good witches of the South and of the North.

Glinda the Good and another unnamed Good Witch managed to take over the rule of the Red Quadling Country of the South, and of the Blue Munchkin Country of the North, respectively. A story in the Ozarks, where I live, concerns a monstrous wildcat who lives in a cave who chases a man on a wagon who sacrifices meat he d had butchered in an attempt to slow it down.

But one day, a brave young man named Ethan decided that enough was enough. He couldn't bear to see his people suffer any longer, so he set out on a quest to find a way to defeat the wicked witch. Ethan traveled far and wide, seeking advice from wise wizards and sorcerers, and exploring ancient libraries for clues.

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Next week sees the publication of “Burning Questions,” a new collection of nonfiction pieces by Margaret Atwood. In the course of speaking to The Times about her fearless opinions for a feature profile, the author of “The Handmaid’s Tale” explained her preoccupation with L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” offering a typically nimble riff on its expression of anxieties over feminism and what she calls the “woman question.” The conversation has been slightly edited.

It’s a very iconic and interesting story, which of course I read as a small child.

OK. So let’s think about what it’s got in it. It was written around the time that rights for women was a real issue. Everybody was thinking about it. And what does “The Wizard of Oz” have in it? It’s got four witches, who have real witchy power. One gets squashed by the house. And one of them is the Wicked Witch of the West who appears in the film with a green face and apparently scared the pee out of Neil Gaiman as a child.

Literally scared the pee out of him?

I didn’t ask. [laughs] I didn’t get granular on the details. But I was on stage with him and I did my witch voice and he said, “Don’t do that! Don’t do that! That really scared me as a child.” You’ll notice that he’s channeled it quite a bit in some of his own writing, most particularly “Coraline.” Anyway, there’s these four witches, and two of them are good and two of them are bad. The other magic person, once she gets the slippers, is Dorothy — also a female person. Then there’s also the girl soldiers in the Emerald City. Remember them?

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I’m not sure they’re in the film. They’re definitely in the book, illustrated, they look sort of like drum majorettes. So the Emerald City of Oz is a utopia. Everybody in it is happy. But it’s based on an illusion. OK. Let’s look at the male people in the book. They are the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow. They go with Dorothy because each of them feels he lacks something. One of them lacks courage, one of them lacks brains, and one of them lacks heart. So we have three deficient male characters going to see the Wizard, hoping that they will get these things, but the Wizard turns out to be a fraud. [laughs] So actually none of the male characters in the book have any real magic powers. The Wizard has only succeeded in keeping the bad witches at bay by making people think he has magic powers. Don’t you think that’s interesting? I certainly do. [laughs]

So is this turn-of-the-century insecurity about gender roles? I would say it is. Early on, when I was writing my thesis for Harvard in supernatural female figures in fiction, naturally I was interested in these witches. In 19th century fiction particularly, they always have to do with what they called “the woman question.”

What is the woman question?

Now let’s just dial back in history, long, long ago before you were born. Women didn’t have voting rights , they didn’t have rights to higher education. They couldn’t go to art schools because they might see naked women, always a shock. They didn’t have property rights unless those had been specially arranged for them by their male progenitors. That’s the plot of a lot of 19th century novels. So the woman question was about: How many of these things should they be permitted? And it ranged all the way from higher education and votes to just, you know, what kinds of schools they should be allowed into. Certainly not medical schools! They might see naked women.

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Each woman I know has seen at least one naked woman. I mean even in the Middle Ages, a woman would change her own clothes.

You’d think! Think again. You could live a whole life without ever seeing your own body. Anyway, there was a big debate about Mrs. Bloomer, who wanted more relaxed clothing for women. It was actually seriously put forward that if you took away their corsets women, being so much like jellyfish, would just sort of subside into a puddle on the floor; they needed bolstering up. There was also an idea that if you gave them higher education, all the blood would come out of their generative organs into their heads and they wouldn’t be able to reproduce. You think this is stupid, don’t you?

