The Wizard of OzBy Meghana and Samantha

PlotThe Wizard of Oz is about a young girl named Dorothy whose entire house is

lifted by a twister and brought to Oz with her and her dog inside. She is told by the Good Witch of the North (not Glinda, Glinda lives in the south) that her best chance of returning home lies in the City of Emeralds with the Wizard of Oz. Dorothy sets of on the road paved with yellow bricks in the silver shoes of the Wicked Witch of the East, who no longer needed them because a house had fallen on her. Along the way, Dorothy meets a living scarecrow who wants a brain, a man made of tin who was once a woodcutter and who desires a heart, and a lion who claims to be cowardly and wishes for courage.

Plot ContinuedThe three reach the City of Emeralds only to be told by the Wizard of Oz in his various fearsome disguises that he will only help them if they assist him by killing the Wicked Witch of the West. They decide to attempt this because none of them can bear the idea of living without their heart’s desire, so they travel to the land of the winkies, who are enslaved by the Witch. The Witch sends minions after them in the forms of bees, wolves, and winkies. However, Dorothy’s new companions protect her with their own unique talents. The Tinman beheads the wolves. The Scarecrow uses his straw to shield the Lion, Dorothy, and Toto so the bees sting the Tinman, who is not harmed, and die at the loss of their stingers. The Lion frightens away the Winkies.

Plot Continued MoreFinally the Wicked Witch of the West uses a magical cap to summon the flying monkeys for the third and final time, her previous uses having occurred before the book. She orders them to destroy all the travelers except for the lion, who she intends to harness like a horse. The monkeys must obey, so they unstuff the Scarecrow and drop his clothes in a tree, drop the Tinman on rocks to badly dent him so he cannot move, and tie up the Lion. Dorothy, however, has a kiss from the Witch of the North on her forehead, so they dare not harm her. They bring her back to the Witch of the West with the Lion, Toto in her arms. The Witch dares not harm her because of the kiss and even fears her for a moment because she has the Silver Shoes.

Plot Continued Even MoreThe Witch realizes that Dorothy doesn’t know about the power of the shoes and decides to make the little girl her slave. Dorothy is just glad to be alive and goes along with it until the witch tries to steal her shoes, at which point she gets understandably upset and splashes a bucket of water over her. The witch begins to melt, scolding the girl “See what you have done! In a minute I shall melt away,” at which point Dorothy apologizes to the witch, who finished melting and is subsequently mopped up by Dorothy, who has been doing a lot of cleaning as of late. Dorothy frees the Lion from the courtyard where he has been kept and runs to inform the winkies that their dictator is dead.

Still More PlotThe Winkies help Dorothy rescue and repair her friends and they set off to inform the Wizard of Oz of their success. Dorothy sees the magic cap and decides to bring it along, eventually finding that it is magic and allows her to request three tasks of the flying monkeys. She has them bring her and her friends to the City of Emeralds. The Wizard, being a humbug, attempts to stall them once they get there, but they get tired of waiting and demand entrance. Dorothy threatens to call the flying monkeys if he won’t see them, so he lets them in. Oz throws his voice around the room and claims to be invisible to mortals. He tells the travelers that he needs time to think, but they tell him he’s had enough time. The lion roars in an attempt to frighten him, but this scares Toto so that he jumps and knocks over the curtain hiding Oz.

Even More PlotOz is discovered as a humbug. He explains that the Scarecrow lacks experience, not brains, that the Lion lacks confidence rather than courage, and that having a heart makes many people unhappy. The three disagree with him, so he promises to do what he can. The Wizard sews bran, pins, and needles into the Scarecrow’s head to give him “bran-new brains” and to make him sharp. He puts a heart made of silk and sawdust in the Tinman’s chest. Then he has the Lion drink something which he claims will be courage once it is drunk. These tricks do not actually accomplish anything, but they don’t need to. The three already have the traits they desire, they just need to be convinced of it.

