60756255 Children s Literature

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Children Literature: history and criticism

Popularity of The Wizard Of The Oz

in American Literature,

Society, and Media

Submitted as a partial fulfillment of the requirements

For popular literature

By

Amir Rostamdokht

08/273066/PMU/5378

Department of American Studies

Faculty of Multi-Disciplinary

Postgraduate school

Gadjah Mada

University

Yogyakarta

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A. Introduction

I. History of children literature

Literature written specifically for an audience of children began to be published on a widescale in the seventeenth century. Most of the early books for children were didactic ratherthan artistic, meant to teach letter sounds and words or to improve the child's moral andspiritual life. In the mid-1700s, however, British publisher John Newbery (1713 - 1767),influenced by John Locke's ideas that children should enjoy reading, began publishing booksfor children's amusement. Since that time there has been a gradual transition from thedeliberate use of purely didactic literature to inculcatemoral, spiritual, and ethical values inchildren to the provision of literature to entertain and inform. This does not imply thatsuitable literature for children is eitherimmoral or amoral. On the contrary, suitable literaturefor today's children is influenced by the cultural and ethical values of its authors. Thesevalues are frequently revealed as the literary work unfolds, but they are a means to an end,

not an end in themselves. Authors assume a degree of intelligence on the part of theiraudience that was not assumed in the past. In this respect, children's literature has changeddramatically since its earliest days.

Another dramatic development in children's literature in the twentieth century has beenthe picture book. Presenting an idea or story in which pictures and words work together tocreate an aesthetic whole, the picture book traces its origin to the nineteenth century, whensuch outstanding artists as Randolph Caldecott, Kate Greenaway, and Walter Crane were atwork. In the 1930s and 1940s such great illustrators as Wanda Gag, Marguerite de Angeli,James Daugherty, Robert Lawson, Dorothy Lathrop, Ludwig Bemelmans, Maud and MiskaPetersham, and Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire began their work. Many of these and otherequally illustrious artists helped to bring picture books to their present position of

prominence. Since 1945 many highly talented illustrators have entered this field.

With the advent of computer-based reproduction techniques in the latter part of thetwentieth century, the once tedious and expensive process of full color reproduction wasrevolutionized, and now almost any original media can be successfully translated into picture

book form. Although many artists continue to work with traditional media such asprintmaking, pen and ink, photography, and paint, they have been joined by artists who workwith paper sculpture, mixed media constructions, and computer graphics.

The changes in literature for older children have been equally important. Among the earlyand lasting contributions to literature for children were works by Jack London, Mark Twain,Rudyard Kipling, Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Hans Christian Andersen.These writers, however, considered adults their major audience; therefore, they directed onlysome of their literary efforts toward young readers. Today, large numbers of highly talentedauthors have turned to younger readers for an audience and direct most, if not all, of theirwritings to them.

Another major change in publishing for children has been the rise in multiculturalchildren's literature. Prior to the mid-twentieth century the world depicted in children's bookswas largely a white world. If characters from a nonwhite culture appeared in children's books

they were almost always badlystereotyped. The civil rights movement alerted publishers andthe reading public to the need for books that depicted the America of all children, not just a

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white majority. Although the percentage of children's books by and about people of colordoes not equate with their actual population numbers, authors of color such as VirginiaHamilton, Mildred Taylor, Alma Flor Ada, Walter Dean Myers, Gary Soto, and LaurenceYep, and illustrators such as Allen Say, Ed Young, John Steptoe, Jerry Pinkney, and BrianPinkney have made major contributions to a more multiculturally balanced world ofchildren's books.

Not only are there larger numbers of talented writers and artists from many cultures atwork for children, but the range of subject matter discussed in children's fiction has also beenextended remarkably. Topics that were considered taboo only a short time ago are being

presented in good taste. Young readers from ten to fourteen can read well-written fiction thatdeals with death, child abuse, economic deprivation, alternative life styles, illegitimate

pregnancy, juvenile gang warfare, and rejected children. By the early twenty-first century ithad become more nearly true than ever before that children may explore life throughliterature.

II. Literature in the Lives of Children

Literature serves children in four major ways: it helps them to better understandthemselves, others, their world, and the aesthetic values of written language. When childrenread fiction, narrative poetry, or biography, they often assume the role of one of thecharacters. Through that character's thoughts, words, and actions the child develops insightinto his or her own character and values. Frequently, because of experiences with literature,the child's modes of behavior and value structures are changed, modified, or extended.

When children assume the role of a book's character as they read, they interact vicariouslywith the other characters portrayed in that particular selection. In the process they learn

something about the nature of behavior and the consequences of personal interaction. In onesense they become aware of the similarities and differences among people.

Because literature is not subject to temporal or spatial limitations, books can figurativelytransport readers across time and space. Other places in times past, present, or future invitechildren's exploration. Because of that exploration, children come to better understand theworld in which they live and their own relationship to it.

Written language in its literary uses is an instrument of artistic expression. Through proseand poetry children explore the versatility of the written word and learn to master its depth ofmeaning. Through literature, too, children can move beyond the outer edges of reality and

place themselves in worlds of make-believe, unfettered by the constraints of everyday life.

III.Environment

The three principal settings in which children's literature functions are the home, thepublic library, and the school. In each of these settings, the functions of literature aresomewhat different, but each function supports the others and interacts with them.

Home. Irrefutable evidence indicates that those children who have had an early andcontinuing chance to interact with good literature are more apt to succeed in school thanthose who have not. Parents who begin to read aloud to their children, often from birth, arecommunicating the importance of literature by providing an enjoyableexperience. The young

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child makes a lasting connection between books, which provide pleasure, and theundisputedattention from the parent who takes time to do the reading. During thepreschool years, bookscontribute to children's language structures and to their vocabulary. Children acquire a senseof language pattern and rhythm from the literary usage of language that is not found ineveryday conversational speech. Then, too, children discover that print has meaning, and asthey acquire the ability to read print as well as understand pictures, children find further

pleasure in books. In finding that reading has its own intrinsic reward, children acquire themost important motivation for learning to master reading skills.

Public library. Public libraries have taken on an increasingly important role inserving children. Children's rooms, which were once the domain of a few select children, areinviting places for all children, whether or not they are inveteratereaders. Libraries organizestory hours, present films, and provide computers and quiet places to do homework as well as

present special book-related events and sponsor book clubs and summer reading programs.Children's librarians guide the reading interests of children and act as consultants to parents.Full exploitation of the public library in the broader education of children has not yet been

achieved, but growing acceptance by the public of the library as a community necessity ratherthan a luxury will help it to continue to play an increasingly important role in the lives ofchildren.

School. Literature did not begin to make broad inroads into the reading curriculumuntil the 1950s. Before that time many schools had no library, and a good number of theseschools did not even feel the need for one. Many schools relied almost exclusively ontextbooks for instruction. By the end of the twentieth century, however, nearly everycurriculum authority had come to recognize the importance of trade books (books other thantextbooks) in the in-school education of children. In the early twenty-first century mostschools have central libraries staffed by trained librarians and some schools provide financial

support for classroom libraries as well. When this is not the case, teachers, recognizing thevalue of good literature, often reach into their own pockets to provide trade books for theirclassrooms. A 1998 survey of school library media programs by the Center of EducationStatistics of the U.S. Department of Education found a mean of twenty-eight volumes perelementary school child in both public and private schools.

Function in the school curriculum. Literature plays an increasingly large role in theformal education of children in three related but rather discrete areas: the instructionalreading program, the subject matter areas, and the literature program.

Most instructional reading programs recognize the importance of literature. Basal

reading textbook programs generally recommend that trade books be used from the beginningof formal reading instruction in order to motivate readers through the long, and sometimesfrustrating, efforts that learning to read usually demands. Through trade books the readerfinds those efforts are rewarded by the pleasure gained from reading. In many schools theteaching of reading has been centered on trade books rather than textbooks. But in literature-

based programs, teachers plan instruction around experiences with "real" books, experiencesthat include helping students make their own reading choices and giving children time toshare responses to reading with their peer group. Schools with such literature-based programsrecognize the importance of creating a classroom community of readers that will not onlyhelp children learn how to read but will also encourage them to become lifelong readers.

