Research for Cinematic Spaces

7/31/2019 Research for Cinematic Spaces

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Research intoSource Material

Peta-Gaye Brown

Unit 1

Cinematic Spaces


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Research into the Author

L.Frank Baum Born 15.04.1856-6.04.1919 Wrote 13 novel sequels 55 novels in total 83 short stories & 200 poems He was best known for the Wizard of Oz Baum was born and raised in New YorK he had a

wealthy up bringing and before becoming a writer hewas a barrel maker. He had his own newspaper for ashort period of time and after that venture failed he

became a reporter for the evening post. In 1900 hepublished The Wizard of Oz, the book was a best sellerand but Baum in the public eye.


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Excerpt 1-The Glass City: From Dorothy and the Wizard inOz ,L.Frank Baum,1908

Dorothy, Zeb, an old horse and a Cat plummet steadily through thecentre of the earth because of an earthquake. They discover a worldsurrounded by six multicoloured suns and glass buildings. This world

has properties similar to Earth such as mountains and Lakes, but its keyfeature is the beautiful light that surrounds them. The companions landon top of a glass house where they discover that whilst in the centre ofthe earth their animals can now speak and the laws of gravity can bealtered. They slowly walk down in mid air from the top of the house theylanded on and meet the civilisation that live there. The people there areextremely fascinated by the animals that accompany Dorothy, becausethere are no animals or children in this world. The glass buildings are all

cracked because the earthquake that occurred on earth dropped rocksand rubble onto them but Dorothy and her friends are accused ofcausing all of the damage.

Excerpts 1


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Contextual & social Information

The Book has many social elementsembedded in it , but Baum Said that the bookis solely to please children of today It aspiresto being a modernized fairy tale, in which the

wonderment and joy are retained and theheartaches and nightmares are leftout.(L.Frank Baum,1900). This extract isfilled with wonderful scenes in an unknownworld . Baum really is opening the minds of

young children to a new type of fairy tale andadventure.


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Excerpt two: Chapter seven & Chapter eight The Magic Isle & Queen Coo-ee-oh

Dorothy, Zeb, an old horse and a Cat plummet steadily through the centre ofthe earth because of an earthquake. They discover a world surrounded by sixmulticoloured suns and glass buildings. This world has properties similar toEarth such as mountains and Lakes, but its key feature is the beautiful lightthat surrounds them. The companions land on top of a glass house wherethey discover that whilst in the centre of the earth their animals can nowspeak and the laws of gravity can be altered. They slowly walk down in midair from the top of the house they landed on and meet the civilisation thatlive there. The people there are extremely fascinated by the animals thataccompany Dorothy, because there are no animals or children in this world.The glass buildings are all cracked because the earthquake that occurred onearth dropped rocks and rubble onto them but Dorothy and her friends are

accused of causing all of the damage.

Excerpt 2


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Chapter Seven and Chapter Eight : Queen Co-ee-oh & Themagic Isle From Glinda of Oz, L.Frank Baum 1920

Dorothy and Ozma the good witch escape from the ruler of the flatheads to warn queen Co-ee-oh of his plans to start a war against herpeople. The pair find an island completely covered by a dome, and

enter the dome by getting on a bridge that carries them inside of thestructure. Once inside they see a village with colourful buildings andstained glass windows but the people are described as havingexpressions of, solemnity , or of nervous irritation. This isexplained when we meet Queen Co-ee-oh who thinks very highly ofher self and doesnt want peace between herself and the flat heads

but also wants to fight. She is then insulted that Ozma, wants to

dictate her authority over the queen. She then has them taken awayto stay with one of her servants, until she figures out what she wantsto do with them.

Excerpt 3


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Contextual & social Information

It is said that the tin man represents theworking man the scarecrow the farmers

and Dorothy is the American Citizen and

Oz is referred to as the government. Whouses tricks and allusions to keep his peoplein line. (Wicked tour,2009)


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Bibliography

BBC(2012) http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/31/a3181231.shtml

(Wicked tour,2009) http://wickedtour.net/symbolism-of-the-wizard-of-oz

L.Frank Baum(1900) http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/lfbaum/bl-lfbaum-wizard-intro.htm

Documents

Research for Cinematic Spaces