What Wicked Taught Me About Power, Difference, and the Voices We Silence

 Last year, I saw the movie Wicked. I thought it would just be another fantasy story—something bright and magical to escape into for a while. But it wasn’t just that. The movie stayed with me long after the lights came up.

What struck me most wasn’t just Elphaba’s story, but what it revealed about the world around her—the fear of difference, the way power can twist truth, and how easily people are silenced when they don’t fit in.

The animals especially broke my heart. Watching them lose their voices and their right to speak and be heard—it hit me hard. It made me think about how many people in our world are treated the same way: told to be quiet, told they don’t belong, and stripped of their voices because someone else decided they shouldn’t have one.

There’s a scene where you can see the pain in the animals’ eyes—the confusion of being taken, changed, and forgotten. That moment reminded me that cruelty doesn’t always come with sharp teeth or loud violence. Sometimes it’s quiet. Sometimes it’s the decision to look away.

Elphaba saw what was happening and refused to look away. She stood up when no one else would. And because of that, she was labeled the villain. That part hurt, too—because it’s something I’ve seen in real life. People are being punished for caring too much, for speaking up, for refusing to accept cruelty as normal.

Wicked reminded me that the world doesn’t need more people who chase power—it needs more people who protect those without it. It made me want to keep my heart open, even when it’s easier to stay silent.

Maybe that’s the real magic: not flying or spells, but the courage to stay kind, to listen, and to see the good in those who have been pushed aside.

Reflection:
When I left the theater that night, I kept thinking about what it means to have a voice—and how fragile that gift really is. I promised myself to never be silent when I see cruelty, no matter how small the act. Because silence helps the powerful, but compassion protects the rest of us.



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