On that image alone we could rest our case that the wonderful wizard of oz is a fanciful book. Few, however, recognize that, under its deceptive simplicity, the story of the wizard of oz. Bringing the book to life the wizard of oz has been a beloved story that has had an impact way beyond being a childrens fairy tale. Moreover, the name oz has been seen as explicitly symbolic of the abbreviation for ounce oz. Frank baum claims that the book is simply an innocent childrens story. Is there a hidden political allegory in the wizard of oz.
The objective of her travels is to wizard the wizard of oz in emerald city so that she can go home. The wizard of oz as an allegory for the 1896 presidential. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of the wizard of oz by victor fleming. The symbolism of the wizard of oz came to light again recently after the famous filmmaker, bill still, produced a twohour documentary film, the secret of oz, in which he shakes up the existing economic paradigms and contends that the book contains a solution to the economic problems that plague this country. This 1939 perennial classic was primarily directed by victor fleming from a screenplay by noel langley, florence ryerson, and edgar allan woolf based on the wonderful wizard of oz by l. Wonderful wizard of oz at face value, then searching for symbolism is just. The occult roots of the wizard of oz vigilant citizen. Over the years, both book and movie have fueled a number of. It was adapted into a broadway musical by baum in 1902. In a 1964 article, educator and historian henry littlefield outlined an allegory in the book of the late19th.
Frank baum, who went on to write fourteen fulllength oz books. Wizard of oz has constant references to rainbows, including its theme song, somewhere over the rainbow. Great savings free delivery collection on many items. Frank baums book the wonderful wizard of oz, upon which the movie is based, was a political allegory for american politics at the dawn of. Symbolism in the wonderful wizard of oz 842 words 4 pages. The books related political undertones were first identified in 1964 in an analysis by a historian named henry littlefield. Apr 16, 2019 follow the yellow brick road and learn more about frank baum, the childrens author wrote the popular wizard of oz series, at. The wizard of oz film symbols, allegory and motifs over the rainbow symbol dorothy gale is bored by her life on the farm, and she lives in a world literally without color. In general frank baum, oz books can be priced from ten to thousands of dollars and. The wizard of oz symbolism goes incredibly deep, from the main characters to the cyclone, those famous slippers, and even toto. Mar 06, 2017 in his introduction to the wonderful wizard of oz, l.
All of the baum written books are in the public domain in the united states. American politics in the 1890s, when baum was writing the book. Speculation of the parallels between the characters in the book and history of the united states began with a history teacher by the name of henry littlefield. This week, leslie pitched the wizard of oz as a great example of extended metaphor and symbolism in a story. Try egyptian deities, masonic rituals, and archetypical symbolism common to many of the worlds mystery religions.
For the novice, collectors will be a good start to learn about the collectible wizard of oz book series by frank baum and oz books guide. The symbolic meaning of the wizard of oz depends upon the inclinations of the reader of the original 1900 book edition or the viewer of the beloved 1939 film version. May 30, 2014 heres the real, forgotten meaning of the wizard of oz business insider may 30, 2014 the wizard of oz book, written by l. Scholars have examined four quite different versions of oz. Frank baums book the wonderful wizard of oz, upon which the movie is based, was a political allegory. He wrote thirteen additional oz books, and the film adaptation staring judy garland was released in 1939. Jun 05, 2017 top 10 differences between the wizard of oz book and movie duration. The atheist approach to the wonderful wizard of oz. For anyone looking for an oz gift, they might consider purchase either an individual book or a wizard of oz book series set. More than a hundred years after the release of this book, kids everywhere are still enchanted by ozs world of wonder. The secret political symbolism you never knew was hidden. The wizard of oz it is and remains, and weve all heard the title so often that we never really stop to think about what it might mean. The book on which its based is officially named the wonderful wizard of oz, but hollywood dropped the wonderful as superfluous.
Frank baum wrote 14 wizard of oz books, including 1900s the wonderful. The wonderful wizard of oz study guide contains a biography of l. In the book and the play the shoes are silver, not ruby as they were famously depicted in the 1939 film. He wrote thirteen additional oz books, and the film. The political and economic symbols hidden inside the wizard of oz. Baum himself has adamantly stated that he wrote the wonderful wizard of oz solely to pleasure the children.