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Subject matter areas, such as social studies and the sciences, have depended to a largeextent upon textbooks to provide common learning for entire classes. However, there arelimitations inherent in the nature of textbooks that require supplementation by trade books.Because textbooks survey broad areas of knowledge, space limitations prevent in-depthexplorations of particular topics. Recent discoveries and events cannot always be included

because textbook series require long periods of preparation. Content area textbooks are oftensubject to review by state committees that limit potentially controversial material. Trade

books are widely used to offset these limitations. Nonfiction books provide opportunities forin-depth consideration of particular topics. Furthermore, the comparatively short time neededfor the preparation and publication of trade books makes recent discoveries and occurrencesavailable to the reader.

Elementary school literature programs vary widely. As state and national standards andtesting drive curriculum some schools reflect the attitude that literature is a luxury, if not anundesirablefrill.

In such schools little, if any, in-school time is devoted either to reading for pleasure or tothe formal study of literature. Most schools, however, recognize children's need for somepleasurable experiences with literature that enable them to return to books to think moredeeply about the characters, themes, and other literary elements. In such schools the study ofliterature is grounded in reader response theory that grew out of Louise Rosenblatt'scontention in Literature as Exploration that "the literary work exists in a live circuit set up

between reader and text" (p. 25). Thus the reader is seen as a coconstructor of meaning withthe author. Any plan for the direct study of literary form, structure, and content as a means ofheightening the pleasure of reading includes, at a minimum, teachers reading aloud fromworks of literature, and the formation of book circles where small groups of studentsregularly meet together to discuss books. In addition teachers should plan time for children to

respond to books through writing, creative dramatics, and other art forms.

B.Types of children's literature

Children's literature can be divided in many ways.

I. Children's literature by genres

A literary genre is a category of literary composition. Genres may be determined bytechnique, tone, content, or length.Some significant subgenres are:

1. Picture books, including board books, concept books (teaching an alphabet orcounting), pattern books, and wordless books

2. Traditional literature: there are ten characteristics of traditional literature:

(1) unknown authorship,

(2) conventional introductions and conclusions,

(3) vague settings,

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(4) stereotyped characters,

(5) anthropomorphism,

(6) cause and effect,

(7) happy ending for the hero,

(8) magic accepted as normal,

(9) brief stories with simple and direct plots, and

(10) repetition of action and verbal patterns.

The bulk of traditional Literature consists of folktales, which conveys the legends,customs, superstitions, and beliefs of people in past times. This large genre can be further

broken down into subgenres: myths,fables,ballads, folk music, legends, and fairy tales.

3. Fiction, including the sub-genres offantasy and realistic fiction (both contemporaryand historical). This genre would also include the school story, a genre unique tochildren's literature in which the boarding school is a common setting.

4. Non-fiction

5. Biography, including autobiography

6. Poetry and verse.

The contributions and innovations of the 19th century continued into the 20th century,achieving a distinct place in literature for children's books, and spawning innumerable genresof children's literature. Fantasy written for children includes L. FrankBaum's WonderfulWizard of Oz (1900), A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh (1927), P. L. Travers's Mary Poppins

(1934), J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit (1937), C. S. Lewis's Narnia series, E. B. White'sCharlotte's Web (1952) and The Trumpet of the Swan (1970), Madeleine L'Engle's science-fiction A Wrinkle in Time (1962), Lloyd Alexander's Book of Three (1964), Brian Jacques'smedieval animal adventures in the Redwall series (1987), and J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter

books of wizardry and magic (7 vol., 19972007). Popular collections of humorous verseinclude Laura Richards's Tirra Lirra (1932), Hilaire Belloc's Cautionary Verses (1941), JohnCiardi's Reason for the Pelican (1959), and Arnold Spilka's Rumbudgin of Nonsense (1970).

Adventure and mystery are found in such works as Armstrong Sperry's Call ItCourage (1941) and E. L. Konigsburg's From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E.

Frankweiler (1968). The novel for children now includes many of the literary, psychological,and social elements found in its adult counterpart. Books with sophisticated emphasis on plot,

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mood, characterization, or setting are Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows (1908), EstherForbes's Johnny Tremain (1944), Joseph Krumgold's And Now Miguel (1953), and ScottO'Dell's Island of the Blue Dolphins (1961). Mature treatment of the emotions of growing upcharacterizes Irene Hunt's Up a Road Slowly (1966), whereas William Armstrong's Sounder(1970) realistically portrays the experiences of a black sharecropper and his family.

From the 1960s through the 90s socially relevant children's books have appeared,treating subjects like death, drugs, sex, urban crisis, discrimination, the environment, andwomen's liberation. S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders (1980) and Robert Cormier's I Am theCheese (1977) are two novels that offer vivid portrayals of the sometimes unpleasant aspectsof maturing. These books also reveal the trend toward a growing literature for teenagers.Other novelists that write convincingly of growing up in contemporary society include EllenRaskin, Judy Blume, and Cynthia Voigt. Some critics consider these books as didactic as thechildren's books of the 17th and early 19th cent.

Another trend has been books written by children, especially poetry, such as Richard

Lewis's Miracles (1966), a collection of poems written by children of many countries. Duringthe 20th cent. in particular, new collections of tales that reach back to the oral roots ofliterature have come from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. International folktaleshave also received increasing attention. Among the many authors pursuing these themes,Verna Aardema compiles African folktales and Yoko Kawashima Watkins studies Asian oraltraditions. During the 1980s and 90s in particular, multicultural concerns became animportant aspect of the new realistic tradition in children's literature, as in Allen Say's tales ofthe Japanese-American immigrant experience.

The Newbery Medal, an award for the most distinguished work of literature forchildren, was established by Frederic Melcher in 1922; in 1938 he established a second

award, the Caldecott Medal, for the best picture book of the year. An international children'sbook award, the Hans Christian Andersen Award, was given in 1970 for the first time to anAmerican, Maurice Sendak, in recognition of his contribution to children's literature. HisWhere the Wild Things Are (1963) won him international acclaim and was followed by twosequels, In the Night Kitchen (1970) and Outside Over There (1981).

Magazines that review and discuss children's literature include The Horn Book, TheBulletin of the Center for Children's Books, and the School Library Journal in the UnitedStates and The Junior Bookshelf in Great Britain.1

II. Children's literature by age category

Children's literature is an age category opposite adult literature, but it is sub-divided furtherdue to the divergent interests of children age 0-18.

Picture books appropriate for pre-readers ages 05. Caldecott Medal winners often(but not always) fall within this category.

1 Data gathered from Encarta encyclopedia

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Early Reader Books appropriate for children age 5-7. These books are often designedto help a child build his or her reading skills.

Chapter bookappropriate for children ages 711.o Short chapter books, appropriate for children ages 79.

o Longer chapter books, appropriate for children ages 912. Newbery Medal

winners often (but not always) fall within this category.

Young-adult fiction appropriate for children age 13-18

The criteria for these divisions are just as vague and problematic as the criteria fordefining children's books as a whole. One obvious distinction is that books for younger

children tend to contain illustrations, butpicture books which feature art as an integral part ofthe overall work also crosses genres and age levels. Tibet: Through the Red Box by Peter Sisis a one example of a picture book aimed at an adult audience.

III.Formula in children literature

A. Series

Book seriesare not unique to children's literature. Series are also very popular in sciencefiction andcrime fiction. Sometimes the success of a book for children prompts the author tocontinue the story in a sequel or to launch a series, such as L. Frank Baum's Wizard of Oz.Sometimes works are originally conceived as series, such as the Harry Potter books. EnidBlyton andR. L. Stine have specialized in open-ended series. Sometimes a series will outliveits author. When Baum died, his publisher hired Ruth Plumly Thompson to write more Oz

books. TheNancy Drew series and others were written by several authors using the same penname.

