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14. The Jasper Gates of Kiamo Ko
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Wicked, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Nature of Evil
Power and Oppression
Identity and Otherness
Destiny vs. Free Will
Guilt, Blame, and Forgiveness
Summary
Analysis
Nanny and Elphaba take a walk through the orchard. Nanny asks why Sarima’s family calls Elphaba a Witch, but Elphaba claims not to mind. Nanny then shares news from Colwen Grounds: the Eminent Thropp has died, and Nessarose has since taken up the title, now serving as head of the family. Nanny says Nessa is doing well—devout as ever, firm, and “adept” enough not to upset the Wizard. The word “adept” reminds Elphaba of Madame Morrible’s attempt to recruit her, Glinda, and Nessa at Shiz. She wonders how much of all their paths were—and are still—shaped by that spell. Nanny also mentions that Glinda visited Colwen Grounds years ago and enchanted Nessa’s sparkling shoes so she could move freely without help.
The way that Elphaba seems to accept Sarima’s family referring to her as a Witch suggests she’s taken Nastoya’s advice to heart and embraced this identity, for better or worse. Her conversation with Nanny pulls her back into the web of connections she’s long distanced herself from, showing how she remains bound to family and old friends—and, of course, to Morrible’s manipulation. But the news of Glinda and Nessa’s friendship is more complicated; Elphaba was always jealous of the sparkling shoes her father gave Nessa, and now they’ve been enchanted by her former roommate and friend. In Elphaba’s absence, her loved ones formed bonds without her.
Themes
Nanny then bluntly asks if Liir is Elphaba’s son, and Elphaba admits she doesn’t know. When she first arrived at the mauntery, she was put into a year-long sleep, so it’s possible she gave birth without knowing. The maunts gave her Liir when she left, saying only that she must take him with her. He had always stayed on the periphery of her life, and she never questioned who he truly was—she never had reason to. After this talk, Nanny treats Liir more affectionately, making Elphaba ashamed of her own lack of maternal feeling. Until his near-death, Elphaba wasn’t even aware of where Liir slept each night—on the floors of the other children’s rooms—nor did she ever wonder.
The strange details Elphaba shares about her time at the convent shed some light on her relationship with Liir and how, exactly, she doesn’t know for sure that she’s his mother. She’s emotionally distant from Liir because she barely knows him, but Nanny’s obvious care for him forces Elphaba to confront her own detachment. She might have once had a soft spot for children, but that part of her appears to have since been diminished—even for a child who is almost certainly hers.
Themes
Liir only speaks to Elphaba about what happened in the fishwell once. He says a Carp told him that Fiyero was his father and that Irji, Manek, and Nor were his siblings. Sarima, overhearing this story, laughed it off as a dream, though Elphaba sensed she knew it was the truth and just couldn’t accept it. For her part, Elphaba feels no guilt about Manek’s death. Later, Nanny tells Elphaba about a new school in Munchkinland that forcibly indoctrinates children to serve the Wizard. Horrified, Elphaba looks through the Grimmerie for a spell to overthrow a regime. But instead, she finds an illustration that seems to depict Mother Yackle.
Here, Liir’s claim that Fiyero is his father finally names the truth everyone around him has skirted, but it also raises the question: how did the Carp know about Liir’s parentage? Meanwhile, the news of the Wizard’s indoctrination schools pushes Elphaba toward thinking politically again, no doubt reminding her of his earlier attempt to recruit her into his service through Morrible. It enrages her that he now seeks to control the masses in the same way.
Themes
The effects of Manek’s death manifest gradually: Sarima’s sisters worry that Kiamo Ko will never again have a strong protector like Fiyero, since Irji seems too “feckless” to fill that role. Sarima grows more withdrawn and reclusive, and Nor and Irji drift apart. Nor begins wandering the summer countryside by herself, something she once would have done with her brothers. One day, she happens upon a group of Gale Force soldiers. Hoping to be brave like Manek once was, she invites them to Kiamo Ko without realizing the trouble it might cause.
Nor’s attempt to prove herself in Manek’s absence demonstrates how grief can distort judgment, as her desire to act “bravely” only welcomes danger into her home. The novel suggests that, had Elphaba not killed Manek, the Gale Force soldiers—effectively spies for the Wizard—would never have been invited in.
Themes
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When the soldiers reach Kiamo Ko, Elphaba opens her window and warns them not to come closer, threatening to turn them into rats. Outside, Sarima greets them politely, while Elphaba makes it clear she doesn’t trust them—and neither should Sarima. The men, led by Commander Cherrystone, say they’re only here on reconnaissance, surveying the Thousand Year Grasslands before moving on. Liir quickly takes a liking to Cherrystone, following him everywhere, despite Elphaba’s instruction to stay away. Elphaba argues often with Cherrystone during their stay and hates every moment the soldiers are there.