In his book the wonderful wizard of oz in american popular culture, neil. Historians have found a number of symbols in the wizard of oz, and they all point to one thing. A deadly flower might seem curious at first, but poppies, of course, are no ordinary bloom. Sep 06, 2019 if you take frank baums intro to the wonderful wizard of oz at face value, then searching for symbolism is just like the journey to see oz. The wizard of oz symbols, allegory and motifs gradesaver. This popular and welldocumented reading sees the wizard of oz as. Think the big hidden meaning in oz is about turnofthe20thcentury politics and the gold standard. Still, the main characters dorothy, the scarecrow, the tin woodman, and the lion embody traditional american values. Yellow brick road symbolism, in wizard of oz architecture. They can also act as inner demons guarding protected memories or alters. In the book, the tin man, scarecrow and dorothy all saw the wizard quite differently. Nov 09, 2016 both the book and the film the wizard of oz feature iconic scenes of dorothy, toto, and the cowardly lion the only flesh and blood members of the gang, lulled to sleep by a field of poisonous poppies.
Symbolism, the representation of objects and ideas through the use of symbols, often of a more abstract concept, gives deeper meaning to a text. The wonderful wizard of oz is a childrens book written by l. The text of the baums oz is a reproduction of the original and therefore lovely to look at. Exploring serious themes such as courage, humanity, and evil in an open fashion accessible to children and adults. The wonderful wizard of oz 1939, like many fairy tales depicting a series of fantastic adventures, is really the story of an individuals inner journeya story of personality integration and coming of age. The symbolism hidden within the wizard of oz many people believe that the wizard of oz was and is an allegory for the radically new state of affairs that existed in america in the 1930s, following the stock market crash and the bankruptcy of the united states government which. The wizard of oz is perhaps the bestloved american childrens story. Learn about the different symbols such as cyclone in the wonderful wizard of oz and how they contribute to the plot of the book. The symbolism hidden within the wizard of oz jabajabba. Numerous papers in sociology and the humanities have been written analyzing the allegories contained in the story. In henry littlefields populist reading of the wizard of oz, dorothy is miss everyman and a symbol of the hardships and hopes of droughtplagued populist farmers.
What is the symbolic meaning of the wizard of oz answers. Oh, my, and theres no place like home, are ones that will always pop into our heads when someone. The wizard of oz essays are academic essays for citation. Explain the symbols in the wizard of oz and why each. This symbolizes the cynicism that exists in politics due to the fact that politicians tend to change face with different people. Frank baums the wonderful wizard of oz, however, is not only a childs tale but also a. In his reading of the wizard of oz, littlefield believed that dorothy was a standin for the average american, and that the magic silver shoes represented the late 1890s free silver movement.
Hill company in chicago on may 17, 1900, and has since been reprinted countless times, most often under the name the wizard of oz, which is the name of both the 1902 stage play and the extremely popular, highly acclaimed. In the book, scarecrow falls in a river and is saved by a stork. Frank baum wrote the childrens fantasy book the wonderful wizard of oz in 1900. This book completely opened my eyes to the deeper, metaphysical meanings within the seemlyjuvenile wizard of oz. Academics like quentin taylor still find enough parallels to argue that the book is a deliberate work of political symbolism. Frank baum wrote 14 wizard of oz books, including 1900s the. A modern fairy tale with a distinctly american setting, a delightfully levelheaded and assertive heroine, and engaging fantasy characters, the story was enormously popular and. The wonderful wizard of oz is too long to be a parable and not quite didactic enough to be an allegory. Although many critics aimed at interpreting the novel as a political allegory, it was henry m. The wizard of oz is a nostalgic tale of dorothy, a young farm girl from kansas, who is swept away to a magical land by a tornado. Many things in this world arent always what they seem to be at first glance, and childrens books are no exception. A beginners guide to decoding esoteric symbolism in film. What i didnt know as a child most adults i meet are similarly oblivious is that l. Buy wizard of oz book and get the best deals at the lowest prices on ebay.