This Book has a lot of Plot, OkayA trick will not take Dorothy home, so the Wizard tries to build a hot air balloon to take them over the desert surrounding Oz because a balloon took him there. He’s from Omaha. Unfortunately, Dorothy misses the balloon because she can’t find Toto. She goes to plan B, which is to ask the flying monkeys to take her home, but they can’t leave Oz, so her second wish is wasted. Eventually they decide to go see Glinda, so they journey to the South using the flying monkeys for the third time along the way. They also pass through a forest where the Lion saves the forest animals from a massive carnivorous spider and a land where everything is made of china and the people are doll sized.

End of the Plot. I Promise.Glinda tells Dorothy that she will help her in return for the golden cap. Dorothy gives it to her willingly and the Good Witch tells her that she has had the power to go home the entire time because of the Silver Shoes. She then asks the other three what they want to do now. The Scarecrow has been offered a position as ruler of the Emerald City, the Lion as ruler of the forest where he fought the spider, and the Tinman as ruler of the Winkies. Glinda promises to use the cap to have the monkeys bring each to his new kingdom and then give the cap to the King Monkey to free them all. Then Dorothy goes home. The end.

The Scarecrow

The ScarecrowThe Scarecrow is the first to join Dorothy on her travels. He wants brains, but he is actually the smartest of the group. For example, when the Tinman cries over a dead bug, his jaw rusts from the tears. “He made many motions for Dorothy to relieve him, but she could not understand. The Lion was also puzzled to know what was wrong. But the Scarecrow seized the oil-can from Dorothy’s basket and oiled the Woodman’s jaws,”(pg. 56) the story describes, showing that the Scarecrow is indeed clever. Later in the story, the Scarecrow suggests that the Tin Woodman chop a tree to make a bridge across a ditch while the Kalidahs (bear-tiger hybrids) are chasing them. The Lion tells him “That is a first rate idea...One would almost suspect you had brains in your head, instead of straw,” again exemplifying his intelligence.

The Tin Woodman

The Tin Woodman The Tin Woodman is the second to join the traveling party. He desires a heart. In reality, he is the most kindhearted of the group. On page 55 “the Tin Woodman stepped upon a beetle that was crawling along the road, and killed the poor thing. This made the Tin Woodman very unhappy, for he was always careful not to hurt any living creature; and as he walked along he wept several tears of sorrow and regret…“You people with hearts,” he said, “have something to guide you, and need never do wrong; but I have no heart, and so I must be very careful. When Oz gives me a heart, of course, I needn’t mind so much.”” The Tin Woodman worries so much about being cruel that he constantly watches for and steps over insects, and he rescues a mouse from a cat. Many times throughout the story he is shown to be extremely kind.

The Coward Lion

The LionThe Lion is third and last to join the party on the way to the Emerald City. He claims to be cowardly, yet he is fiercely brave whenever the need arises. When the Kalidahs are chasing the group, “The lion, although he was certainly afraid, turned to face the Kalidahs, and then he gave so loud and terrible a roar that Dorothy screamed and the scarecrow fell over backwards,”(pg 64). This courageous act buys them enough time to escape across the log bridge. WHen the Witch of the West has captured the Lion, he refuses to give in to her though she threatens to starve him. Every time she asks if he will let her harness him, he states “No. If you come in this yard I will bite you,” (pg 131), refusing to give up even in the face of someone who is perhaps the most feared person in all of Oz.

Oz

OzThe Wizard of Oz, most powerful being in all the land, creator of the Emerald City, is in fact a balloonist from Omaha who blew in by mistake. He cannot actually do any magic, but he knows some good tricks. He can throw his voice and operate all sorts of props to appear as a woman, an enormous beast, a giant disembodied head, or even a ball of fire. “I’m really a very good man; but I’m a very bad wizard, I must admit,” Oz tells Dorothy on page 126. Oz really is a kind person, and a wise one. He rules justly and his people are happy, and he gives good advice to the travelers. He knows that they all have what they want most, even though they refuse to believe him. He gives them faulty solutions knowing that real ones are not required. ““How can I help being a humbug,” he said, “When all these people make me do things that everyone knows can’t be done?”” (pg 169).

Dorothy

DorothyDorothy is little girl who lived on a farm with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry and Toto until the twister brought her to Oz. She shows a resistance to whatever it was in Kansas that made everything gray; even her aunt and uncle. Toto is the reason for this, according to the story. He makes sure she remains full of life. Dorothy just wants to get back to Kansas, though the reason puzzles the Scarecrow. Oz is a happier, more colorful place than what Dorothy described when telling him of Kansas. Dorothy responds that “No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful. There is no place like home,” (pg 33) to which the Scarecrow replies that he still does not understand because his head is stuffed with straw.