B. Illustration

Children's books are often illustrated, sometimes lavishly, in a way that is rarely usedfor adult literature except in the illustrated novel genre popular especially in Japan, Korea andFrance. Generally, the artwork plays a greater role in books intended for the youngest readers(especially pre-literate children). Children's picture books can be a cognitively accessiblesource of high quality art for young children.

Many authors work with a preferred artist who illustrates their words; others create bookstogether, and some illustrators write their own books. Even after children attain sufficientlevels of literacy to enjoy the story without illustrations, they continue to appreciate theoccasional drawings found in chapter books.

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C. The Wizard of the Oz

II. Background of the author

Since its publication in September 1900, L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has

become America's greatest and best-loved homegrown fairytale. The first totally Americanfantasy for children, it is one of the most-read children's books. It has also engendered a longseries of sequels, stage plays and musicals, movies and television shows, biographies ofBaum, scholarly studies of the significance of the book and film, advertisements, and toys,games, and other Oz-related products.

The Oz story has become a classic because it blends elements of traditional magic, such aswitches, with ones from early twentieth-century American reality, such as a Kansas cyclone,a scarecrow, and a man made of tin. And, despite its many particularly American attributes,including a wizard from Omaha, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has universal appeal,demonstrated by numerous non-American translations and dramatizations. To celebrate the

100th anniversary of this timeless American classic, the Library of Congress hassupplemented its unparalleled collections with costumes and other memorabilia borrowedfrom museums, other libraries, and private collectors.

Considered the creator of the first American fairy tale, Lyman Frank Baum was born atChittenango, New York, near Syracuse, on May 15, 1856. His parents, Benjamin Ward andCynthia (Stanton) Baum, were wealthy because of the familys oil business. These financialresources enabled Baum to follow many of his dreams throughout his life. His mother

promoted womens rights, which would influence how Baum later portrayed strong femaleprotagonists. Throughout his life, Baum suffered a heart ailment which limited his physicalactivities and resulted in his being introspective and developing his imagination. Baummostly studied at home with tutors. Because his parents hoped to discourage him from beingso creative, they sent him to the Peekskill Military Academy, which he loathed, and, as aresult, anti-military messages appeared in his later works. He enjoyed exploring his parentsestate, Rose Lawn, which some people believe was the inspiration for the Emerald City in hisOz books. Baum read fairy tales, especially those written by Hans Christian Andersen, whoinfluenced Baums style and depiction of archetypes. Several Oz-related characters have afoundation in Baums childhood. He sometimes had nightmares about a scarecrow chasinghim. The Tin Woodmans search for a heart might reflect Baums desire to have a strong,healthy heart.

Writing always appealed to Baum. At age twelve, he learned how to set type on a smallprinting press his father gave him so he could print The Rose Lawn Home Journal, composedof his and his brothers works and featuring advertisements from local merchants.

In 1873, Baum took a job as a reporter for the New York World and established his ownnewspaper, The Empire, as well as a magazine, The Stamp Collector. Two years later, hemoved to Pennsylvania and started the New Era weekly. He also operated an opera houseuntil it was destroyed by fire, then wrote and acted in plays for his fathers theater chain,which he managed in the early 1880s. Baum wrote The Maid of Arran, with which hesuccessfully toured in 1882. That year, on November 9, he married Maud Gage, daughter ofrenowned suffragist Matilda Joslyn Gage. Matilda Gage was apprehensive about her son-in-

laws future, but eventually encouraged him to write stories to earn money. She also

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emphasized to him that witches exhibit diverse traits and some are powerful, knowledgeablewomen, influencing his characterizations of good witches in the Oz books.

The couple settled in Syracuse where Baum worked for his familys oil business.Their sons, Frank Joslyn and Robert Stanton, were born in 1883 and 1886, respectively.Because he bred and exhibited Hamburg chickens, Baum started the Poultry Record

periodical and published his first book, The Book of Hamburgs, A Brief Treatise upon theMating, Rearing, and Management of the Different Varieties of Hamburgs, in 1886. After thedeaths of his father and brother and the embezzlement of the familys wealth by an employee,Baum decided to move to South Dakota in 1888, where Maud Baums sisters and brotherlived. They had two more sons born there, Harry Neal in 1889 and Kenneth Gage in 1891.Baum operated a department store, Baums Bazaar, and edited the Aberdeen SaturdayPioneer. His writing included provocative editorials condoning the extermination of area

Native Americans during the Indian Wars that pitted the United States Army againstspecific tribes.

In Aberdeen, Baum told stories to his family and to children of the community.Because his businesses went bankrupt, Baum relocated to Chicago, Illinois, in 1891, workingas a reporter and traveling salesman then editing the magazine Show Window, about storewindow displays, from 1897 to 1902. During this time, he began writing for publication toearn needed money. Based on characters he had created to entertain his children, Baums firstchildrens books were Mother Goose in Prose, illustrated by Maxfield Parrish (1897), andFather Goose, His Book, illustrated by W. W. Denslow (released in 1899). The latter book

became a bestseller and earned Baum both financial prosperity and acclaim.

Eager to write something to entertain older children, Baum focused on developing afantasy about a Kansas girl named Dorothy who was transported to a magical but uncivilized

land. He claimed he had selected the name Oz as he glanced at the letters on his file cabinet.He spun a tale about this heroine finding her way home. Legends about the creation of the

book suggest that Baum had been intrigued by a tornado in South Dakota moving a house.Most scholars agree that the Dakotas provided imagery that Baum used to describe Kansas.The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published in 1900. The book, however, is most frequentlyreferred to without the word wonderful. Denslow was contracted to create illustrations, andhis art established how the characters and places of Oz would be perceived by generations ofreaders.

In his introduction, Baum wrote: the time has come for a series of newer wondertales in which the stereotyped genie, dwarf and fairy are eliminated, together with all thehorrible and blood-curdling incidents devised by their authors to point a fearsome moral to

each tale.

He explained that he wanted to tell an exciting story with intriguing characters andevents. Having this thought in mind, he said, the story of The Wonderful Wizard of Ozwas written solely to please children of today. It aspires to being a modernized fairy tale, inwhich the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares are left out.The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was an immediate success with readers who clamored for moreOz stories. Baum was overwhelmed with fan mail asking what happened to the charactersand suggestions for future plots. In contrast, critical reaction was not totally supportive. TheWonderful Wizard of Oz received few reviews in major literary publications. Most scholarsdismissed or ignored the novel, deeming it poorly written, simplistic, and inconsequential.

During the early twentieth century, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was excluded from histories

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and bibliographies of childrens literature. Many librarians banned it from their collections,declaring it was not quality literature, and other groups censored it as being controversial andinappropriate for children. Gradually, some authorities, such as Edward Wagenknecht in the1929 book Utopia Americana, credited Baum for creating an original American fairy tale inThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Other scholars said that Baum had appropriated European fairytale motifs. Since the late twentieth century, Baums Oz novels have been a staple forchildrens literature analysis based on differing interpretative frameworks.

Baum died at Ozcot (his Hollywood mansion) on May 6, 1919, of complicationsfollowing gallbladder surgery. One admirer noted that the children of the world have losttheir dearest friend. Baums widow arranged for continued creation of Oz books, and severalauthors, notably Ruth Plumley Thompson, have written Oz books since Baums death. By1938, ten million copies of Oz books had been sold. In 1939, the motion picture The Wizardof Oz was released and became a film classic. Many people are more familiar with the moviethan the book that inspired it. Comics, cartoons, dance and theatrical performances, and radioand television shows have featured Oz, and popular culture often makes references to Oz.

Clubs, exhibitions, festivals, and conferences celebrate Baum and Oz. The Wonderful Wizardof Oz has sold millions of copies and been translated into many languages, including Arabic,Hebrew, and Latin. The 1968 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award was presented to The WonderfulWizard of Oz. Baum is considered one of Americas most outstanding writers.

