The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

“When Aunt Em came there to live she was a young, pretty wife. The sun and wind had changed her, too. They had taken the sparkle from her eyes and left them a sober grey; they had taken the red from her cheeks and lips, and they were grey also.”

Life on the farm is depicted as exhausting and fruitless. The people living on the harsh and barren land mirror the state of the land they toil so hard on; they are similarly sapped, grey, and desolate. Baum is sympathetic to the plight of farmers; his sympathy was informed by the time he spent living in South Dakota during three years of drought.

“There were lovely patches of greensward all about, with stately trees bearing rich and luscious fruits. Banks of gorgeous flowers were on every hand, and birds with rare and brilliant plumage sang and fluttered in the trees and bushes. A little way off was a small brook.”

The barrenness of Kansas is contrasted directly with the vitality and greenness of Oz. The land of the Munchkins is depicted as verdant and lush. This contrast serves as the backdrop for Dorothy’s determination to get back to Kansas. As beautiful as Oz is, it is not her home, and she is never tempted to stay there.

“You are welcome, most noble Sorceress, to the land of the Munchkins. We are so grateful to you for having killed the Wicked Witch of the East, and for setting our people free from bondage.”

Dorothy is established as an unlikely hero. Characterized by goodness and innocence, she inadvertently kills the Wicked Witch of the East, who is characterized by selfishness and cruelty. The event foreshadows her later killing of the Wicked Witch of the West, also done accidentally. It also alludes to an important theme in the story: The Triumph of Good Over Evil.

“I am anxious to get back to my Aunt and Uncle, for I am sure they will worry about me.”

Dorothy’s goodness is further established in her selfless motivation. Although she is delighted with the Land of Oz, she considers the effect that her unexpected departure will have on her family; this motivates her to start her journey to return to Kansas. On this journey, Dorothy will continue to illustrate kindness and generosity.

“‘I don’t know anything. You see, I am stuffed, so I have no brains at all,’ he answered sadly.”

Ironically, the Scarecrow articulately explains that he has no brains. Although this is clearly not true in a practical sense, the Scarecrow’s sadness illustrates that he believes himself to be incomplete and lacking. This foreshadows the Scarecrow’s journey with Dorothy and his eventual receiving of fake brains from the Wizard of Oz.

“There is no place like home.”

Home is a recurring motif throughout the story. Dorothy’s wish to return to her home in Kansas drives the plot. Baum suggests that home is a place where you are both loved and appreciated.

“The Tin Woodman stepped upon a beetle that was crawling along the road, and killed the poor little 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.”

Ironically, the Tin Woodman believes that he needs a heart, although his behavior proves that he is the epitome of a tender-hearted, kind, and compassionate individual. These traits are emphasized in his weeping with sorrow at stepping on a beetle.

“‘I am terribly afraid of failing, myself […] but I suppose there is nothing to do but try it. So get on my back and we will make the attempt.’”

The Lion mistakes his very valid fears for cowardice. In fact, his courage is illustrated in his decision to leap across the crevasse with his friends on his back despite his fear.

“Here is a great tree, standing close to the ditch. If the Tin Woodman can chop it down, so that it will fall to the other side, we can walk across it easily.”

The Scarecrow illustrates his intelligence when he comes up with ideas to help the group on their journey. It is ironic that he seeks a brain, as he is evidently the cleverest member of the group.

“They picked up Toto and put the dog in Dorothy’s lap, and then they made a chair with their hands for the seat and their arms for the arms and carried the sleeping girl between them through the flowers.”

The Scarecrow and Woodman’s decision to carry Dorothy and Toto through the sleeping fields illustrates their kindness and loyalty. Baum suggests that the group’s power lies in their loving and selfless friendship to one another. This allows them to triumph over evil forces, such as the Wicked Witch of the West.

“Although he had no heart he knew it was wrong for the Wildcat to try to kill such a pretty, harmless creature.”

The Woodman continues to act with kindness and compassion, saving the Queen of the field mice. This illustrates that his desire for a literal heart is unnecessary.

“He sits day after day in the great throne room of his palace, and even those who wait upon him do not see him face to face.”

The farmer describes the secretive tendencies of the Wizard of Oz, who does not like to be seen. This alludes to Oz’s deception; he lacks any real magical powers and fears discovery. As in real life, the people of Oz want to believe that their leader knows what he is doing and uses his power for good, leading them to ignore clues that should make them suspicious.

