Social Inequality through Character Representation: Elphaba in the Wicked Movie (2024)

Abstract

Wicked (2024), directed by Jon M. Chu is an adaptation of the novel Wicked: The Life and Times ofthe Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire (1995), which explores the untold perspective of Elphaba, agreen-skinned witch who has long been labeled as a villain. This research aims to examine the representation ofinequality experienced by the character Elphaba due to her different skin color. The problem studied is how theinequality is shown in the movie through this character and its impact on the character’s social relationship withthe surrounding environment. This research uses a descriptive qualitative approach by combining PierreBourdieu’s theory of social inequality and colorism from Deborah Gabriel. The primary data is visual and verbaldata from the movie Wicked 2024, while the secondary data isfrom literature relevant to the topic. The resultsshowthat the character Elphaba is a victim of social inequality and social alienation due to her physical differences.This research concludes that the film Wicked in the character of Elphaba reflects the social reality that shows howthe denial of recognition of different individuals and causes deep marginalization.