Nessarose

Nessarose, the second daughter of Frex and Melena, is a character whose life arc traces a dramatic transformation from a physically dependent and deeply religious child into the autocratic ruler known as the Wicked Witch of the East. Born without arms, she is initially defined by her vulnerability and her father's unwavering devotion, but she ultimately seizes political power, becoming the Eminent Thropp and the head of the secessionist Free State of Munchkinland. Her story is a study in the corrupting influence of power, the weaponization of faith, and the tragic consequences of a life lived in the shadow of both love and resentment.

Identity and Early Life

Nessarose was born at Colwen Grounds, the family estate, when Elphaba was about three years old. Her birth coincided with a temporary resurgence of well water during a severe drought, a detail her father later linked to pagan dances and a human sacrifice—the murder of the Quadling glassblower Turtle Heart. This event, Elphaba believed, was why their parents became missionaries to the Quadling people. Nessarose was born without arms, a condition that made her entirely dependent on others. Her father, Frex, doted on her, calling her his "beautiful pet" and feeding her pieces of fruit. He also made her a pair of dazzling silver shoes, decorated with glass beads using skills he had learned from Turtle Heart, intended to draw attention away from her deformity and give her a sense of beauty. Elphaba, who was green-skinned, was tasked with caring for her younger sister throughout much of their childhood, a duty she resented. Nessarose was described as "gorgeous, pink, slender as a wheat stalk, and armless," a striking contrast to her green sister. She was also deeply religious, inheriting her father's taste for unionism, and was known for her "dulcet tones of the unflappably faithful."

Life and Plot Trajectory

Nessarose's life trajectory is one of increasing power and isolation. She arrived at Shiz University to study, accompanied by Nanny, after Elphaba and Glinda's chaperone, Ama Clutch, fell ill. At Shiz, she was a demanding presence, requiring constant adjustments to her living arrangements and displaying a "witheringly superior" attitude, especially regarding her religious convictions. She clashed with Elphaba over the latter's atheism and with Glinda over the practice of sorcery, which she condemned as a distraction from true devotion. After Elphaba disappeared following their audience with the Wizard, Nessarose felt abandoned and rejected. She eventually inherited the title of Eminent Thropp upon their great-grandfather's death, becoming the political head of Munchkinland. She orchestrated a secession from Oz, establishing the Free State of Munchkinland, and began to rule with an iron fist, using her enchanted shoes—which Glinda had further empowered with a spell—to stand and walk without support. She became known as the "Wicked Witch of the East," a title she embraced as a form of public penance. Her reign was marked by religious tyranny, the oppression of Animals, and a willingness to use magic to enforce her will, such as when she enchanted a woodcutter's axe to harm a man who wanted to marry a maid. Her death came when a tornado, which had carried a house from another world, dropped it on her during a public ceremony.

Key Actions and Objectives

Nessarose's primary objective was to consolidate and exercise power, which she did through a combination of political maneuvering and religious authority. As the Eminent Thropp, she led the secession of Munchkinland from the Wizard's rule, a move that was initially popular but quickly became oppressive. She used her position to impose her own strict interpretation of unionism, creating a theocracy. A key action was her use of the enchanted silver shoes, which Glinda had empowered, to stand and walk independently, a feat that gave her a new sense of physical and political autonomy. She also demonstrated a willingness to use sorcery for cruel purposes, as seen when she enchanted an axe to harm a woodcutter, bartering her services for the ownership of two Sheep and a Cow—Animals she treated as chattel. Her objective was not merely to rule but to be seen as morally superior, a stance that alienated her subjects and even her own father, who worried about her "religious voices." She refused to forgive Elphaba for abandoning her at Shiz, and their reunion years later was marked by tension and unresolved resentment.

Relationships and Conflict

Nessarose's relationships were defined by her disability, her faith, and her ambition. Her relationship with her father, Frex, was one of intense devotion; he called her his "pet" and made her the special shoes, a gesture that deeply wounded Elphaba. With her sister Elphaba, the relationship was fraught with conflict. Elphaba was forced to care for her as a child, and Nessarose later felt abandoned when Elphaba disappeared. Their reunion at Colwen Grounds was cold, with Nessarose refusing to discuss their shared past and dismissing Elphaba's concerns about the treatment of Animals. With Glinda, Nessarose had a more complex bond; Glinda empowered her shoes, but they later clashed over the shoes' fate after Nessarose's death. Nessarose's relationship with her subjects was one of tyranny; she was feared and resented, with her death sparking revelry among those she had oppressed. Her conflict with the Wizard was political, as she led Munchkinland's secession, but she was ultimately killed by an accident of nature, not by his forces.

Change and Ending

Nessarose's change is from a dependent, pious girl into a powerful, ruthless tyrant. The enchanted shoes, which gave her physical independence, also seemed to amplify her moral certainty and her capacity for cruelty. She became increasingly isolated, taking her meals alone and losing herself in prayer. Her death was sudden and absurd: a tornado dropped a house on her during a public ceremony for perfect attendance at religious education classes. The event was met with jokes and relief by her unhappy subjects. In her final moments, she was still defined by her shoes, which Dorothy Gale, the girl from the house, inherited. Nessarose's legacy is one of a failed theocracy, a cautionary tale about the dangers of combining religious fervor with political power. She died without ever granting Elphaba the forgiveness she sought, and her death, while freeing Munchkinland from her rule, also left a power vacuum and a legacy of bitterness.

Thematic Significance

Nessarose's character serves as a powerful exploration of several key themes. She embodies the corrupting influence of power, showing how a person who begins as a victim of circumstance can become a perpetrator of oppression. Her story also critiques the weaponization of religion, as she uses her faith to justify tyranny and cruelty. The enchanted silver shoes are a potent symbol of this transformation: a gift of love from her father becomes a tool of control and a marker of her authoritarian rule. Furthermore, Nessarose's relationship with Elphaba highlights the theme of sibling rivalry and the destructive nature of parental favoritism. Her inability to forgive Elphaba, and her own refusal to be forgiven, underscores the novel's central concern with the nature of wickedness and the possibility of redemption. Ultimately, Nessarose is a tragic figure, not because she was inherently evil, but because her response to her own suffering was to inflict suffering on others, a cycle that ends not with a moral lesson but with a random, violent death.