Dorothy

Dorothy Gale is the young girl from Kansas whose accidental arrival in Oz by tornado kills the Wicked Witch of the East, Nessarose, and whose subsequent journey to the Emerald City and then to Kiamo Ko sets in motion the final confrontation with the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba. She is a plain, earnest farm girl whose unshakeable innocence and moral directness act as a catalyst for the novel's climactic events, forcing Elphaba to confront her own beliefs about guilt, forgiveness, and the nature of the soul.

Identity and Arrival in Oz

Dorothy is introduced as a "good-size farm girl, dressed in blue-and-white checks and a pinafore," traveling with a small, cowering dog named Toto and a group of companions: a Scarecrow, a Tin Woodman, and a Cowardly Lion. She is from a place called Kansas, which no one in Oz has heard of, and she is utterly bewildered by the magical land she has fallen into. Her first significant act in the story is an unintentional one: her house, carried by a tornado, lands on Nessarose, the Wicked Witch of the East, killing her instantly. Dorothy is horrified by this accident, and her primary motivation throughout the novel is a simple, desperate desire to return home to her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. She is described by those who meet her as having a "throaty vehemence, like someone arguing through the threat of impending tears" and a "somber voice too rich, too sincere for one so young."

Journey to the Emerald City and the Wizard's Command

After the death of Nessarose, Dorothy is directed by Glinda to go to the Emerald City to seek help from the Wizard of Oz. Along the Yellow Brick Road, she gathers her companions: the Scarecrow, who wants a brain; the Tin Woodman, who wants a heart; and the Cowardly Lion, who wants courage. When they finally gain an audience with the Wizard, he refuses their requests and instead sets them a task: they must kill the Wicked Witch of the West. Dorothy is deeply troubled by this command, but she feels she has no choice if she wants to return to Kansas. She and her friends travel to the Vinkus, where they are met with hostility from Elphaba, who sends her winged monkeys, crows, and bees to attack them. Dorothy's companions prove resourceful, and they eventually reach Kiamo Ko.

Confrontation with Elphaba and the Climax

At Kiamo Ko, Dorothy is brought before Elphaba, who demands the return of Nessarose's silver shoes, which Dorothy now wears. Elphaba, consumed by grief and rage, accuses Dorothy of being an assassin sent by the Wizard and of being the "Third Adept" in a conspiracy. Dorothy, terrified and weeping, denies this. She confesses that she never intended to kill anyone and that her only reason for coming was to ask for forgiveness for the accidental death of Elphaba's sister. This plea for mercy, offered from a place of genuine remorse, completely disarms Elphaba, who has spent her life seeking forgiveness she could never obtain. In a moment of confusion and panic, Elphaba's broom catches fire, and Dorothy, trying to save her, throws a bucket of water at her. The water, which is profoundly painful to Elphaba, causes her to melt away, killing her.

Aftermath and Significance

After Elphaba's death, Dorothy returns to the Emerald City with her companions and Liir. She presents the Wizard with a green glass bottle from Elphaba's room as proof of her deed. The Wizard, upon seeing the bottle, is shocked and soon after absconds from Oz in a hot-air balloon. Dorothy's role in the story is that of an unwitting agent of change. Her simple, direct goodness and her inability to comprehend the complex political and moral struggles of Oz act as a force that both destroys and liberates. She is the final, unexpected element that breaks the cycle of vengeance and despair that has defined Elphaba's life. Her request for forgiveness, which Elphaba could neither give nor receive, is the novel's ultimate challenge to the nature of wickedness and the possibility of redemption.