The Elphaba Effect: What Wicked Teaches Us About Perception and Narcissistic Control
Calling all Wicked girlies!
The moment we’ve all been waiting for is finally here: Jon M. Chu’s second instalment of Wicked is mere days away from being released. On November 21, 2025 Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande return to the silver screen as Elphaba, and Glinda in Wicked: For Good.
Theatre kids flocked to theatres last year in November 2024 to watch the first instalment of the film which debuted the incomparable Cynthia Erivo as the green, micro-braided witch – Elphaba.
Are you the type of person who has been called “resilient”? Perhaps you put on the front of being unbothered, and prioritize the needs of those you love to your own detriment?
You might be experiencing The Elphaba Effect.
While outwardly Elphaba presents as a confident, resilient, no nonsense young woman – the audience is given access to what others in Oz never see: the chinks in her otherwise flawless green armour.
Wicked reminds us that perception is rarely (if ever) the full story. The assumptions of Elphaba as being strong, aloof, intimidating, or even “wicked” are shaped by bias, not by her truth. Elphaba faces stigma and discrimination from the moment she is born. Resilience isn’t something that she sought out, but rather something that she had to develop in order to survive. An adaptation that came from pain.
This experience mirrors what people often experience in the real world. In mental health, resilience is often misunderstood as a positive personality trait, rather than the survival mechanism that it truly is.
We don’t develop resilience because we want to, we develop resilience because circumstances force us to.
Similarly, the sarcastic, witty, and seemingly unbothered exterior that Elphaba portrays is another survival strategy; one that many of us use without even realizing it. When someone has been repeatedly dismissed, misunderstood, or judged, developing a protective “mask” becomes a way to stay safe.
Sarcasm and wit deflect vulnerability. Appearing unbothered keeps others at a distance, and telegraphs the belief, “You can’t hurt me if I don’t let you in.” While the mask of being unbothered can be a helpful and protective tool against an unkind world, it also comes at much too high a cost.
Elphaba’s unbothered exterior makes it harder for her to ask for and accept help, believe in her own abilities, and form connections with others. She is often operating first from a place of defensiveness, rather than making space for connection. Instead of allowing anyone too close where they might see her wounds or hurt, she pushes them away to avoid the unknown risks that come with relationships.
Wicked teaches us that what we perceive as confidence, defiance, or even coldness is often a protective response: a story of hurt disguised as strength.
It invites us to look beyond the cool, green surface, both in ourselves and in others, and to question the assumptions we make about people who appear “resilient” or “unbothered.”
Beneath the mask, there is always more to the truth.
The very same resilience, unbothered mask, and strength that Elphaba uses to survive the world also make her the perfect target for the Wizard. Narcissistic systems often seek out people who are different, outspoken, morally grounded, or unwilling to simply “go along.”
Narcissistic control relies on a person’s strength.
The Wizard wants to be able to use Elphaba’s strength to continue his rule over Oz, which he does through coercion and manipulation. It is only when we see Elphaba refuse to comply, and internalize the strengths that she knows she has that we the Wizard’s narcissistic control is laid to bare.
Suddenly, resilience becomes defiance.
Being unbothered becomes selfishness.
Strength becomes wicked.
This is how narcissistic control works. It relies on rewriting the story until the target is discredited, isolated, and easier to control or eliminate. In real-life relationships, families, workplaces, and social systems, people who challenge authority or refuse manipulation often find themselves painted as wicked, not because of who they are, but because of the threat they pose to someone else’s power.
When someone has lived under distorted narratives for long enough, it takes intentional work to untangle their identity from the story that’s been forced onto them.
Elphaba certainly figures out her own way to move beyond and overcome the impacts of distorted perception and narcissistic control, which unfortunately comes at the cost of all of her relationships, and the villain arc we’ve all seen in The Wizard of Oz with the Wicked Witch of the West.
Since we can’t all have big dramatic scenes flying off on a broomstick and belting out the iconic battle cry at the end of Defying Gravity, here are some ways that you too can work toward overcoming distorted perception and narcissistic control:
1. Reclaim Your Narrative
Begin by asking: Whose reality am I believing? Is it grounded in facts, or shaped by someone else’s projections? This helps shift the story back into your hands.
2. Validate Your Emotional Reality
Pause and name what you’re actually feeling. Use those emotions as data points—information that reflects your real, lived experience rather than someone else’s interpretation of it.
3. Strengthen Your Boundaries
Protect your energy by setting boundaries that support your needs, values, and wellbeing. Boundaries create space between you and the situations, relationships, or expectations that drain or diminish you.
4. Reconnect With Your Values
Return to what you believe in at your core. Explore where your values come from, what they mean to you, and how you want to show up in the world. Your values act as an internal compass when external voices get loud.
5. Seek Support — You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
Use the resources available to you. Therapy, supportive relationships, and community can help you rebuild your sense of self, deepen self-compassion, and strengthen your voice. Healing is not meant to be a solitary journey.
Are you curious about Glinda’s story? Check out Genna’s companion blog post:
The Glinda Complex: Popularity, Perfection & The Performance of Power