II . OVERVIEW

Dorothy Gale, a lonely orphan girl who lives with her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em inKansas, is swept away from her dull surroundings to the exciting fantasy world of Oz.Dorothy, accompanied by her pet dog Toto, bravely undertakes a journey of self-discovery as

she wanders through fantastical settings and meets bizarre characters who guide her to theEmerald City in her quest to return home. Her travel companions, the Scarecrow, TinWoodman, and Cowardly Lion, are all seeking solutions to what they consider theirshortcomings. The Scarecrow wishes that he had a brain; the Tin Woodman longs for a heart;and the Cowardly Lion hopes for bravery. They believe that the great wizard, who rules all ofOz and lives in the Emerald City, can provide them with their desires. In the process, theylearn that such yearnings are more than objects that can be bartered for but are actuallyspiritual qualities they already possess.

III . SETTING

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz transports readers from the bleak, gray Kansas prairie tothe dynamic, colorful Land of Oz. Dorothy leaves Kansas by traveling with her oldfarmhouse in a cyclone to initiate her adventures, then returns home to a new farmhousewhich is not described but represents her transformation. Dorothys prairie world is drab. Notrees or neighboring houses or structures are nearby. The plowed sod is sun-baked andcracked, and most of the grass has been burnt into short, gray blades to form a flat countrythat reached to the edge of the sky in all directions. This imagery represents the despair andemotional paralysis of Dorothys aunt and uncle who have tried to maintain their homestead

by applying fresh coats of paint and performing other chores and upkeep but succumb to the

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constant stresses of prairie life. Kansas is not conducive to imagination and magic and isbarren of magicians, sorcerers, wizards, and witches.

The first farmhouse Dorothy lives in is small (one room) because the lumber to buildit had to be carried by wagon many miles. The sun-blistered paint has washed away. Thecyclone cellar, a small, dark hole which was dug in the ground and is accessible only bya trap door and ladder, is the only shelter in case one of those great whirlwinds arose,mighty enough to crush any building in its path. However, the cellar does not provide

protection for Dorothy and Toto because the cyclone carries them with the house to Oz. Afterhours of traveling, when the house lands on the Wicked Witch of the East, killing her, itsignals to the Munchkins that Dorothy is a powerful person whom they should respect andassist, thus initiating her quest to meet the Wizard of Oz.

In contrast to Kansas, Oz is a utopia. Dorothy considers it a country of marvelousbeauty. Color, especially vibrant greens, fills the lush landscape, and unusual plant andanimal life flourish. Nature speaks to Dorothy in the form of a babbling brook and singing

birds. Sunshine is helpful, not searing. The Munchkins land has dainty blue domed housesand farms with neat fences dividing fields. Dorothy uses some of these cottages as stoppingplaces in which to rest and picnic on her journey. Oz is cut off from all the rest of theworld. Because Oz is not civilized according to Kansas standards, magic can exist there.When comparing Oz with Kansas, Dorothy admits she is enchanted by Ozs splendor butemphasizes, No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and bloodwould rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful. There is no placelike home. Dorothys thoughts represent her changing perception of home as some place toescape from to a place to embrace. These attitudes suggest the stifling patriarchy of UncleHenry, which Dorothy endured, and the nurturing matriarchy of Aunt Em, whom Dorothyoften worries about and rushes toward when she returns home, while Uncle Henry silently

continues milking cows without greeting the recovered Dorothy.

Oz is not geographically consistent like Kansas and instead presents many forms thatparallel aspects of Kansas and might represent a distorted version of Dorothys home.Dorothy realizes as she progresses on her journey that she is walking through a country thatis sometimes pleasant and sometimes dark and terrible. As she is distanced from theMunchkins land, Dorothy stumbles around holes in the yellow brick road. Houses are indisrepair, and fields are fallow. The traveling quartet plus Toto realize that the farther theywent, the more dismal and lonesome the country became.

In the forest, the Scarecrow falls into large gaps in the yellow brick road. The Tin

Woodman axes paths through places where the trees grew so big and close together thattheir branches met over the road of yellow brick. No sunlight is able to penetrate through thethickly growing branches. Two deep ditches in the forest threaten to end the protagonists

journey. Revealing his bravery, the Cowardly Lion carries his companions as he leaps acrossthe first ditch. The second ditch, however, is too wide for him to jump across and has steepsides and a rocky crevice. The Tin Woodman exhibits resourcefulness by felling a tree acrossthe ditch for the characters to walk across then dislodges that temporary bridge by choppingthe end when the Kalidahs try to chase them.

The forest begins to thin as the foursome approach a river with a quick current. On theopposite shore, they can see a delightful country that contrasts with the forest by havinggreen meadows dotted with bright flowers and all the road bordered with trees hanging full

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of delicious fruits. While the Tin Woodman constructs a raft, Dorothy eats some of that fruitwhich lulls her into sleep and dreams about the unseen Emerald City and Wizard of Oz. Herdream is not described but indicates her anticipation and hope for returning home. The riverchallenges the group who pull together when the Scarecrow clings to a mud-stuck pole hehad been using to guide the raft. Dorothy, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion drift helplesslydownstream until the Lion pulls the raft to shore, where the trio convince a stork to rescue theScarecrow.

Walking along the riverbank, they find the yellow brick road and continue theirsouthward movement. The Poppy Field exudes the intoxicating spicy scent of flowers sothick that the ground was carpeted with them. After the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman, withthe help of the field mice, revive Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion, the group maneuversthrough woods that fight their progress and try to restrain them until the Tin Woodman chopsthe aggressive timber. Soon they see green fields filled with flowers, signaling that they arenearing the center of Oz.

The City of Emeralds is the nucleus of Oz and is the home of the Great Wizard of Ozwho had ordered its construction. Like a medieval town, a thick, tall green wall surrounds thecity. In the sky, a green glow intensifies as the party advances closer. They can see domes,spires, steeples, and towers. The yellow brick road ends at a green gate that is studded withemeralds. Shining in the sunlight, the emeralds cause the Scarecrows painted eyes to appeardazzled. The group summons the gatekeeper with a bell and are admitted into a roomdecorated with more emeralds. The Guardian of the Gates fits each character with greenspectacles stored in a green box and warns them they would be blinded if they did not protecttheir eyes. This cautionary message concocted by the wizard conceals the truth about him andhis city. Ironically, the glasses metaphorically blind their wearers by preventing them fromseeing reality instead of the wizards illusions. All resident are locked in, and only one key

can give access to the external world.Inside the Emerald City, Dorothy and her companions are stunned by the brightness

and the glory. Green marble houses with green glass windows line streets paved with moregreen marble and emeralds. Even the suns rays are green. As the Guardian of the Gates leadsthe group to the palace in the center of the city, Dorothy and her friends notice people whohave green skin and clothes and buy and sell green merchandise. Because there are noanimals, the residents push carts to transport items. Although no one speaks to the visitors,Everyone seemed happy and contented and prosperous.

A bearded soldier at the palace arranges their meetings with the wizard and outlinesthe rules they are expected to obey during the next four days as Oz meets with one character

each day. The characters are separated into individual rooms but can interact. Dorothys roomat the palace is elaborate, with a green fountain shooting perfumed water, books, and dressesthat fit perfectly. In his room, the Scarecrow watches a spider weave its web. The TinWoodman flexes his joints and sleeps on the bed like he did when he was a man. The Lioncurls up on his bed to sleep like a cat.

Four witches live in Oz. The good witches rule the northern and southern regions.Glinda kindly watches over the Quadlings in the South. Eastern Oz is the land of theMunchkins, formerly ruled by the Wicked Witch of the East. The Winkies live in the Westand suffer enslavement by the Wicked Witch of the West. An impassable desert in eastern Oztouches the edges on parts of northern and southern lands and separates and guards theenchanted Land of Oz from the realistic threats and worries of the world. Anyone attempting

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to cross this desert dies. The lack of a road to the Wicked Witch of the Wests castlesymbolizes its isolation and remoteness, which intensifies Dorothys despair. As thecharacters leave the Emerald City and travel westward, the landscape shifts from beingrolling grasslands dotted with daisies and buttercups to hilly unshaded areas with emptyfields and few dwellings.

