How do Elphaba’s childhood traumas lead to her death? Write an essay in which you analyze why or how Elphaba could have avoided dying in infamy.

A major conflict in this novel is the tension between destiny and free will. Is Elphaba destined to become the Wicked Witch of the West, or does she manifest her own solitary life? Use evidence from the novel to support your response.

In this novel, powerful women with endless potential are pitted against one another. What institutions of power control these dynamics, and what is Maguire’s commentary on gendered identity and politics?