“If you do not wear spectacles the brightness and the glory of the Emerald City would blind you. Even those who live in the City must wear spectacles night and day. They are locked on, for Oz so ordered it when the City was first built.”

Oz’s insistence that everyone wear the spectacles alludes to his deception; the city only appears to be green because the lenses are green-tinted. The green-tinted spectacles symbolize Baum’s belief that politicians, particularly those at the top, hoodwink the American population into thinking that they are lucky to live in such a wealthy country.

“‘This is my fight,’ said the Woodman, ‘so get behind me and I will meet them as they come.’”

Baum celebrates the loving and loyal friendship among Dorothy’s friends. They each step forward to defend their friends, risking their own lives. The group ultimately triumphs over the witches, who are solitary and without companionship due to their greed and cruelty. This illustrates the theme of The Importance of Friends and Family and the theme of The Triumph of Good Over Evil.

“‘We dare not harm this little girl,’ he said to them, ‘for she is protected by the Power of Good, and that is greater than the Power of Evil.’”

The King of the Winged Monkeys articulates that the powers of good, affiliated with kindness, generosity, and selflessness, are ultimately more powerful than the powers of evil, characterized by greed and cruelty. This foreshadows Dorothy’s managing to (accidentally) kill the Wicked Witch of the West.

“‘Didn’t you know that water would be the end of me?’ asked the witch, in a wailing, despairing voice. ‘Of course not,’ answered Dorothy. ‘How should I?’”

The Wicked Witch of the West melts; the Winkies are free as well as Dorothy and the Lion. Dorothy maintains her innocent goodness by unintentionally killing the Wicked Witch of the West. This alludes to the theme of The Triumph of Good Over Evil.

“I have fooled everyone for so long that I thought I should never be found out. […] Usually I will not see even my subjects, and so they believe I am something terrible.”

Oz fools the inhabitants of the Land of Oz into thinking that he is a formidable wizard. He does this by staying out of sight and by using illusions when people do come into his throne room. In Baum’s allegory, Oz is a symbol for American presidents. Baum implies that these individuals manipulate people into thinking that they are capable and powerful when they are actually fraudulent and ineffective.

“‘You have plenty of courage, I am sure,’ answered Oz. ‘All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.’”

The Lion believes that he is lacking in courage, just as the Scarecrow believes he lacks in brains and the Woodman believes he lacks a heart. Oz tries to articulate that it is not courage that the Lion lacks, but belief in himself. Confidence and Self-Belief is an important theme throughout the story; Baum suggests that it is possible to be the version of yourself you most want to be if you believe you are capable of the things you hope to achieve.

“‘How do you feel now?’ asked Oz. ‘Full of courage,’ replied the Lion, who went joyfully back to his friends to tell them of his good fortune.”

The Lion feels courageous after he drinks the innocuous green liquid. This liquid contains no magical courage, just as the Scarecrow’s brains are only bran and needles and the Woodman’s heart is only a toy. The fact that the Lion feels filled with courage after this placebo illustrates Oz’s point that it was only Self-Belief the Lion needed to recognize his own courage.

“The Scarecrow told them there were wonderful thoughts in his head. […] [T]he Tin Woodman […] told Dorothy he had discovered it [his heart] to be a kinder and more tender heart than the one he had owned when he was made of flesh.”

Like the Lion, the Scarecrow and the Woodman feel that their bogus gifts are effective because they already possess the attributes they seek. This illustrates the importance of Self-Belief.

“I am tired of being such a humbug. […] I’d much rather go back to Kansas with you and be in a circus again.”

Throughout The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the forces of good triumph over the forces of evil. Oz’s decision to cease his deceptive behavior and return to an honest living in the Midwest is one more example.

“‘My greatest wish now,’ she added, ‘is to get back to Kansas, for Aunt Em will surely think something dreadful has happened to me, and that will make her put on mourning; and unless the crops are better this year than they were last I am sure Uncle Henry cannot afford it.’”

Dorothy is a character who epitomizes goodness; her desire to return home is primarily motivated by the distress her continued absence will cause to her uncle and aunt. Her selflessness contrasts with the nature of the evil witches, who are motivated by selfishness and cruelty.

“I am glad I was of use to these good friends. But now that each of them has what he most desired, and each is happy in having a kingdom to rule besides, I think I should like to go back to Kansas.”

The kind and loving friendship between Dorothy’s companions is celebrated; together they enabled each other to achieve their dreams. This statement also presents the recurring motif of home; each character finds a home in a kingdom where they feel accepted, happy, and celebrated.