Warning: This article contains spoilers for Wicked.
Those watching the most recent Wicked trailer might have noticed something odd: characters pronounce Glinda’s name as “Galinda.” Wicked is one of the year’s most anticipated movies, bringing with it a built-in fanbase of those who already know and love the Broadway musical. That musical, and the original book it’s based on by Gregory Maguire, is beloved for many reasons, but none more than the sister-like bond between protagonist Elphaba and the deuteragonist Glinda.
The story explores their paths: how Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo in the movie) becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, while her best friend, Glinda (Ariana Grande), becomes Glinda the Good. In reality, it’s just as much Glinda’s story as it is Elphaba’s. While the green-skinned witch undergoes a huge transformation as a freedom fighter in Wicked‘s narrative, Glinda also undergoes a profound evolution. That evolution is underscored by one big decision Glinda makes for herself partway through the reinvention of The Wizard of Oz story and characters.
In both Gregory Maguire’s novel and the Broadway adaptation of Wicked, Glinda’s name isn’t Glinda at all, but Galinda. In the novel, her full name is Galinda Arduenna Upland, while the musical drops her middle name. In both the original book and the musical, the Goat professor, Dr. Dillamond (voiced by Peter Dinklage in the upcoming movie), accidentally mispronounces Galinda’s name as “Glinda,” despite her best efforts to correct him. Dr. Dillamond’s mispronunciation of Galinda’s name deeply annoys her, with her usually correcting him with “It’s Galinda. With a ‘Ga“, to no avail.
Galinda deciding to drop the first “a” and going as Glinda, in many ways, is a tribute to Dr. Dillamond, whose butchering of her name so irritated her in the past. In every version of the story, Dr. Dillamond is captured by the Wizard’s secret forces and then tortured into insanity before being killed. This event and others around this time affect a profound change in Galinda, who realizes she has been incredibly selfish and self-absorbed and that it’s time for her to start caring about more than just herself.
In the book, after Dr. Dillamond’s death, Galinda finally opens up and becomes Elphaba’s true and loyal friend instead of keeping her on the periphery thanks to Elphaba’s awkwardness. Once she has this epiphany and moment of growth, she shortens her name to “Glinda,” both to mark the new version of herself and also to honor the late professor. In the musical, her motivations are slightly different. She changes her name in an act of solidarity to protest the firing of Dr. Dillamond from Shiz University. However, she’s also hoping to attract the attention of fellow student Fiyero, on whom she has a crush.
Galinda eventually became known as Glinda the Good Witch, the beloved and powerful sorceress of Oz. When she is introduced in Wicked, however, she’s the very personification of the dumb, shallow blond trope – at least, that’s how she appears on the surface. Glinda’s looks hide her keen intelligence and her considerable aptitude for real magic. For a while, Glinda leans into the shallow stereotype, caring more about looking pretty, gaining popularity, and flirting with boys at Shiz University than with developing as a person.
Slowly, however, Elphaba’s influence wakes her up to the fact that she could be doing more, and Dr. Dillamond’s murder catalyzes her evolution. Her decision to go by Glinda and no longer be called Galinda shows just how much she’s grown: no longer does she care about exact appearances or what people think of her. Instead, she chooses to embrace another, better version of herself, using the agency she’s denied herself to that point. With how much she grows over the course of the story, Glinda’s character arc is one of the most extreme in Wicked, and also the most satisfying.