The Wicked Witch of the West can observe her kingdom from her castle door.Obeying the witchs orders, the Winged Monkeys dash the Tin Woodman against rocks andremove stuffing from the Scarecrow and fling his clothes in a tree. They snare the CowardlyLion with ropes and fly him to the castle where the witch confines him in a yard formed byan iron fence. Dorothy is led through a maze of yellow rooms to the kitchen where the witchexpects her to labor, washing and sweeping, somewhat like farm chores she performed inKansas. She often visits the lion, and they scheme about how to escape. The witch uses herknowledge of the castle and magic to trick Dorothy into losing one silver shoe, thus upsettingthe balance of power. Enraged at the witchs taunts, Dorothy splashes her with water, causingthe witch to melt. Cleaning up the remains, Dorothy now is in possession of the castle and

calls upon the newly liberated people to help her rescue the Tin Woodman, who then chopsdown the tree with the Scarecrows clothing. Dorothy finds the Golden Cap in a cupboard,which the mice instruct her to use to return to the Emerald City.

On their way to consult the good witch Glinda, they find their way through anotherforest that everyone considers gloomy, except the lion who finds its moss and dry leavesappealing. The forest symbolizes the Cowardly Lions transition to an animal worthy ofrespect when a council of animals greet the lion as King of Beasts and designate him theirruler after he slays a huge spider-like monster. The group decides to ask the WingedMonkeys to carry them over the Hammer-Heads who live on a steep, rocky hill. TheQuadlings country contrasts with the lands surround it. Grain fields, brooks, and good roads

and bridges represent the prosperity of the people who are short and fat and looked chubbyand good-natured. A farmers wife generously feeds Dorothy. Glindas castle on the edge ofthe desert has a ruby-encrusted throne because the Quadlings color is red.

IV THEMES AND CHARACTERS

Loss and spiritual renewal are primary themes of this book in which the four majorcharacters withstand challenges and persevere to learn more about themselves bycomprehending the strange world through which they venture. Like archetypal heroes, the

protagonists encounter both helpful and deceitful characters who either assist them or hinder

them, sometimes maliciously. The characters hopes and wishes tend to be familiar to readersbecause they express universal concerns and desires. Some characters seem absurd, such as alion being a coward. Such paradoxes ironically make the alternate world of Oz more

believable.

Dorothy Gale exemplifies the themes of home, family, and friendship. She is the firstcharacter mentioned in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Separated from her Aunt Em andUncle Henry by a cyclone, Dorothy devotes her energies to finding a way to return home.Young and vibrant, she is intelligent and has common sense, resourcefully dealing with

problems. Optimistically, Dorothy remains determined no matter how dire her situation might

be. She is energetic and is not deterred by the physical aspects of challenges. Dorothyautonomously solves her own dilemmas and does not wait for anyone, particularly a male, to

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rescue her and do her work for her. In addition to saving and helping herself, Dorothywillingly helps others and is outspoken about her opinions and suggestions. She and the goodwitches emphasize the strength and tenacity of female characters. Dorothy kills two witches

by herself, ridding Oz of its most notorious troublemakers.

When Dorothy meets the wizard, she identifies herself as Small and Meek. She seesthe wizard as a giant, disembodied head and bravely answers his questions about her shoes,

protective mark, and goal of returning to Kansas. Dorothy says the wizard should help herbecause he is strong and she is weak. She dismisses the death of the Wicked Witch of theEast to a chance occurrence. Dorothy succumbs to tears when the wizard tells her that he willonly use his magic to send her home if she earns it by killing the Wicked Witch of the West.She tells him that she does not approve of murder. When the Witch of the West enslaves her,Dorothy is determined to work meekly and as hard as she could out of gratitude forsurviving.

Aunt Em is the first character described in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. She appears

at the beginning and conclusion of the novel and in Dorothys thoughts throughout the book.Identified as a farmers wife, Aunt Em moved to Kansas from an undisclosed place. She hadonce appeared young and pretty, but the Kansas elements had taken the sparkle from hereyes and left them a sober gray and also altered her red lips and cheeks to shades of gray.Em, perhaps short for Emily or Emmaline, suppressed her desire for normalcy and adapted tothe rigors of the plains, compromising her civility, sophistication, and empathy. Unsmiling,she is thin and gaunt. Her life consists of unfulfilling domestic chores. Initially, Dorothyshappy giggles caused Aunt Em to scream and press her hand upon her heart because Emwas unable to comprehend how Dorothy could find anything to laugh at. Aunt Em toldDorothy that there are no witches in Kansas and does not seem receptive to any ideasregarding magic. Perhaps Ems name could be reversed as Me, indicating Ems need to be

reacquainted with and assert the uniqueness of her self. By the time Dorothy reappears inKansas, Em stops watering cabbages and embraces her and kisses her face like the witches ofthe North and South did in Oz. In many ways, Em represents traits of the witches Dorothyencounters in Oz. She seems to have been transformed by Dorothys absence.

The humorless and joyless Uncle Henry is a farmer who works non-stop. Sporting along gray beard and rough boots, Henry looks stern and solemn and is usually quiet. Healerts Em, not Dorothy, about the approaching cyclone and chooses to take care of hislivestock instead of his family. Baum does not clarify whether Em or Henry is Dorothys

blood relative nor what happened to Dorothys parents. Dorothy seems closer to Em, whomshe worries is mourning her and remarks that this process might be too expensive for the

couple if the crops had poor yields again. When Dorothy returns from Oz, she rushes intoEms arms, not Henrys.

A devoted companion, Toto protects Dorothy from succumbing to the despair that hasengulfed her aunt and uncle. Described as a little black dog, with long silky hair and small

black eyes that twinkled merrily on either side of his funny wee nose, Toto delights inplaying and helping Dorothy laugh. She saves him from being sucked through the trapdoorwhen the house rises in the cyclone. He assertively guards Dorothy from people and animalsthey meet in Oz, boldly rushing toward the Cowardly Lion and biting the Wicked Witch ofthe West after she hits Toto. All Toto desires is to be with Dorothy wherever she is and tocomfort her and make her happy. Because Toto is not protected by the Witch of the Northskiss, the Tin Woodman says that the group must accept the responsibility to watch over what

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he refers to as the meat dog. Baum often distinguishes living beings from non-fleshcharacters with the descriptive term meat. Toto causes Dorothy to become distracted and

prevents her from leaving in the balloon with the wizard.

Dorothy considers the Munchkins the queerest people she had ever seen. Shecomments on how old they are based on their appearances, especially their beards, and herknowledge of Uncle Henrys age. The Munchkins are almost the same size as Dorothy.Wearing blue clothes and peaked hats decorated with bells on the brims, the Munchkins

personify goodness. Their attentiveness to details is represented by their well-polishedboots. The Munchkins are hesitant to be near Dorothy because they assume she is extremelypowerful since she killed the Wicked Witch of the East and ended their enslavement.

Residents of the eastern part of Oz, the Munchkins trust the Witch of the North tohelp them. Glancing at their fields as she walks along the yellow brick road, Dorothy realizesthat the Munchkins are excellent farmers. The affluent Munchkin Boq hosts Dorothy at afeast in her honor and enlightens her about Oz culture. He prophetically warns Dorothy that

she must pass through rough and dangerous places before you reach the end of yourjourney.

