As conceived and written by Lyman Frank Baum in 1900, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was a political allegory of turn-of-the-century America. Written in the waning days of the Populist movement of the late 1800s, it was the story of the sad collapse of Populism and the issues upon which the movement was based.
One popular theory is that the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Frank Baum book on which the movie is based on, was a political allegory for politics in the United States. Dorothy represents the nobility of Midwestern America, the Tin Man represents the industry, and the Scarecrow represents agriculture.
Including spirituality, self-development, and the quest for truth. 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 represent in The Wizard of Oz?
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.
Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs (also known as the "Wizard of Oz" and, during his reign, as "Oz the Great and Terrible" or the "Great and Powerful Oz") is a fictional character in the Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum.
Disturbing Horrors Behind The Wizard of Oz That'll RUIN Your Childhood • EWU Story Time
Was Dorothy Gale based on a real person?
Dorothy's character was probably named after Baum's own niece, Dorothy Louise Gage, who died in infancy. Baum's wife was very attached to her and was deeply grieved by her death, so there is speculation that Baum inserted her name into his stories as a memorial.
Who is the man behind the curtain in The Wizard of Oz?
One of the iconic charterers in the film is the Wizard himself, the Man Behind the Curtain. Dorothy was in need of a champion, someone who had the power to help her get to her home. Toto pulls back the curtain revealing the Wizard to be a fraud, all smoke and mirrors and no real power.
What does 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.
Wicked Witch of the West and East: The Wicked Witch of the East represents eastern business and the Wicked Witch of the West represents the politician William McKinley who defeated Williams Jennings Bryant during the time of the free silver silver movement.
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.
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.
What does the Wizard of Oz symbolize in Christianity?
Religious allegory
Christian sermons have discussed The Wizard of Oz's Biblical meanings, comparing Dorothy's song Over The Rainbow to the end of the tale of Noahfrom the book of Genesis, or claiming that the Emerald City represents “the heavenly city, the new Jerusalem”.
What is the lesson at the end of the Wizard of Oz?
In her final moments in Oz, Dorothy learns her most powerful life lesson – she always had the power to get back to Kansas on her own. She just had to learn it for herself, which she did as a direct result of her adventures.
Dorothy will miss the Scarecrow the most because the Scarecrow joined Dorothy from almost the start of her trip. In essence, he was her FIRST friend in a scary strange land.
What does the Scarecrow symbolize in The Wizard of Oz?
Those who interpret The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as a political allegory often see the Scarecrow, a central figure, as a reflection of the popular image of the American farmer— although he has been persuaded that he is only a stupid hick, he possesses common sense, logic and a quick wit that needs only to be reinforced ...
What does the silver slippers represent in The Wizard of Oz?
In the book and the play the shoes are silver, not ruby as they were famously depicted in the 1939 film. In his reading of The Wizard of Oz, Littlefield believed that Dorothy was a stand-in for the average American, and that the magic silver shoes represented the late 1890s free silver movement.
She introduces herself as Glinda and explains that the true Wicked Witch is her half-sister, Evanora. Years ago, she poisoned their father, the King, so she could rule Oz uncontested. Before he died, the King predicted that a powerful Wizard would come and take his place.
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.)
Dorothy's ability to kill the Witch subverts the Witch's expectations, and she cries out that she “never thought a little girl like [Dorothy] would be able to melt me and end my wicked deeds.” Both the flying monkeys and the Witch are unable to harm Dorothy directly because she has the sign of the Good Witch of the ...
What did each character in Wizard of Oz represent?
Frank Baum's book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," upon which the movie is based, was a political allegory for American politics at the dawn of the 20th century. Dorothy, the Kansas innocent, represents the nobility of middle (and Midwestern) America; the Tin Man is industry, the Scarecrow is agriculture.
The Wicked Witch of the East was featured in the film The Wizard of Oz (1939), in which she is the sister of the Wicked Witch of the West. As in the book, she is killed when Dorothy's house falls on her. The Wicked Witch of the West was not pleased with Dorothy for the death of her sister.
Toto pulls back the curtain to reveal that the Wizard is not who Dorothy and the other thought he was. “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!” the “Wizard” yells in vain. He has been discovered and they see him for who he really is.
Oz the Great and Powerful, the giant floating green head, is wearing some kind of prosthetic teeth. I knew that actor Frank Morgan's voice had been altered somehow when he is speaking as Oz the giant green head, and this may help explain why.
“You've always had the power,” Glinda, the good witch tells Dorothy at the end of her journey. When Dorothy asks why Glinda didn't tell her that before, Glinda replies that Dorothy wouldn't have believed her — she had to find out for herself. And like Dorothy, women today are on a heroine's journey.
Auntie Em Dorothy's Aunt and Henry's wife. A typical midwestern farm worker, her main concern is the upkeep of her farm. Doubles as Glinda the Good Witch of the North.