Literary Technique (Irony)● Irony

○ Situational: The result that is expected completely contrasts with the result that occurs.

■ The residents of the Emerald city assume that Oz is a great and all-powerful being, but he is revealed to be an old man from Nebraska with no specific powers.

■ Dorothy always possessed the ability to go back home, the scarecrow was always very

intelligent, the Tin Woodsman already had a heart, and the lion already was bold and courageous.

○ Dramatic: A concept or a situation is grasped by the audience, but not by the characters.

■ It is highly suggested to the audience, in multiple instances, that what the Tin Woodman,

the lion, and the Scarecrow seek to acquire are things they already possess. Some of the incidents the author makes it obvious by showing that:-

● The Tin Woodman has a heart, since he remorses killing the beetle by stepping on it.

● The Scarecrow is intelligent, because he suggests the idea of building the raft to get to the other side.

● The lion shows his bravery, when he overcomes his fear of heights to take his friends across the ditch.

Literary Technique (Personification)● Personification: attribution of human characteristics to something

non-human or inanimate.○ Personification is the most prevalent literary devices utilized in the novel.○ Several characters in the novel are personified:-

■ Some of the animals, for example the lion and the mice, are personified by providing them human attributes such as speech.

■ Also, inanimate characters, the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow, are given living characteristics, like feelings and intelligence.

○ Not only the characters, but also the setting in the book is personified:-

■ “The tornado made its steady approach, chasing them down like a hunter

after his prey. It was eager to devour them and anything else in its path” (p. 36).

■ “Munchkin Land beamed and smiled at her, glad to have a visitor on its

colorful turf. All of nature beckoned her to alight from the doorway and embrace the beauty and magic of the place” (p. 116).

■ “The house rose and fell on the angry wind, refusing to land, glad to be free from its foundations and the earth that bound it” (p. 42).

Literary Technique (Tone)● Tone refers to the overall attitude the author appears to hold toward toward

key elements of the work.● The overall tone is joyful and happy, as evidenced by the quote in the

introduction, “It aspires to being a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares are left out.” (Baum, 1900)

● The tone of the book can be described as enchanted and whimsical.○ It is a fairytale, and it is filled with supernatural powers.

● Also, the writer uses very simple diction for his intended audience to understand.

○ His target audience for this book are children.

Literary Technique (Juxtaposition)● Juxtaposition is a literary technique when the author places two themes,

characters, words, and situations for the purpose of compare and contrast.○ The theme of self-confidence is demonstrated through juxtaposition.

■ The three characters, the Lion, the Tin Woodman, and the Scarecrow, all struggle in believing in themselves, and, thus, lack confidence.

● Scarecrow - “I don’t know anything. You see, I am stuffed, so I have no brains at all” (p.16).

● Lion - “I am such a coward” (p.32).● Tin Woodman - “I had now no heart” (p.27).

Theme (Good vs Evil)● The main theme of the book is the contrast between good and evil.

○ The characters in the book are either characterized as good or evil.■ The good witches were described as kind, attractive, and dressed in white.

● The Witch of the North is said to have a “a hat that was white, and she wore a

white gown that hung in plaits from her shoulders; over it were sprinkled little stars that glistened in the sun like diamonds” (p.20).

● Both the good witches, North and South, give Dorothy a kiss and show their kindness.

■ The evil witches are power hungry and they enjoy torturing their companions.

● The Wicked Witch of the East makes the Winkies her slaves, while, the Wicked Witch of the West makes the Munchkins her slaves.

● Unlike Glinda and the Witch of North, the Wicked Witch of the East makes Dorothy her slave and constantly attempts to steal her silver shoes.

○ The good characters do not intentionally hurt anything.■ Though Dorothy kills both the witches, the murders were both portrayed as accidental.

● Plus, she later regrets her actions and apologizes..

Theme (There is no place like home)● “No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood

would rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful. There is no place like home” (p.44).

