70 pages • 2 hours read
Danielle PaigeDorothy Must Die
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2014A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Background
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
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BetaSymbols & Motifs
The Land of Oz
In L. Frank Baum’s original books, Oz is described as a magical fairyland cut off from the rest of the world by the Deadly Desert, a cursed land rumored to turn anyone touching it to sand. Oz is divided into five lands—Munchkin Country in the east, Winkie Country in the west, Gillikin Country in the north, Quadling Country in the south, and the Emerald City in the center. These lands are mentioned throughout Dorothy Must Die, though Amy’s time is split between only Munchkin Country, Gillikin Country (where the rebellion’s base is), and the Emerald City. The book’s ending suggests Amy will visit the rest of Oz on her mission to destroy Dorothy.
Paige’s dystopian twist on the Land of Oz transforms it from the vibrant and colorful place of the books to a dying wasteland. Aside from the Emerald City where Dorothy hordes magic, the only part of the landscape that retains its vibrancy is the Yellow Brick Road. In Chapter 3, Pete explains that the road wants Amy to go to Oz, which implies the road has magic beyond Dorothy’s understanding or capabilities. Dorothy may have tried to steal the road’s magic but was unsuccessful, which may mean the road is the key to saving Oz. In the early chapters as Amy walks along the Yellow Brick Road, the land looks less dead the closer she gets to the Emerald City. Dorothy may have taken more magic from the areas farthest from the city first, or the Emerald City’s magic may overflow into the rest of the land but can only go so far.
Magic
Magic is the driving force of Oz. When magic is spread throughout the land, Oz matches the descriptions from Baum’s work. However, once enough magic is taken, the land starts to die—making magic like water on Earth. To increase her magic reserves, Dorothy enslaves Oz’s people to harvest magic from the land. In addition to the grayed-out landscape, this process leaves enormous craters of darkness behind. When Amy’s trailer falls into one of the pits, she doesn’t hear a crash, which implies that the craters have no bottom or, if they do, it is so far down that the sound doesn’t reach the surface.
Magic also represents Amy’s character arc. When Amy arrives in Oz, she still holds on to her mother’s cruel words and the poor treatment by Madison and the other kids. Learning to harness magic allows Amy to find her inner strength and stop letting the words and opinions of others define her. Initially, Amy has the most success channeling magic when she’s angry, but the volatility of anger makes her spells unsustainable and unreliable. As Amy releases the anger she holds for people back in Kansas, she is able to use forgiveness and determination to call on magic with more consistent and positive results. At the end of the book, Amy is angry about what Dorothy has done to Oz, but that anger doesn’t inhibit her magic use because it doesn’t hold power over Amy’s image of herself. Anger toward Dorothy gives Amy purpose, which lets her be upset and still use magic effectively.
The Wizard’s Gifts
In the original story, the Wizard granted gifts to Dorothy and her companions—sending Dorothy home, a brain for the Scarecrow, a heart for the Tin Woodman, and courage for the Lion. The latter three gifts are present throughout Dorothy Must Die, though they don’t play an active role in the story arc. Paige has embedded these gifts into the fabric of Dorothy’s tyranny, which the Wizard reveals in the final chapter. These gifts somehow give Dorothy protection, and to stop Dorothy, Amy must disable the protections they offer. She cuts out the Tin Woodman’s heart in the final chapter, which may reduce Dorothy’s power in the next installment of the series.
Dorothy Must Die does not explore how these gifts give Dorothy power, but based on how the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Lion are in service to Dorothy, conclusions may be drawn about the power of the gifts. The Tin Woodman has an unrequited love for Dorothy, shown when he jumps in front of Dorothy to take a blow meant for her. Losing the Tin Woodman physically deprives Dorothy of a bodyguard, but the power of the Tin Woodman’s love may also strengthen the magic surrounding Dorothy. The Scarecrow labors in his laboratory, creating creatures that help to enforce Dorothy’s rule. Losing his brain would be a blow to her ability to keep the citizens of Oz in line. On a more mystical level, the Scarecrow’s intelligence may offer a type of cerebral protection against magic. The Lion’s courage makes him incredibly strong and fierce, and he uses these qualities to terrorize the people of Oz into placing faith in Dorothy. Like with the Scarecrow, losing the Lion would limit Dorothy’s control and offer opportunities for the people to rise up against her. The Lion may also share his courage with Dorothy in a way, giving her the commanding presence that makes the people afraid to challenge her. As to the Wizard’s gift of a home for Dorothy, Dorothy being sent back to Kansas once may foreshadow her returning to Kansas again and being forced to stay there this time—thus putting an end to her reign over Oz.