The symbolic quest to find your inner heroes, face your worst enemy, and attain wholeness. Does the wonderful wizard of oz have a hidden message. Mar 19, 2020 i have a totally different understanding of of this, the wizard of oz is indeed a prophesy and thhe holy spirit has been revealing the symbolism in it to me for the last couple of years its not something that can be understood in just one day,its a journey and i have had to learn as i go just like dorothy in the movie so im going to try. Dorothy seeks the wizard of oz to return her home, thus making him a key character as well as the object of her quest. In fact, it became clear after closer analysis that the wizard of oz had been basically skewering all of the interest groups and political ideologies that had been influential or popular at the time, including populism, and when the book was read from this perspective, the allegorical nature of the work became all but impossible to ignore. The wizard of oz is a beloved childrens story that includes both the book, published in 1900, and the movie, which came out in 1939. Frank baum, the author of the book on which the film is based, many scholars and interpreters of the film believe that oz itself can be read as an allegory for the political and social structures that were at work in the american west in the 1890s when the book was written. Essays for the wizard of oz film the wizard of oz film essays are academic essays for citation. During her travels she encounters a number of characters, some good, some bad. Apr 05, 2017 frank baums classic childrens novel the wonderful wizard of oz was published in 1900. Although the wizard of oz is widely perceived as an innocent childrens fairy tale, it is almost impossible not to attribute symbolic meaning to dorothys quest. It was adapted into a broadway musical by baum in 1902, and then into its first.
Frank baum, literature essays, a complete etext, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. The real meaning of these wizard of oz characters grunge. The lead character, dorothy gale, symbolizes the average american dorothy gale, the lead character of the wonderful wizard of oz, is an 11yearold orphan girl who resides in. The symbolism hidden within the wizard of oz many people believe that the wizard of oz was and is an allegory for the radically new state of affairs that existed in america in the 1930s, following the stock market crash and the bankruptcy of the united states government which occurred immediately thereafter. Political interpretations of the wonderful wizard of oz. Quotes from the story such as toto, i have a feeling were not in kansas anymore, lions, and tigers, and bears.
What is the deeper meaning of the wonderful wizard of oz. The secret political symbolism you never knew was hidden within. On a stormy and dark day she is swept away in a tornado and lands in a faraway land of the munchkins. The wizard of oz the wizard of oz is a classic american film interpreted from l. Heres the real, forgotten meaning of the wizard of oz. This symbolizes the cynicism that exists in politics due to the fact that politicians tend to change face. Dorothys journey in the land of oz symbolized mans journey through the afterlife to rebirth. So obsessed was the era with this policy debate that a line of scholarship in the latter half of the 20th century argues the wellknown childrens book, the wizard of oz originally titled the wonderful wizard of oz, is an allegory of the eras political conflict over bimetallism. The wizard s name oz could be the abbreviation for an ounce of gold, the letters o to z on the second of baums pair of filing cabinets, or just a word that sounds good with wizard. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of the wizard of oz film by richard thorpe. Many people are not aware that the wonderful wizard of oz is suspected to have referenced several political issues of the late 1800s. Both versions tell the story of dorothy gale and her adorable dog toto getting stranded in a fantastical land by a tornado, and both include the iconic characters of the scarecrow.
The wonderful wizard of oz, childrens book written by l. Political interpretations of the wonderful wizard of oz include treatments of the modern fairy tale written by l. The wizard of oz film symbols, allegory and motifs. The wizard of oz follows the story of dorothy, a young farm girl from kansas. Frank baum wrote 14 wizard of oz books, but his biggest home run was 1900s the wonderful wizard of oz, which mgm turned into a wonderful wizard of oz movie. Over the decades, the wizard of oz has been seen by many christians and used often in sermons see here for one example as an allegory of faith. It is a film we watch repeatedly to experience the wonders of our imaginations. The visual component of film and television allows the audience to interpret symbolism in a way printed text cannot. The political and economic symbols hidden inside the.