● Although in the beginning of the novel Kansas is described as gloomy and “gray”, Dorothy makes every possible effort to get back home.

○ It is clear that the land of Oz is all a child could ever dream of, however, Dorothy realizes that

Kansas is her home; it is where her family live, and she has obligations towards her aunt and uncle.

Theme (Self-confidence)● Out of the four protagonists, the only character described to have self-

confidence is Dorothy.○ The Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion did not believe they had what they were

seeking, until they were reassured by the wizard.■ The Scarecrow was intelligent but wanted the symbol of having intelligence (brains).■ The Lion always has been courageous, but assumes he is a coward.

■ The Tin Woodman has a heart and feelings, since the beginning, however, the Witch stole the confidence of him having one.

○ If only the three characters believed in themselves they would not have had to go through all the trouble to get to Oz.

Theme (Friendship)● Throughout the book, Baum emphasizes the

importance of friendship and teamwork.○ In Kansas, the only thing that kept Dorothy from turning

“gray” is her friend Toto.■ He keeps her happy and full of life.

■ “It was Toto that made Dorothy laugh, and saved

her from growing gray as her other surroundings” (p.18).

○ As Dorothy travels to the Emerald city, the Scarecrow,

the Lion, and the Tin Woodman provide Dorothy with emotional and physical assistance.

■ Dorothy is carried through the forest, forded

across a river, saved from the deadly poppy field,

and protected from the witch’s minions by her friends.

○ All the travelers work together to solve the problems along the way, and protect each other.

Article 1One article claims that the Wizard of Oz is, in fact, a satire and a political allegory. Dorothy would represent the good working class people who drifted towards radical politics in their desire for change. The Scarecrow would represent farmers, who were not viewed as very intelligent. The Tin Woodman could be the industry workers who were exploited like machines by high ranking business people. The Yellow Brick road would be the gold standard. The Wizard of Oz would be the president, whose power was not as real as it seemed. The Lion might be WIlliam Jenning Bryan, A presidential candidate nicknamed ‘The Lion’. This seemed a little silly to me considering that it’s a children’s story until I realized that someone’s coworkers and bosses are so evil that I started a children’s book extended metaphor story about them a month ago.

A. (2012). Following the Yellow Brick Road: The Real Story Behind 'The Wizard of Oz' Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://www.offthegridnews.com/misc/following-the-yellow-brick-road-the-real-story-behind-‘the-wizard-of-oz’/

Article 2Similarly, another article presents six possible interpretations/representations of the novel.

1. Populism: This interpretation presents an argument similar to the one in article 1. According to the populist allegory, Dorothy represents the common citizen, the Tin Man is an industrial worker, the Scarecrow represents the farmers, etc.

2. Religion: The wizard of Oz is viewed as an allegory for faith by many Christians. The Yellow Brick Road is the path to enlightenment, and the Emerald city is the heaven encountered by many temptations along the way. Also, the Witch’s death by water suggests baptism.

3. Atheist: Uses the same elements as the religious allegory, but makes the opposite interpretations. Fundamentally, the wizard represents god, who isn’t real, and there is a mortal behind the curtain of religion.

4. Feminist: Everyone with real power, Dorothy and the witches, are female, while the men to some degree are lacking something; the wizard lacks power, the Tin man does not have a heart, the Lion lacks courage and the Scarecrow lacks intelligence. This theory was presented as a possible result of the influence of Frank Baum’s mother in-law, who was an ardent suffragist.

5. “The Jungian thing”: This theory states that the novel coincides with Carl Jung’s theory. The theory states that Dorothy, the dreaming innocent, is on a quest of self-actualization, and her travel companions represent Jung’s three stages. Also, Glinda is the archetype of the mother, Toto is the trickster, and the Wicked Witch and the flying monkeys represent the shadow.

6. The Inadequacy of Adults: Oz is so powerful, since the adults are so weak. This theory suggests that children (Dorothy) had to take matters in their own hands, because of the inadequacy of adults.

Ebiri, B. (2013, March 7). 7 Theories of What The Wizard of Oz Is Really About. Retrieved March 30, 2016, from http://www.vulture.com/2013/03/wizard-of-oz-theories-gold-standard-feminist-religion-jung.html