Characters:
Sarima: The late wife of Sir Fiyero and Princess of the Arjikis
Elphaba: The travelling groups leader
Six: The unnamed sister of Sarima
Nor: The daughter of Sarima
Within the dwellings of the Princess of the Arjikis, the Princess herself, and her younger sister are curious about the newcomers.
Six: We have house guests coming for supper tonight. Am I to kill the hen?
Sarima: Who is it this time a boring old hag?
Six: No a women!
Sarima: “Now that’s uncalled for,” (Maguire 244) Tell four to catch some fish for this evening.
The references to the numbers of the siblings are; to not mess up the marriage process. The eldest sister is the first to get married, only then may a younger sister take a true name and begin meeting potential lovers. Think; Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice.
Sarima: Tell me, what does she look like?
Six: Thirty and green.
Sarima: Wow. I am interested in seeing this creature… oh I mean meeting this person.
Exit Six
Sarima: “I enjoy welcoming a traveler into the private chambers of Kiamo Ko.” (Maguire 245) However, before they are to visit for dinner, I must put my little ones to bed. Irji -twelve, and Manek - eleven are adventurers but if the ventured too far, some clan would harm them. My daughter on the other hand, Nor, is nine, was childish in many ways. Want to be read a story before being put to bed. Due to the circumstances of a guest newly arrived and dinner is being waited upon, there was no time.
Enter Nor. Tucked in bed. Waiting for a story.
Nor: There was a boy Mum. He said his name was Liir. A queer name. Manek threw a stone at him to see if it would bounce further because he was fat. He said his mother was the green lady, and Irji said he was a bastard. Then he said he didn’t care. Manek made him pull down his pants to check.
Sarima: Well what did you see?
Nor: The normal thing, but it was smaller than Irji and Maneks’. I want to hear the story of the Witch and the fox babies.
Sarima: The Witch captured three fox babies in preparation for her casserole. She put them in cages and went to collect fire from thee sun. When she re-entered the cave the fox babies sang a lullaby and she fell asleep. When the fire fell to the ground it melted the cage doors and the foxes escaped. They howled and the moon came down to cover the entrance to the cave. "Did she ever come out" asked Nor, doing her line from an almost hypnagogic state.
"Not yet," said Sarima, kissing and biting her daughter on the wrist, which made them both giggle, and then lights out.” (Maguire 247)
Exit Nor. Enter Elphaba, waiting to see the Princess.
Sarima: Welcome
Elphaba: Thank you. I am a friend of the late Fiyero. We attended Shiz together.
Sarima: I have heard many good things about you and you other classmates.
Elphaba: I think I am the reason your husband is dead.
Sarima: Aren’t we all?
Elphaba: I must tell you. I need to get it off my chest. Only then may I continue living.
Sarima: No. you were friends with Fiyero, and he talked highly of you. Didn’t you not say that you did not believe in a soul? Then why the need to get it off your chest. Since you have made it clear that you do not want people to know who you are, we will all refer to you as Auntie Guest.
Elphaba is silent during the meal.
There are many references during this chapter. The first is noted within the stage directions. The giving numbers to the younger sisters is only done when there are many girls within a family and there are only so many men to go around. The older sisters are the ones to have the option first and the younger sisters must wait until the older ones get married.
The second reference is to the evil witch. Is this a foreshadowing? Quite possibly. Also, the animals in this story could be an outcome of; Elphaba’s ruling over her animals.
The final reference in this chapter is; Auntie Guest. This is not a direct reference, but it is strange how the Princess gives the name to Elphaba because a character in the movie; Auntie Em, is a kind gentle soul who is the guardian of Dorothy.
Maguire, Gregory. Wicked . New York City: HarperCollins Publishers, 1995. 406. Print. <http://books.google.com/books/feeds/volumes?q=wicked>.
The Wizard of Oz. Dir. Victor Fleming. Perf. Garland, Judy. 1939. Film. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/>.
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