Critical Race Theory Essay

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The ideas of race and identity collide into conflict and often leads to an internalized struggle for individuals. People of mixed races have the hardest time because there is a constant tug of war as they are caught between multiple identities and cultures. In Gregory Maguire’s Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, uses race studies to showcase the ongoing divisions within a society. The main character, Elphaba, faces race and identity crisis throughout the novel as she is stuck in between the world of humans and advocating for the Animals’ rights. The main theory of race studies is known as the Critical Race Theory. It serves as a “theoretical and interpretive mode that examines the appearance of race and racism across …show more content…

Her green skin color was a major key in forming who she was, but she never was able to get a grasp on to the concept. The color green is associated with growth, nature, and harmony. It also is associated with negatives like greed and jealousy. Elphaba experienced a large amount of negatives. Green is the color that many creatures possess to adapt to their environments (Hui-Chih Yu 61). Ironically, the Elphaba’s green skin makes her different from the crowd and fails to camouflage her, which suggests that she did not belong and did not fit into society. She lived an entire life of discrimination and oppression because of her skin color, which formed her defensive and nasty personality.
With Elphaba’s mistreatment because of her skin color and the mistreatment of Animals in Wicked, there is a clear connection to the theme of race that the Critical Race Theory addresses. Elphaba had the potential of breaking free from the notion that her green skin was bad but she was already too deep into the darkness. It was too late as she was a broken, unfinished paradox. She never able to be fully herself. Racial divisions like Elphaba’s situation still exist in society and need to be stopped before it gets out of

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