What do animals have to do with it?

So far in our reading of Wicked we have come across the main social issue in Oz; animal rights. Some of the Animals in Oz are very intelligent like Dr. Dillamond for example; he is a professor at Shiz University yet he is a goat. The head of Shiz however does not appear to like the idea of animals having the same rights so in her Quells that she recites, a lot of the animals get upset because she ends with the line “Animals should be seen and not heard” (pg 84, Wicked) We soon find out that the law has been passed and so for the future generations of Animals are no longer allowed to maintain “human” jobs or ride public transportation. Their rights have been taken away. We do not yet understand why this is happening though. After having already read The Wizard of Oz, which takes place after this law is in order, we do not see any animals in society. There are no Animals in Munchkinland or in the Emerald City. What is the purpose of this? We can see that clearly these animals are capable of withholding jobs and they can be extremely intelligent so why is there now a ban against them?

“I have been making believe”: religion in “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”

There is no clear indication of the religion of the citizens of Oz, be it the Munchkins or Quaddlings or Winkies, but there are powerful figures that substitute gods. If there were a way to represent the state of religious rituality in Baum’s book, it would be polytheism. Multiple powers that take over the country comprise the Witches and Oz himself, who is the most god-like figure. They all are endowed with unusual abilities, and, though they do not have complete control either over their mortality or the fate of their subjects, they are separate from the rest of the creatures in the Land of Oz in an elevated way. Searchers for the hidden meanings might find both religious and antireligious undertones in the book. The yellow brick road might symbolize a religious path to God. The obstacles that travelers encounter on that road could represent the tests to prove the worthiness of all the company before the face of the higher power – Oz. Scholars indicate that the road could be seen akin to Buddhist way to enlightenment. And, indeed, it unites all quests - for home, courage, heart, brain. Another allusion to religion comes from the fact that Oz “the terrible” came from the sky: “I found myself in the midst of a strange people, who, seeing me come from the clouds, thought I was a great Wizard” (Baum, 187). It is interesting that Dorothy came from the sky as well together with the storm, and immediately she was given the title of a Witch. Because of the way she appeared in Oz, it could be assumed about her that it is she who owns the potential of becoming as imaginarily powerful as Oz, but only after completing the chain of obstacles – tests for approval. The final test before the desired outcome is achieved would be from the main figure – to kill the Witch of the West and thus to bring redemption for Dorothy and companions. All divine in “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” was revealed to be plain and deceptive. The godly figure – Wizard comes down to Earth with a confession “I am a humbug” (Baum, 184). A curious deprecation happens to the evil part of the polytheic pantheon. Wickedness of the Witch of the West is wiped by water as if in a ritual of baptism. The only divine part stays in Glinda, but still it is rather goodness than supernatural that upraises her. So what kind of a conclusion does the reader may come to? Knowing that Baum was a theosophist, it could be assumed that he applied this idea to the book as well, since Dorothy’s quest resembles a quest for “truth”. The details in the book, though, provide examples of self-reliance more than an appeal to God. The only might-be “candidate” for god, the Wizard, simply says: “I have been making believe” (Baum, 184).These words basically summarize the question of religion in the Land of Oz, just like the prejudices of companions about their own incapabilities to use brain, heart and courage. In the whole book, there is not a single mentioning of a word “god”. However, there is a church that is broken – in the china land, which is symbolic of the importance of religion. Literally, Dorothy does not find any damage in destroying a sacred place: I think we were lucky in not doing these people more harm than breaking a cow’s leg and a church” (Baum, 234). There is no god as an entity, but perhaps Baum meant that there is enough of godly power in the self – in Dorothy and her companions. Perhaps, it was all about stopping to turn the sights to the sky that keeps silent after the storm. The question of religion in Oz is open – should there be faith or must there be enough to hold on within the self? Unlike Baum, Gregory Maguire makes a significant accent on religion. The struggle between Pleasure Faith and Unionism poses a moral dilemma of extremes versus modesty. The importance of faith in “Wicked” makes the reader assume that the accent was intended by Maguire to oppose the absence of faith in Baum’s Oz. Thus, “Wicked” promises a clearly depicted faith theme and problem, though it seems like a lot of the questions will still be up to the reader to answer.

Wicked: Why give background to the Wicked Witch?

