The Wicked Witch of the East in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – L. Frank Baum (1900)
The Wicked Witch of the East is one of the earliest and most consequential figures in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, despite her brief appearance. At the beginning of the novel, she rules over the Land of the East, where the Munchkins live under her authority.
Baum provides limited physical description of the Wicked Witch of the East. What defines her role is power rather than personality. She is identified as wicked through her actions and governance, not through dramatic monologue or spectacle. Her rule is absolute enough that her death immediately alters the political state of the region.
Her death occurs when Dorothy Gale’s house, carried by a cyclone from Kansas, lands directly upon her. This act is entirely accidental. Dorothy has no knowledge of the Witch’s presence, nor any intention to harm her. Baum emphasizes that the event is a matter of circumstance rather than heroism.
The Witch’s death frees the Munchkins from her control. Their reaction confirms that her rule was oppressive and feared. They do not mourn her. Instead, they celebrate the end of her authority, demonstrating that wickedness in Oz is understood through lived consequence rather than moral debate.
One of the Witch’s most lasting contributions to the story is indirect. Upon her death, the Silver Shoes she wore are taken and given to Dorothy by the Good Witch of the North. These shoes possess powerful magic, though neither Dorothy nor the Witch herself is fully aware of their significance at the time.
The Wicked Witch of the East does not return, speak, or act beyond this moment. Baum does not resurrect her, explain her origins, or expand on her ambitions in the 1900 novel. Her function is structural. She marks the moment when Dorothy becomes entangled in Oz’s system of power.
Through the Wicked Witch of the East, Baum establishes an important rule of Oz. Power can end suddenly. Authority can be destroyed by accident. Consequences do not require intent.
Her absence shapes the rest of the journey more than her presence ever could.