Historian richard jensen assigns the following symbols to the objects, characters and themes in the wonderful wizard of oz, written in 1901 by l. Frank baum and originally published in 1900, may have been. Frank baum published his famous novel, the wonderful wizard of oz, in 1900, and underneath the surface of the story, with all its whimsy and childish delights, is what some literary historians claim is a very thinlyveiled allegory. From greek myth to computer chips, purports that the wizard symbolizes bankers who support the gold standard and oppose adding silver to it. Frank baum, was a practicing theosophist and heavily into occult studies. Frank baum put hidden symbols in his book the wonderful wizard of oz. This study guide consists of approximately 39 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the wonderful wizard of oz. According to author and oz series originator lyman frank baum may 15, 1856may 5, 1919, the wizard of oz is an american fairy tale for the enjoyment of children. Populism and the world of oz national museum of american history.
Only dorothys silver slippers can take her home to kansas, meaning that by dorothy not realizing that she had the silver slippers the whole time, dorothy, or the westerners, never realized they already had a viable currency of the people. Hugh rockoff of rutgers university, the wizard of oz as. Jul 01, 2019 although the wizard of oz might be most famous today for the 1939 movie, starring judy garland, the book was originally written in the 1890s by author l. This childhood classic is riddled with esoteric symbolism, and while some believe that the story is an allegory for preserving the gold standard for money, as opposed to paperbacksilver currency it is important to note that the author of the wizard of oz, l. Even while he was alive, baum was styled as the royal historian of oz to emphasize the. The movie, starring judy garland, bert lahr, ray bolger and company, is an annual television ritual. Oct 08, 2009 sharetweetemailwith its memorable story and its cast of colorful characters, the wizard of oz quickly became an american classic.
Frank baums classic childrens novel the wonderful wizard of oz was. And it turns out that the wizard of oz is full of hidden political symbolism, which sometimes seems barely hidden at all. Exploring opium through the wizard of oz national museum of american history. Populism and the world of oz national museum of american. Frank baum and followed by the iconic cinematic masterpiece starring judy garland in 1939, has remained one of the most enduring and popular stories over a hundred years later. The bad wizard of oz is a childrens novel written by l. As a theosophist, baum believed in a literal afterlife. Longing for a more exciting life, dorothy sings the nowclassic american standard over the rainbow about her dream of going somewhere more exciting than kansas.
The symbolism of the wizard of oz came to light again recently after the famous filmmaker, bill still, produced a twohour documentary film, the secret of oz, in which he shakes up the existing economic paradigms and contends that the book contains a solution. The rainbow is a bridge between the real and imaginary worlds. If you consider this as an especially learned coffee table book, the annotated wizard of oz is no less than beautiful. When the story begins, despite her good heart and the best of intentions, dorothy is not at all fitting in to life around herthis. Hidden christian themes in the wizard of oz faith and. The winged money created the fear of always being watched. Frank baums classic as a political and monetary allegory, dighe concludes that the story is almost certainly not a conscious populist allegory, but, like parker, he believes the book works as one 2002, 8. In any case, the story has allusions to bryans campaign to add silver coinage to the gold standard. Both the book and the film the wizard of oz feature iconic scenes of dorothy, toto, and the cowardly lion the only flesh and blood members of the gang, lulled to sleep by a field of poisonous the power of the poppy. Frank baum uses his story the wonderful wizard of oz as a metaphor to compare william jennings bryan to the cowardly lion through his use of symbolism and the the striking parallel of events throughout his story to those in the populist era. And the central message in the book is all about the rise of populism and the debate over gold versus. A modern fairy tale with a distinctly american setting, a delightfully levelheaded heroine, and engaging fantasy characters, the story was enormously popular and became a classic of childrens literature. But there are loads of other imaginative touches, including a.
But is the wonderful wizard of oz, a purely partisan creation with a distinct hardwired political. Follow the yellow brick road and learn more about frank baum, the childrens author wrote the popular wizard of oz series, at. But some scholars have found hidden criticisms of late. What is the deeper meaning of the wonderful wizard of oz by. Frank baums classic childrens novel the wonderful wizard of oz was published in 1900. Frank baum and first published in 1900 as an allegory or metaphor for the political, economic, and social events of america in the 1890s. Political interpretations of the wonderful wizard of oz wikipedia. The oz books form a book series that begins with the wonderful wizard of oz 1900 and relate the fictional history of the land of oz. Learn about themes from the wonderful wizard of oz. Frank baum, and filmed in technicolor by metrogoldwynmayer in 1939. The wonderful wizard of oz at face value, then searching for symbolism is.