At the end of Wicked: Part One, Glinda and Elphaba separate after the latter decides to head west and devote herself to one day stopping The Wizard of Oz’s cruelty. Fans are thus surprised. Many have grown curious as to why Glinda does not follow Elphaba, whom she becomes best friends with over the course of the film.
So why did Glinda not join Elphaba on the latter’s journey at the end of the film? Here is the answer.
Why Glinda and Elphaba went separate ways at the end of Wicked: Part One?
Glinda and Elphaba separate at the end of Wicked: Part One as Glinda chooses to stay behind at Oz.
It is also because they likely realized that they had differing paths and approaches to fighting injustice in Emerald City. Ariana Grande confirmed this in a recent interview with iHeartRadio. Here, she also stressed that Glinda was sure of her choice to stay behind. Grande added that Glinda was “strong enough not to go” instead of the perceived “not strong enough to go.”
Moreover, Grande also addressed in the interview that Glinda “did not have the tools” to go on a journey like Elphaba. She also opined how Glinda valued everything she had, including her status. Grande argued that Glinda did not want to let everything she valued go, not because she was “not ready” but because that was who she was as a person. Grande also said it was not in Glinda’s nature to choose to join Elphaba’s rebellion. She added that she was “strong enough” to know it.
Both Glinda and Elphaba were shown to be different regarding activism. The latter is more vocal and direct at trying to elicit change. Meanwhile, the former is shown to be more subtle. This is also demonstrated when Elphaba rejects Oz’s evil system and chooses to rebel and fight to bring change. Glinda decides to live within it, playing by the rules working in her favor so she can start gaining the influence and power necessary to act on making a change.
Wicked is currently playing in theaters.