In L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz each character has a unique background. Dorothy is small farm girl from Kansas (Baum 12). The Scarecrow talks about how he was made by a farmer and put up to guard the field, but left without a brain (47). The Tin Woodman tells of his lost love for a Munchkin woman and how he was cut to pieces by the Witch and put back together with tin (59). Then there is the Lion who tells of his woes as he supposed to be a fearsome creature yet in reality he is merely a coward (67). Even the Wizard has a back-story, floating into Oz in a weather balloon (187). Strangely Baum fails to incorporate a history for the Wicked Witch, other than other characters' accounts as to what horrible crimes she has done. This is where Gregory Maguire has taken the liberty to fill in the blanks for readers. He gives background to the witch who stands for evil and opposes Baum’s companions in their quest to receive the Wizard’s gifts, regarded as one of the ultimate villains of all time. Maguire adapts Baum’s characters in order to explore perceptions. When we meet Baum’s companions in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz they seem like an unlikely group of friends who are the ultimate underdogs, getting to Oz with luck and unknowingly good deeds. However, Maguire chose to first introduce them while they are gossiping about the Wicked Witch. The Lion, Tin Woodman and Scarecrow are repeating rumors they have heard about the witch while Dorothy sits complacently and listens (Maguire 1). Their gossip includes the Witch’s sexuality, gender, upbringing and almost anything else they can conjure up (2). This makes the reader feel sorry for the witch who happens to be sitting in a tree listening from above. She is hurt by their words and unlike in Baum’s novel, the witch’s emotions are shown through her responses. Maguire allows there to be a totally different perspective on the Witch. Maguire lets the reader know that there is quite possibly a misunderstanding between the Witch and those who are against her. As Maguire leads through the Witch’s youth it becomes clear that no one quite understands all that she has been through. Maguire backs her with a dysfunctional home life, as well as providing the fuel for the rumors that will follow her throughout her life because of her green complexion and jagged teeth. But what is it about the Witch that makes her so easy to provide background to? Of course her history is conveniently removed from Baum’s novel, but also she provides the most mystery. Why does she act the way she act? What made her the way she is? Not being far enough in the novel it is hard to tell how exactly these perceptions that Maguire puts forth tie into Baum’s novel, however we can see that it is not simply the perceptions of the Witch that Maguire is exploring. Through the Witch he is exploring the entirety of Oz. Works Cited Baum, L. Frank. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. New York: Dover, 1960. Maguire, Gregory. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. New York: ReganBooks, 1995.

Perceptions in Wicked and The Wizard of Oz

Within the Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum the perceptions and perspective of the narratorand other characters portray the goodness of the four companions. The Wicked Witch of West is already preconceived as wicked because of her actions in the Wizard of Oz; however through Gregory Maguire’s specific use of perspective and narrator point of view, in Wicked, the view of the Wicked Witch as Elphaba and her “good” counterpart Galinda, the "Good Witch", is completely changed.

In The Wizard of Oz Elphaba represented wickedness and the main obstacle that hindered Dorothy and her friends from achieving their noble goals. Therefore, while reading Wicked, Elphaba is already thought of as evil. The Wizard of Oz is written mostly in third person. However, when Dorothy kills the Wicked Witch of the West or Elphaba the description of the account is in her point of view. This distorts the emotions associated with Elphaba and the situation Elphaba is in with Dorothy. From Dorothy’s point of view Elphaba is evil and is preventing her from going home. To Elphaba, Dorothy and her friends are a rampant gang who have killed her sister and is now coming after her. Baum makes sure to portray an innocent Dorothy because she does not intend to kill the witch. Maguire uses similar perspective in Wicked as Baum did in The Wizard of Oz to portray events in favor of Elphaba.

In the prologue, Maguire uses Elphaba’s perspective to depict Dorothy and her friends as cruel. Maguire especially uses this technique to address why Elphaba is wicked. Through the use of specific situational portrayal, Maguire illustrates the story and Elphaba through the eyes of other characters. What we as the readers find, is that Elphaba in fact is not cruel or wicked in any way. She is instead kind, shy, quiet, and intelligent; that because she was different from the other girls she was treated wrongly causing her to manifest her wickedness. We also discover the warped perception of Galinda. She is, within The Wizard of Oz, the force of go

odness. Portrayed as beautiful and perfect in The Wizard of Oz, Galinda in Wicked is the source of a lot of Elphaba’s pain. Instead of viewing Elphaba as the evil witch she was portrayed as in The Wizard of Oz, she is now someone who you feel sympathy towards. Oppositely, Galinda is now the enemy or “wicked” character. Maguire created a contradictory character portrayal of Galinda because in Wicked she is portrayed as vain and shallow. Through careful consideration for perceptions Maguire is able to change the readers’ already preconceived notions of a character and create a question that drives his entire novel, what is wickedness?

Works CIted

“Dorothy Killing Witch” Image. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/Wicked_Witch2.jpg/250px-Wicked_Witch2.jpg.

“Elphaba from Wicked” Image. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5QL6ugmpaxRtNw8sHW0_U1xiPdIuTNIHWrWqaHuAzx5cSIb5zkZX9dtASP_nWtlOdR6gMAVZJR61NZ94JQU1ldWVGU9WXptsvl5C_kb8eIywS92LevG9MJ-g85Gjm-wYcsKh4gGgbP0sd/s320/DougSmith_wicked.jpg

“Four Companions” Image. http://www.flickr.com/photos/autumnmarie/4080095454/

Maguire, Gregory. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. New York: ReganBooks, 1995.