The good Witch of the North is an elderly woman who walks stiffly and has awrinkled face and white hair. She accompanies the Munchkins to greet Dorothy when shelands in Oz and boldly approaches her. Dressed in white, her gown is sprinkled with littlestars that glistened in the sun like diamonds. She bows to Dorothy out of respect andwelcomes her with a sweet voice. By using the title Sorceress to address Dorothy, theWitch of the North alerts Dorothy that she has become someone more than an ordinary child.The Witch of the North expresses the Munchkins gratitude to Dorothy, using the pronounour to indicate that she considers herself a close friend to the Munchkins. She gives

Dorothy the silver slippers that the Wicked Witch of the East was wearing when she waskilled. When she balances her hat on her nose, the hat transforms into a slate that bears amessage telling Dorothy to go to the City of Emeralds. The Witch of the North kissesDorothy on the forehead for protection, leaving a mark that others will recognize.

The Scarecrow is the first of three traveling companions Dorothy encounters on herjourney. From a pole immobilizing him in a cornfield, he winks at Dorothy then speaks to herto get her attention. Complaining about his situation, the Scarecrow is grateful when Dorothyfrees him from his pole. He tells her that he is only two days old and was painted by aMunchkin to resemble a Munchkin, wearing a blue hat and clothing. Crows quickly realizedthat he was stuffed with straw and posed no threat to them, so they gobbled the farmers corn,

foreshadowing the Scarecrows victory over crows ordered by the Wicked Witch of the Westto kill the travelers. As he walks beside Dorothy, the Scarecrow informs her that he is unableto become tired or hungry like a person and confesses that his biggest fear is a lit match.

He confides in Dorothy that his greatest wish is to have brains because a crow hadtold him that brains would make the Scarecrow the equal, if not better, of any man and that

brains are the only things worth having in this world, no matter whether one is a crow or aman. The Scarecrow often seems to speak nonsense such as saying he thought about his lackof brains. He is nurturing towards Dorothy, gathering nuts for her and Toto and coveringthem with leaves while they sleep. He eagerly sacrifices himself for the others well-being,instructing them to remove his straw to camouflage themselves from the Witch of the Wests

bees. Before he leaves, the wizard chooses the Scarecrow to rule the Emerald City.

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The Tin Woodman alerts Dorothy and the Scarecrow to his presence by groaning.Sunlight penetrates the forest where he had been chopping, and his tin shines brightly. AsDorothy and the Scarecrow oil the Tin Woodmans rusted joints, he tells them that he had

been immobilized in that spot for a year after a rainstorm. Throughout the novel, he clears theyellow brick road for the group as needed and uses his axe to solve problems. The TinWoodman wants a heart because a witch had enchanted his axe which sliced his heart in two.The son of a woodman who had once visited the Emerald City and warned him of thedangerous journey, the Tin Woodman had taken care of his widowed mother until she died.He wanted to marry a Munchkin girl who insisted he build her a house. While he earnedmoney for their home, the Munchkin maiden lived with an elderly woman who wanted thegirl to be her permanent servant. Giving a cow and two sheep to the Witch of the East, thewoman ordered the marriage be stopped. The witch placed a charm on the woodmans axewhich cut off his limbs and body parts, which a tinsmith replaced. The Tin Woodman said thegirl was still waiting for him and that he needed a heart so that he could love her again. Hevalues happiness above all else, and said that was why a heart was more important than

brains which he thought did not necessarily ensure happiness. The Tin Woodman cries whenhe steps on a beetle because he knew very well he had no heart, and therefore he took greatcare never to be cruel or unkind to anything. He believes hearts help guide people, and thathe will no longer have to be so careful to be kind when he has a heart. The Tin Woodmanhandily uses his skills to construct rafts, ladders, and transportation devices when needed.

The Cowardly Lion first appears as growls the characters hear, then dramatically roarswhen he leaps into the characters path. He knocks over the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman.Dorothy hits the Lion when Toto rushes towards him. She chides the Lion for being a cowardin hurting a smaller animal. The Lion admits that he was born a coward and that his roar washis defense mechanism to cause humans and animals to flee. He confides that he would run ifany person or beast tried to fight him. Weepy and unhappy, the Lion seeks courage. He is

curious about the travelers and asks to accompany them. Along the way, the Lion offers toprocure deer for meals. Because killing upsets the Tin Woodman, the Lion disappears into thewoods to eat alone. He enjoys the journey in rural areas because he dislikes city life.Although he claims to lack courage, the Lion exhibits bravery several times such as carryingthe characters across the ditch. Dorothy rides on his back when she is tired so that thetravelers can move swiftly. At other times, the Tin Woodman and Scarecrow carry Dorothyand Toto. When the Wicked Witch of the West enslaves the lion, he refuses to be harnessedto pull her chariot and threatens to bite her when she says she will starve him into submission.The Great Wizard of Oz rules from the City of Emeralds. The Witch of the North considershim more powerful than all of the rest of us together and talks about him in a whisper.

Nobody prior to the groups arrival has ever seen the wizard except, perhaps, for some older

citizens who might have seen him arrive in his balloon decades earlier. His subjects believethat Oz can do anything and say that he can assume any form he desires so that who thereal Oz is, when he is in his own form, no living person can tell. The wizard is called Ozthe Terrible, and people warn Dorothy and her friends not to waste his time. The wizard

becomes interested in Dorothy only after he learns about the silver shoes she wears and themark on her forehead.

Each character initially sees the wizard as a symbolic image that seems to have beenintended for others in the group. As each character learns about the others experiences, theyformulate a strategy to obtain their wish without being ordered to slay the Wicked Witch ofthe West. For Dorothy, the wizard is a large floating head that is hairless. One eye winks androlls as she talks to him. The Scarecrow, who might have found the head appealing for its

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brain capacity, sees a lovely Lady with wings and a crown. Such a vision might havesuggested love and heart to the Tin Woodman, who instead sees a wooly beast with arhinoceros head and five arms and legs. The Lion plans to roar at this beast to intimidate it,

but instead sees a ball of fire which could represent the fire of spirit and thought and perhapswould have been more symbolic to the Scarecrow.

When he is exposed to the quartet, the wizard timidly pleads for them not to hurt him,saying Ill do anything you want me to. Quieting Dorothy because he is afraid someonemight hear her dismayingly express her shock, he admits that he is not a wizard: Im just acommon man. Self-centered, he tells the group to stop complaining about what they wantand not to reveal his secret because he has fooled everyone so long and allowing them intothe throne room was a great mistake.

Explaining that he is an Omaha, Nebraska, ventriloquist and balloonist, the wizardsays he liked the attention and power the people of Oz gave him when his balloon drifted intotheir territory. The wizard admits he feels shame because he has manipulated peoples

ignorance with illusions and fears that he was able to have the Emerald City designed andbuilt specifically to his plans.

He declares that he has good intentions but cannot keep his promises. The wizard tellsthe Scarecrow that he needs experience, not a brain, and he tells the Lion that he needs self-confidence. He suggests to the Tin Woodman that hearts usually make people unhappy.Dispensing the token items of bran, a silk heart, and drink, he convinces Dorothys friendsthat they have acquired what they want. Dorothy despairs until the wizard decides to sew a

balloon, but she is unable to climb in its clothes basket in time to leave. After the wizard isgone, the residents of the Emerald City fondly remember him as a friend.

The Wicked Witch of the East is briefly present in this novel as a corpse afterDorothys house lands on her. The Munchkins refer to the Wicked Witch of the Eaststyrannical rule over them. She once ruled the eastern lands of Oz. She is old and dries to dustin the sun. Her silver slippers are powerful, but the Munchkins do not know how the charm isuseful.

The Wicked Witch of the West is the sole evil witch after her counterpart in the eastdies. She uses the Golden Cap to enslave the Winkies. This witch has one eye with acutevision, which she uses like a telescope to survey her kingdom. She always carries an umbrellaand uses it to hit Toto, who bites her but draws no blood because it had dried up many years

before. She laughs when she enslaves Dorothy and takes advantage of her innocence and

vulnerability. This witch knows the silver shoes have more power than any other magicalpossession.

