The story is an allegory for the rise of Populism that was occurring in the 1890s, as well as for the debate over whether to hold on to the gold standard for currency or to begin using silver.

How does The Wizard of Oz use symbolism?

Dorothy represents Everyman; the Tin Woodman is the industrial worker, the Scarecrow is the farmer, the Cowardly Lion is William Jennings Bryan, the Wizard is the President, the munchkins are the "little people" and the Yellow Brick Road is the gold standard. Toto probably represents a dog.

What are the hidden symbols in The Wizard of Oz?

The Scarecrow is the farmer, and the Tin man is the industrial worker who has been dehumanized by factory labor. The cowardly lion is William Jennings Bryan, the leader of the Democratic Party, supported by the farmers and workers of the populist movements.

Does The Wizard of Oz have a spiritual meaning?

The Wizard of Oz is more than a fantasy story about a girl and her dog trying to get back home; it's a parable of how to achieve spiritual enlightenment and use it effectively in the physical world.

What does the Cowardly Lion symbolize?

the Cowardly Lion represented northern reformers; the Emerald City represented Wall Street, greenback colored; and. the Wizard represented the Money Power, whose influence rests on manipulation and illusion.

The Wizard of Oz: The Meaning Of It All

What does the Scarecrow symbolize in The Wizard of Oz?

Since Dorothy is the main character, we can see that the American population was the main focus. The Scarecrow represents the farmers in America. In the story, the Scarecrow is in need of a brain, which shows that he might not be the brightest one on the journey.

What do the flying monkeys represent in The Wizard of Oz?

Winged Monkeys. According to some writers, the Winged Monkeys of Oz represent Native Americans in the West in the late 1800s. Baum himself had clear attitudes toward American Indians and some of his earlier writings about Indians are very similar to his descriptions of the Winged Monkeys found in Oz.

What does yellow brick road symbolize?

The Yellow Brick Road represents strategy—how you will get there; the path you identify as the best, smartest way to accomplish your goal. And each of the shiny yellow bricks in the road represents an action step—the smaller tactics that go into executing your strategy.

What does the Wicked Witch of the East symbolize?

The Witch represents eastern financial-industrial interests and their gold-standard political allies, the main targets of Populist venom.

Is Wizard of Oz about mental health?

The Scarecrow, Tinman, and Cowardly Lion represent the clinical syndromes of low self-esteem, restricted emotional expressiveness, and anxiety. The Wizard's method of "cure" is described together with three parallel cases from the author's practice.

What is the moral of The Wizard of Oz?

When choosing between love and hate, good and evil, love and good will always triumph. This is an obvious theme in The Wizard of Oz, and it's the best way to live. The very first person that Dorothy encounters in the land of Oz is Glenda the good witch.

What are the three things in Wizard of Oz?

“The Wizard of Oz” - musical film

…search of a brain, a Tin Man (Jack Haley) looking for a heart, and a Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) in need of some courage.

What does color symbolize in The Wizard of Oz?

Green represents the Emerald City where Oz resides, yellow represents the Yellow Brick Road which leads to the Emerald City, the color red represents the Quadlings, and the color blue represents the Munchkin Country.

What do the silver shoes represent in The Wizard of Oz?

In the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy's shoes are red. But in Frank's 1900 novella, her shoes are silver. And they are silver, economic historians have suggested, because they represent half of the bimetal standard, and that when they walk on the road, The Yellow Brick Road, to Oz, they unify silver and gold.

What does the Good Witch of the North symbolize in The Wizard of Oz?

The Good Witch of the North represents northern workers, and the Good Witch of the South represents southern farmers. This provides a contrast between wicked industrialists from the west with the railroad moguls in the west.

Is Glinda the Witch of the North?

The 1939 movie

In the classic 1939 MGM movie The Wizard of Oz, the Good Witch of the North is called Glinda, which is the name of the Good Witch of the South in the Oz novels.

What does Glinda the Good Witch represent?

Glinda represents Dorothy's last hope of returning home to Kansas, and the Good Witch finally shows Dorothy the way. At the end of Dorothy's journey, Glinda serves as one final, benevolent mentor to guide her home.

What is the spiritual meaning of the Emerald City?

In L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published in 1900, the Emerald City represents the place where dreams and hopes could be fulfilled.

Is Wizard of Oz about afterlife?

Frank Baum put hidden symbols in his book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. As a Theosophist, Baum believed in a literal afterlife. Dorothy's journey in the land of Oz symbolized man's journey through the afterlife to rebirth.

Why did the Winged Monkeys not harm Dorothy?

They picked up the Lion and returned him to the witch's palace. The monkeys refused to harm Dorothy because she had the mark on her forehead left from where the Good Witch had kissed her.)

What happened to the flying monkeys at the end of The Wizard of Oz?

Glinda then ordered the winged monkeys to carry Dorothy's companions back to their new homes in Oz after Dorothy's departure, and then to simply cease to bother people and not play pranks on them anymore. She then gave the winged monkeys the cap as their own, breaking the curse and setting them free.

What animal was represented as cowardly in The Wizard of Oz?

The Cowardly Lion is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is depicted as an African lion, but like all animals in Oz, he can speak.

What do the ruby slippers symbolize?

In the movie, the slippers represent the little guy's ability to triumph over powerful forces. As the item that she – a simple teenage farm girl from Kansas – steals from the dictatorial Wicked Witch and ultimately uses to liberate the oppressed people of Oz, they're nothing less than a symbol of revolution.

Who does the lion represent in The Wizard of Oz?

Personal Symbolism – The Cowardly Lion represents the inner child or self. The courage seeking Cowardly Lion is the character that most closely represents Baum in the book.