Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West Volume 2, Chapter 3, Part 2 Summary

How It All Goes Down

    Glinda was changed. She knew it herself.... She had invented a nonsense disease for Ama Clutch, and Ama Clutch had come down with it. Was this proof of an inherent talent of sorcery? (2.3.2.1)

  • Glinda is dealing with her guilt and her growing mistrust of Madame Morrible.
  • She has also ditched her old "friends" and now mainly socializes with Elphaba, who is becoming a true friend.
  • Elphaba explains Nessa and her family history to Glinda.
  • We learn the details behind Melena's death after Elphaba's brother Shell was born in Quadling Country.
  • We also learn that Turtle Heart is dead:

    The crowd, incited by some rabble-rousing faithers and a prophetic clock, fell on him and killed him. (2.3.2.6)

  • Elphaba talks about her hard childhood in Quadling Country. Frex worked as a missionary and Elphaba witnessed how the Wizard's troops came to mine for rubies and rounded up the Quadlings into "settlement camps" and killed them.
  • Glinda doesn't care about politics and wants to hear about Elphaba's siblings:

    "Nessarose is a strong-willed semi-invalid" said Elphaba. "She's very smart, and thinks she is holy." (2.3.2.12)

  • Nessa sounds like the life of the party. Shell is notably not deformed.
  • Elphaba notes that Nessa is their father's favorite. We're sure that little detail won't cause any problems at all in the future.
  • Glinda is not a huge fan of Nessarose. She finds her overly demanding and obnoxious.
  • Glinda is majoring in Sorcery (which she has a natural talent for) and she enjoys her classes with Miss Greyling.
  • Over lunch, Glinda, Elphaba, and Nessa discuss religion and magic.
  • Elphaba argues that magic is nothing but tricks and illusions.
  • After Elphaba calls sorcery "trivial." Glinda tries to levitate Elphaba's sandwich and ends up blowing it up instead.
  • Elphaba laughs and says she doesn't believe in religion or magic. Nessa is offended by her sister's self-proclaimed atheism.
  • We have a feeling Nessa is the type who would go to a party in order to lecture everyone against partying.