When she sees the mark of the kiss on Dorothys forehead, the witch knows that shecannot hurt her and considers running away from Dorothy in case she uses her power. Butthen she glances at Dorothys eyes and she saw how simple the soul behind them was andknew that Dorothy was ignorant of the shoes powers and how to summon them. Aware thatDorothy only takes off the silver shoes to bathe at night, the cunning witch schemes how totrick Dorothy. For such an evil person, she ironically is afraid of the dark and water. TrippingDorothy with an invisible bar, the witch gains one shoe, evening the balance of power. Whenthe witch taunts Dorothy, the girl splashes her with water which causes the witch to melt,frees the Winkies who declare an annual holiday, and transfers the castle and its possessionsto Dorothy.

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Glinda, the good witch in the South who rules the Quadlings, is considered kind andbeautiful and knows how to keep young in spite of the many years she has lived. She hasblue eyes, long red hair, and wears a white dress. Because the Quadlings use red as theirsymbol, Glinda sits on a ruby throne. Glinda asks Dorothy for the cap which she then

promises to use to send the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Lion to their desired location asrulers. Dorothy expresses disbelief when she learns that the shoes could have transported herhome from the beginning, but her friends say they are grateful she did not know and went onthe journey which gave them their desires and more. Dorothy tells everyone goodbye thenclicks her heels thrice, as Glinda advised, to return to Kansas.

Other significant characters that Dorothy meets include the Guardian of the Gates anda soldier in the Emerald City. The china people, a collection of royalty and servants, areeasily broken. Menders glue these people together, but they are not as attractive as before.When Dorothy thinks of taking a china person home to decorate Aunt Ems mantel, she isadvised that the people become paralyzed if they leave their country.

Most Quadlings have never visited the Emerald City because the road is dangerous.Along the route, some beasts and people do not welcome travelers and harass or attack them.The Hammer-Heads in particular pound anyone who tries to climb their hill north of Glindascastle. The Quadlings demonstrate hospitality and feed Dorothy and her friends. TheWinkies, who are represented by the color yellow, loathe the witchs rule and resist doing herevil deeds even when she beats them. Many of the Winkies are craftsmen who fix the TinWoodman and Scarecrow after the Wicked Witch of the West ordered them destroyed. TheWinkies decide they want the Tin Woodman to be their ruler after the witch is killed.

Animal characters serve in supporting roles. The field mice, their queen, and a storkhelp save the Lion and Scarecrow. The winged monkeys tell Dorothy that they cannot go to

Kansas, suggesting limitations to magical powers. The Kalidahs are an amalgam of bearbodies and tiger heads who threaten to kill the characters before the Kalidahs fall into a ditch.The Scarecrow and Tin Woodman outwit the wolves, crows, and bees that the witch sends tokill them.

The Winged Monkeys fulfill three wishes for whoever has the Golden Cap. Theyloudly chatter and laugh and are playfully bemused by pranks. The King of the WingedMonkeys tells Dorothy that the monkeys had lived in a forest long before Oz came out ofthe clouds to rule over this land, which was one of the novels first hints about Ozs origins.Gayelette, a princess/sorceress who lived in a ruby palace, was preparing to marry Quelalawhen the monkeys dunked him dressed in his finest clothes in the river. Gayelette was furious

and threatened to drown the monkeys but agreed to enchanting the Golden Cap, which was awedding present, with an obedience spell. The Wicked Witch of the West used the cap toenslave the Winkies, expel Oz from Western lands, and secure Dorothy and her friends. Themonkeys disobeyed the witchs order to kill Dorothy when they saw the protective kiss onDorothys forehead, stressing that the Power of Good is stronger than the Power of Evil.2

V LITERARY QUALITIES

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has appealed to readers for more than a century.

Although the novel has often been criticized as mediocre and not well-written, Baums story2 Extracted from the official site ofthe Wizard of the Oz

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has enthralled audiences due to many literary techniques he employed to create his imaginaryworld. His use of an omniscient narrator enables readers to see Dorothys adventure from a

broader viewpoint than if her story had been told in first person. Details about eachcharacters motivations and point of view are presented, as are supplemental scenicdescriptions of the places and people the characters are observing. Significantly, he placesgood witches near the beginning and conclusion to emphasize that good prevails over evil.The sentimental nature of the characters friendships and affinity for each other and theirdreams intensifies reader identification with the story.

Baums decision to use anthropomorphic characters enhances the fantastical nature ofthis novel. Readers can suspend their disbelief to accept Dorothys situation and thecharacters she encounters and accepts as normal. By contrasting the more plausible, familiar,realistic landscape of Kansas with the strange, unusual, surreal world of Oz, Baum gentlyguides readers into believing that Dorothy has actually been transported to a magical place.

Names for people, animals, and places are often simple and merely descriptive. Dialogue alsois often direct, sometimes folksy, and to the point.

The animals voices contribute to their characterization and figurative language. TheCowardly Lion often refers to his rapidly beating heart, which is the Tin Woodmans greatestwish. Humor is present in puns and illogical statements. Baum uses imagery such as Dorothyfeeling the cyclone lift the house like a balloon, which foreshadows the wizard departing Ozin a balloon. Colors represent different places and people. Good witches and sorceresses wearwhite. The Munchkins are clad in blue, which could stand for their goodness and sincerity.The Quadlings prefer red, perhaps representing their heartiness. The Winkies like yellow,which could suggest their reluctance to defend themselves. The green of the Emerald Citycould stand for vigor. In contrast, grayness seems colorless and drab.

Mythological and religious allusions can be identified in the text, such as Odysseus

coming home to Penelope, the Good Samaritan, or the Prodigal Sons return. Folkloreelements are also present, such as the spider-like beast that the Lion slays being like thetrickster Anancy. Similarities with fairy tales can be found, such as Dorothy and Cinderellawearing magical slippers. People often wear gemstones of appropriate colors such asdiamonds and rubies to show their affiliation. Silver and gold are used to indicate power.

Numbers are also important. Most charms require repeating a phrase or word or performingan action three times. The Wicked Witch of the West sends her attack squads in groups offorty or one dozen. Baum creates appealing chants with one and two syllable words thatsound familiar to readers such as Ep-pe, pep-pe, kak-ke!; Hil-lo, hol-lo, hel-lo!; andZiz-zy, zuz-zy, zik! Noise helps set the tone and determine characters moods for scenes,such as peaceful, babbling brooks or raucous, chattering monkeys.

Sleeping, solitude, time, and silence are important for transitions in The WonderfulWizard of Oz. Dorothy is asleep in the house during most of the cyclone. She is unconsciousin the poppy field, which is a pivotal scene to show how resourceful her friends are to saveher. Dreams indicate that she is constantly thinking of home and how to get there. The othercharacters are aware of dreams because they remark that maybe the Lion can at least becourageous in his dreams.

Literary scholars have interpreted The Wonderful Wizard of Oz according to manyframeworks such as political, economical, and feminist. Some people have attempted to linkThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz with agrarian myths associated with the Midwest. In 1964,Henry Littlefield theorized that the novel was a political allegory related to populism, a

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movement popular around the time Baum wrote the novel. Populists debated the use of goldversus silver as a basis for the value of currency. The populist movement was especiallystrong in Kansas. Littlefield suggested that Baum shaped his characters to represent political

personalities in the 1896 presidential election: Dorothy being the average citizen, theScarecrow being an American farmer, the Tin Woodman being a mechanized worker, andthe Lion being William Jennings Bryan, who was countering the wizards in Washington,D.C.

VI SOCIAL SENSITIVITY

Although Baum did not intend to moralize or preach to his readers, many socialmessages are presented in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. As the novels heroine, Dorothy is arole model. She is a loving niece who cares about her aunts and uncles welfare and worriesabout how her absence has affected them. Dorothy has manners and is courteous most of thetime, losing her temper when stressed or maligned. She cares for her dog Toto and treats himhumanely. At times, Dorothy can be self-centered, but she seems mature for a child her age.

Dorothy and her companions exemplify goodness. They are kind to each other and toeveryone they meet, with the exception of anyone who tries to harm them. They are helpful,unselfishly sacrificing their personal comfort to make other people feel better or achieve agoal, such as the Lion carrying Dorothy when she is tired or the Scarecrow gathering foodeven though he cannot eat. They willingly risk their lives to rescue each other, and, althoughthey might consider leaving someone like the Lion in the poppy field, they never actuallyabandon anyone.