No, I think it’s hysterical!

Yes. Well I was a Victorianist once upon a time and these arguments were seriously put forward to limit women’s access to public life. And then there was the big bicycle revolution. When bicycles came in, women could get on bicycles and go off to places where they weren’t supervised, which as you can readily imagine was deeply immoral. So there was a lot of writing against [it], and I’m sure the same argument was made about automobiles when they came along. And I refer you to zippers, which were preached against as being immoral.

These are just some aspects of it. How much power should women be allowed and if they got it, would they seriously misuse it? That was the argument. Would they turn men into these deficient creatures that you see in “The Wizard of Oz” with no magical powers? Who had to fall back on pretending to have magical powers? So to me, just as in H.G. Wells’ “The Island of Doctor Moreau,” deep anxieties about the woman question were being expressed in these fantasies.

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After months of searching, he finally stumbled upon a ancient prophecy that predicted the downfall of the wicked witch. According to the prophecy, the only way to defeat her was with an enchanted sword blessed by a unicorn. Determined to save his kingdom, Ethan embarked on a perilous journey to find a unicorn. He braved treacherous mountains, crossed raging rivers, and battled fierce monsters along the way. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he spotted a majestic unicorn in a clearing. With his heart pounding, Ethan approached the unicorn and humbly requested its help. The unicorn, knowing the importance of the task at hand, agreed to bless the sword. As Ethan wielded the enchanted sword, he felt a surge of power and courage flow through him. Armed with the enchanted sword, Ethan returned to the kingdom to face the wicked witch. The battle was epic, with bolts of lightning and bursts of flames lighting up the sky. But Ethan's determination and the power of the sword prevailed. With one final swing, he struck the wicked witch down. The people of the kingdom rejoiced, their cheers echoing throughout the land. The wicked witch's reign of terror was finally over, thanks to Ethan's bravery and the help of the unicorn. Peace and happiness returned to the kingdom, and the people lived happily ever after. The story of the wicked witch being squashed reminds us that evil can be defeated with determination and courage. No matter how powerful or terrifying it may seem, there is always a way to overcome it. It also teaches us the importance of seeking help and relying on the support of others, as Ethan did with the wise wizards, sorcerers, and the unicorn. No challenge is insurmountable when we have the right tools and the right allies by our side..

Reviews for "The Wicked Witch's Comeback: A Tale of Revenge"

1. John - 1/5 stars - I was really disappointed with "The wicked witch has been squashed". The storyline was weak and predictable, and the characters were poorly developed. The humor also fell flat for me and it felt forced at times. Overall, I found it to be a boring and unenjoyable read.

2. Emma - 2/5 stars - I had high hopes for "The wicked witch has been squashed", but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The plot felt scattered and rushed, leaving little room for character development. I also found the humor to be childish and repetitive, which became annoying after a while. It lacked depth and substance, making it a forgettable read for me.

3. Sarah - 2/5 stars - I found "The wicked witch has been squashed" to be quite mediocre. The writing style was average and the story lacked originality. The attempts at humor fell flat and felt forced, making it difficult to really engage with the book. It failed to capture my attention, and I couldn't connect with the characters on any level. Overall, it just didn't leave a lasting impression.

4. David - 3/5 stars - While "The wicked witch has been squashed" wasn't terrible, it didn't really captivate me either. The plot was predictable and the characters felt one-dimensional. I did appreciate some of the humor, although it wasn't consistent throughout the book. It was an okay read, but there are definitely better options out there.

5. Rachel - 2/5 stars - I was quite disappointed with "The wicked witch has been squashed". The writing felt amateurish and the story lacked depth. The characters were underdeveloped, and I struggled to connect with any of them. The attempts at humor fell flat for me, making it difficult to really enjoy the book. Overall, it felt like a wasted opportunity with a lackluster execution.

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