Though Elphaba’s warnings against the Gale Force may seem paranoid to others, like Sarima, the narrative makes clear that she’s right to be wary. The Gale Force is responsible for Fiyero’s death, after all, but Sarima doesn’t know this. Because she was never willing to listen to Elphaba’s apology, she blindly welcomes in her late husband’s murderers.
Themes
Nanny later tells Elphaba that Melena had wished for sons because the family title of Eminent Thropp passed through the female line. Melena never wanted that life for herself, nor did she want it for her children. Nanny also reveals that a woman named Yackle had given her pills to ensure Melena’s next child wouldn’t be born green, and that Turtle Heart may have been Nessarose’s father. The name Yackle stuns Elphaba—she wonders if this is the same Mother Yackle she once knew. She even considers visiting Nessarose to relieve her of the Eminent Thropp title if Nessa doesn’t truly want it.
Nanny’s revelations—details the reader has long known—collapse Elphaba’s family history into something even messier than she imagined. Discovering that Yackle has been involved with her family since before Nessa’s birth forces her to confront how little control she may have ever had, as Yackle is now confirmed to be behind key moments. Elphaba’s consideration of taking Nessarose’s title marks a shift, as she makes choices Melana would not have made. She’s beginning to see power not only as something to resist but as something she might claim for herself.
Themes
One day, while the soldiers are out, Nor steals Elphaba’s broomstick to clean up their barracks. While using it, she finds that it moves on its own accord—it’s magic. She mounts the broom and it begins to levitate, carrying her out a window as she clings to it in fear. From her tower window, Elphaba yells for Nor to come down immediately. Later, curious about the broom’s power, Elphaba experiments with it herself. At first, it resists her control, but with some time and effort, she learns how to fly.
Nor’s discovery of the broom’s magic transforms it from an ordinary household object into the powerful tool “Mother Yackle” predicted it would be. For Elphaba, mastering it herself is a significant turning point. Flying becomes a reflection of her autonomy and freedom, something she herself controls in a world where so much else has been dictated for her.
Themes
Elphaba receives a letter from Frex, sent to Nanny but with a message for her. In it, Frex explains that Nessarose has led a revolt against the Wizard, resulting in Munchkinland seceding from Oz. Though Nessarose is managing the role of Eminent Thropp well, Frex worries she isn’t as suited for leadership as Elphaba might be. Resolving to visit Colwen Grounds, Elphaba tells Sarima and the others she’ll be isolating in her tower for several days and secretly sets out in the middle of the night for Munchkinland in the east.
While Nessa’s political rebellion casts her as a serious player in Oz, Frex’s doubts hint at dangerous cracks in her leadership. Nessa’s always been his favorite child, after all, so for him to admit that she may not be well-suited for ruling speaks to the severity of his concerns. Elphaba leaves Kiamo Ko in secret to avoid discussing her personal life with Sarima’s family, who are easier to keep at arm’s length.
Themes
After a week of flying only at night, Elphaba reaches Colwen Grounds and is shocked by the size and grandeur of her ancestral home. Frex, thrilled to see his daughter, greets her immediately, and the two warmly catch up. He admits that he wanted her to come to help steady Nessarose’s more radical tendencies, which he believes are fueled by “religious voices.” Elphaba feels disappointed, having hoped her father wanted her there to claim her birthright as the eldest daughter. She also laments that Nessa was given the sparkling shoes, but Frex says Elphaba already had more than Nessa ever would—her own voice and her own convictions.
Elphaba’s reunion with Frex reveals that, beneath all her posturing, she’s still just a neglected child desperate for her father’s love. Frex praises her strength of character, failing to see that his neglect led her to become so strong in the first place. While Nessa has been supported from birth—both because of her disability and her undeniable charm and beauty—Elphaba has always had to rely on herself. The shoes, then, embody this imbalance. Nessa receives a dazzling symbol of love and power, while Elphaba’s strength remains internal and largely unacknowledged.
Themes
Exploring a small chapel on the estate, Elphaba notices that Nessarose has painted over most of the old religious imagery. When the sisters finally reunite, Nessa isn’t as surprised to see Elphaba as expected. She explains that everyone assumed Elphaba had died after disappearing, and during that time, Glinda and Nanny helped her cope while her faith “saw her through.” One afternoon, Elphaba watches as Nessa holds court with her citizens. An older woman asks for help with a maid who plans to run off with a woodcutter, Nick Chopper, leaving the woman to manage all the work alone. Nessa enchants the woodcutter’s axe to cut off one of his arms next time he uses it, and the woman pays Nessa with two Sheep and a Cow.