The quartet is patient, waiting for others like the wizard to make up their minds beforeacting, even when waiting becomes monotonous. The Tin Woodman is so devoted to his

beloved Munchkin maiden that he has endured a year of being rusted and the journey to

attempt to provide her with what she wants. The characters are supportive and cooperative,valuing each others aspirations and not belittling them. Above all else, they are friends,unconditionally tolerant of each other and expressing their gratitude and love. Each characterfunctions capably independently, and they work well together as a team because they knowthey belong and are appreciated for their unique talents and skills.

The characters are resilient and outspoken, voicing their concerns. Determined, theypersevere and trust themselves to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.Occasionally, they cry but never succumb completely to hopelessness and despair. Theirinventiveness enables them to resolve problems by considering the most viable options andresourcefully utilizing raw resources available to them. They ultimately triumph and recover

anything they have lost or fill the inadequacies from which they suffer. Although thecharacters feel they lack specific qualities, Baum shows that each character has ampleintelligence, heart, and courage to achieve the resolution they seek.3

VII. Political aspect of the novel

3Source:Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults. Copyright by Gale Group, Inc.

Reprinted by permission.

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1. Yellow brick code

In 1964, high school teacher Henry Littlefield wrote an article outlining the notion of anunderlying allegory in Baum's book. He said it offered a "gentle and friendly" critique ofPopulist thinking, and the story could be used to illuminate the late 19th Century to students.

Since its publication, teachers have used this take on the tale to help classes understandthe issues of the era.

And Littlefield's theory has been hotly debated. He believed the characters couldrepresent the personalities and themes of the late 1800s,with Dorothy embodying theeveryman American spirit.

US political historian Quentin Taylor, who supports this interpretation, says: "There aretoo many instances of parallels with the political events of the time.

"The Tin Woodman represents the industrial worker, the Scarecrow is the farmer and theCowardly Lion is William Jennings Bryan."

Bryan was a Democratic presidential candidate who supported the silver cause. But hefailed to win votes from eastern workers and lost the 1896 election. In the same way, theLion's claws are nearly blunted by the Woodman's metallic shell.

The Wicked Witch of the West is associated with a variety of controversial personalities,chief among them the industrialist Mark Hanna, campaign manager to President WilliamMcKinley.

In this scenario, the yellow brick road symbolises the gold standard, the Emerald Citybecomes Washington DC and the Great Wizard characterises the president - and he isexposedas being less than truthful .

2. Off to see the President

Yet none can help Dorothy return home. Eventually she discovers that her silver shoes(changed to ruby for the film) have the power to take her back to Kansas.

The possible implication is that gold alone cannot be the solution for the problems facingthe average citizen. But Professor Taylor thinks it's

unlikely the book took sides. Instead he says it wasmerely explaining the story of the Populist movement, some of whom marched onWashington DC in 1894 to demand government improve their plight.

Their demand for the use of silver with the gold standard was not met, although within afew years, inflation returned after discoveries of gold in South Africa and other parts of theworld.

In Baum's story, Dorothy loses her silver slippers in the desert before she reaches home -a possible reflection of the decline of the silver cause after 1896.

But not everyone believes The Wonderful Wizard of Oz includes any hidden meanings.

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"Nobody ever suggested it until 1964," says Bradley Hansen, who is a professor ofeconomics at the University of Mary Washington.

"There's no solid evidence that Baum had written it as a monetary allegory," he adds."While it may have grabbed students' interests, it doesn't really teach them anything about thegold standard and, in particular, the debate about the gold standard."

Professor Hansen thinks the author was just trying to create a new kind of fairytale, the"Harry Potter of its time". 4

2.1 Characters symbolism in brief

VIII. Grand opening to the movies

Initially, The Wizard of Oz was not considered a commercial success in relation to itsenormous budget, although it made a small profit and received largely favorable reviews. Theimpact it had upon release was reportedly responsible for the release of two other fantasy

films inTechnicolorthe following year - The Blue Bird andThe Thief of Bagdad. The songsfrom The Wizard of Oz became widely popular, with "Over the Rainbow" receiving theAcademy Award for Best Original Song, and the film itself garnering several AcademyAward nominations, including Best Picture.

From 1959 to 1991, The Wizard of Oz was an annual television tradition in theUnited States, and through these showings, it has become one of the most famous films evermade. The film received much more attention after its annual television screenings were sowarmly embraced and has since become one of the most beloved films of all time. In fact,

4http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7933175.stm

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Dorothy: Everyman American

Scarecrow: Farmer

Tin Woodman: Industrial worker

Lion: William Jennings Bryan, politician who backed silver cause

Wizard of Oz: US presidents of late 19th Century

Wicked Witch: A malign Nature, destroyed by the farmers' most precious commodity,

water. Or simply the American West

Winged Monkeys: Native Americans or Chinese railroad workers, exploited by West

Oz: An abbreviation of 'ounce' or, as Baum claimed, taken from the O-Z of a filing cabinet?

Emerald City: Greenback paper money, exposed as fraud

Munchkin: Ordinary citizens
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The Wizard of Oz is believed by some to be the most-watched film in history.[3] It is oftenranked among the top ten best movies of all-time in various critics' and popular polls, and ithas provided many indelible quotes to the American cultural consciousness. Its signaturesong, "Over the Rainbow," sung by Judy Garland, has been voted the greatest movie song ofall time by the American Film Institute.5

The opening andclosing credits, as well as the Kansas sequences, were both filmed in blackand white and colored in a sepia tone. (Publicity for the film mentioned the Technicolor butnot the black-and-white or sepia, thus making it sound as if the entire film had been made incolor.)

1. Differences from the original novel

For the most part, the movie follows the novel only in a very general way, though severalphrases (e.g. "I am Dorothy, the Small and Meek"; and "Oh no, my dear, I'm a very goodman; I'm just a very bad Wizard") are taken almost directly from the book. Many details are

omitted or altered, while many of the perils that Dorothy encountered in the novel are noteven mentioned in the movie. To take advantage of the new vivid Technicolor process,Dorothy's silver shoes were changed to ruby slippers for the movie. Due to time constraints, anumber of sub-plots from the book, including the China County and the Hammerheads, werecut. The novel also never depicts Dorothy as a damsel in distress to be rescued by her friends,

but rather the reverse, with Dorothy, a figure heavily influenced by the feminism ofMatildaJoslyn Gagerescuing her friends. Nevertheless, the film was far more faithful to Baum'soriginal book than many earlier scripts (see below) or film versions - there were silentversions in 1910 and 1925, and a seven-minute animated cartoon in 1933. The 1939 movieinterprets the Oz experience as a dream, in which many of the characters that Dorothy meetsrepresent the people from her home life (such as Miss Gulch, Professor Marvel, and thefarmhands, none of which appear in the book). Oz is meant to be a real place in L. FrankBaum's original novel, one to which Dorothy would return to in the author's later Oz books,and later provide a refuge for Aunt Em and Uncle Henry when unable to pay the mortgage onthe new house that was built after the old one really was carried away by the tornado.

2. Filming

Filming of Oz began under the direction ofNorman Taurog in September 1938. Taurog's

only involvement on the picture, however, was the filming of a few early test scenes. Forunknown reasons, however, Taurog was replaced with Richard Thorpe who commencedfilming on October 13, 1938 on the MGM Studios lot in Culver City, California. Thorpeintially shot around two weeks of footage involving Dorothy's first encounter with theScarecrow as well as a number sequences in the Wicked Witch's castle. However, the suddenmedical departure of Buddy Ebsen caused the film to shut down as a new actor was found tofill the part. LeRoy had taken this time to review the already shot footage and felt that Thorpeseemed to be rushing the picture along creating a negative impact in the actors performances.Thus LeRoy decided to have Thorpe replaced.

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