It becomes clear how Nessa has changed since Elphaba fled Shiz, highlighting the consequences of Elphaba’s disappearance. In her absence, Nessa grew close to Glinda, a burgeoning sorceress, and was clearly influenced by her powers. Nessa’s use of magic now to punish Nick Chopper is one of the clearest examples of how her piety has warped over time into cruelty, as she wields divine justification as a tool of control and abuses her power—things the younger Nessa would never have dared.
Themes
Elphaba is horrified that Animals like these Sheep and this Cow are being treated like property, but it doesn’t seem to trouble Nessarose. Elphaba is also shocked that her sister has begun using magic in the name of the Unnamed God. She calls Nessa the “Witch of the East” and dubs herself the “Witch of the West.” Later, Elphaba sneaks out to speak with the Sheep and Cow, hoping to free them. The Sheep won’t talk, and the Cow explains they’re mute now—they’ve chosen not to speak. The Cow warns that freedom is just as dangerous as captivity these days for Animals and predicts that Nessa will one day sacrifice them, though Elphaba insists her sister, a “strict unionist,” would never do such a thing.
Elphaba’s horror at the Animals’ treatment here shows how deeply she still identifies with the Animal class, and the Cow’s words about freedom further emphasize how thoroughly the balance of power has shifted in Oz. Nessa’s indifference, however, reflects the widening gulf between the sisters’ values. Elphaba’s insistence that Nessa would never harm the Animals reads like denial—considering Nessa has accepted them as a form of payment—underscoring her difficulty reconciling who her sister once was with what she is becoming.
Themes
As Elphaba and Frex catch up, Frex casts doubt on Nessarose’s leadership, insisting Elphaba is better suited for the title of Eminent Thropp. He claims that Nessa “hides behind her devotion the way a terrorist hides behind his ideals.” Elphaba firmly says she doesn’t want the title or its responsibilities. Passing a farmer wearing a straw man sigil, Frex explains the symbol comes from pagan rituals tied to human sacrifice that resurfaced during the Great Drought. He says that Turtle Heart was a victim of this sacrifice and that he and Melena had loved and “shared” Turtle Heart in a polyamorous arrangement. Elphaba asks Frex to return with her to Kiamo Ko, but he refuses, unwilling to leave Nessa alone.
Elphaba’s refusal to take on the title of Eminent Thropp matters because it shows she has no interest in ruling or controlling others, even if she might think she can do the job better than Nessa. Nessa, on the other hand, has justified cruelty against Munchkinlanders and Animals by convincing herself she’s acting righteously. Frex’s confession about Turtle Heart, meanwhile, is his way of reminding Elphaba that personal choices have consequences. He warns that one’s family, faith, and politics are all entangled, and that turning away from leadership—like she did when she went underground—might also mean losing the chance to stop things from getting worse.
Themes
Nessarose offers Elphaba the chance to stay at Colwen Grounds, serving as her partner in leadership when she’s away, but Elphaba declines. She shifts the conversation to Madame Morrible’s old binding spell, asking Nessa if she remembers. Nessa admits it sounds familiar but believes Morrible’s words were only a prediction, not magic. Feeling unsettled, Elphaba decides to leave, to Nessa’s dismay. As she departs, she tells Nessa she will “wait for her shoes,” a grim joke about the will that promises Elphaba the enchanted slippers after Nessa’s death.
Elphaba asks Nessa about Morrible’s spell as a way to confirm whether they’ve been under Morrible’s or the Wizard’s covert control—a fear that’s haunted her for years—but Nessa’s response indicates she hasn’t given it nearly as much thought as her sister. Ultimately, the novel leaves ambiguous the degree to which the women were impacted by the spell, if they were impacted at all. But it’s clear that the sisters’ worldviews have become irreconcilable. Elphaba’s parting words about the shoes, meanwhile, foreshadow Nessa’s fate.
Themes
Flying back to the Vinkus, Elphaba reflects on her visit, wondering “who is in thrall to whom” as she tries to piece together the strange ties between the Wizard, Madame Morrible, Nessa, Glinda, and even Yackle. When she reaches Kiamo Ko, only Nanny and the animals are there. Nanny explains that soldiers invaded after Elphaba left and forced out Sarima, her sisters, Nor, and Irji in chains, claiming a battalion was coming that could put them in danger. They didn’t bother taking Nanny or Liir, though Liir has since run after them. Nanny says Sarima’s sisters fought hard against the soldiers. Furious, Elphaba swears she will get them back.
The invasion of Kiamo Ko is the moment when Elphaba’s self-imposed isolation finally backfires. By leaving the castle, she unwittingly put Sarima and her entire family in danger, leaving the door wide open for the Gale Force to make their move. She was the “Witch” of Kiamo Ko, and regardless of the legitimacy of that title, the soldiers feared her to some degree. Her vow to rescue Sarima, Nor, and the others reinforces her commitment to vengeance against the Wizard.
Themes