Wicked and The Scarlet Letter

               Reading the first chapter of Wicked, I realized many connections between Wicked and the Scarlet Letter. First and foremost, religion plays a major role in both Christian societies. Both Hester and Melenda committed adultery, which is a serious sin in the Christian traditions, and their children are hard evidences of their sin. Also, the theme of individuals versus society is raised and the question of justices and goodness is debated.  

               Though both women are accused of adultery, Hester is punished and defamed by wearing the Scarlet Letter, while Melenda continues a normal life due to her high social standing. Hester is shunned from the community and feels deeply shameful of her crime. Though alienated from the rest of the Puritan society, Hester is able to contemplate moral questions and become an independent, free thinker. While Hester contemplates her wrongdoings and bigger issues in life, Melenda, who is not punished for her sins, remains promiscuous. When Nanny accuses Melenda of sleeping with Turtle Heart, Melenda shamelessly admits that Turtle Heart "covered her with a sense of holiness……she would lose her sense of shame" (47). Perhaps Melenda should receive the punishment she deserves. 

               Their children, Pearl and Elphaba, become the symbol of their committed crime. Hester choses to embrace and love her child, Pearl, but Melenda hates Elphaba and even threatens to kill her. Melenda resents her own child as she suggests "and now I am reduced to company I don't even want, my own squirming thorny little girl" (33) when Frex is away. She even teases Elphaba by recommending "shall we go walk by the edge of the lake today and maybe you'll drown?" (33). It is shocking that a mother would threaten to drown her own child, so Melenda clearly is not a respectable mother.   

           Both Elphaba and Pearl are being called the Devil's child despite their truthful natures. Honest and innocent, Pearl often provokes other characters, for example, questioning Dimmesdale’s relationship with Hester. Though removed from others, Elphaba stays truth to herself unlike her superficial peers. Even more, Elphaba and Pearl both have unloving fathers, who are both preacher and minister of high standing in society. Dimmesdale, who is suppose to love his child, Pearl, denies her to protect himself from accusation. Similarly, Frex is disappointed of Elphaba's gender and appearance. When Frex hands Elphaba a maplewood bird, "Frex steeled himself to hear the inevitable splintering, and to hold back his sigh of disappointment" (38), considering Elphaba different and ill behaved.  

                                                      Works cited

Maguire, Gregory. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 1995.

The huge issue pot: Maguire's main point?

Gregory Maguires tells the story of Frank Baum’s Oz series through the lens of the modern world. At first I do not understand what he’s trying to say in his huge issue soup. However, after investigation and comments from my fellow classmates, I have discovered he’s building an alternate world of Oz land through current issues. Maguire’s book address social and political issues that are currently happening just as Frank Baum’s view on populism in the early 20th century. He uses the main character Elphaba to capture and address the current issues. When Elphaba is born, she is perceived as bad due to her family’s sin. Both her parents are highly religious, but she considers herself an atheist. Elphaba’s viewpoint is characterized as sinful and her birth’s foreboding the upcoming series events that would be potentially harmful for her. The clock is also another device in the story that symbolizes the danger of religion. Despite the topic of religion, the novel also addresses the issue of racism and animal rights. The method of characterization is used again to deliver the themes. For example, Dr. Dillamond, a goat, is considered inferior than other species. He could not be accepted by others like his colleague although his research is outstanding and worth mentioning. The head of women’s university, Madame Morrible, is another example of using characterization to present the topic of animal rights. Madame Morrible supports animal oppression and works directly with the wizard. Under the rule of Wizard, the animals are continued to be discriminated. Maguires touches on varies issues that are widely discussed nowadays. At first, it might seem very disorganized. The truth is, his novel is a real representation of the modern world. Clearly, Maguires is working toward being Baum of the 21st century and has even succeeded to broadway and the movie industry. Works Cited Baum, L. Frank. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. New York: Dover, 1960. Maguire, Gregory. Wicked. New York: Harper, 1995.

Perspective and Predestination in Wicked

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In the first hundred pages of Wicked, Gregory Maguire rarely gives the reader any information as to what Elphaba is thinking. Neither the Munchkinlander section nor the Gilikin section (up to page 100) are told from Elphaba’s perspective, and her thoughts and beliefs seem, at least to me, to be elusive to the other characters,

which makes her somewhat of a difficult character to begin to know. Even in the prologue, when the story is told from Elphaba’s perspective, the focus is on the gossip of the other characters, rather than on what Elphaba is thinking. However, even though this doesn’t give the reader the most accurate view of Elphaba’s thoughts and character, it does give great insight as to how the other characters and society in general view and treat her, which is often less than kindly. This in turn could give the reader an explanation of why Elphaba eventually comes to be known as the Wicked Witch of the West. Thus, it is plausible that this could connect to one of the quotes Maguire chose to put at the beginning of Wicked:“Great men…are but the labels that serve to give a name to an event, and like the labels, they have the last possible connection with the event itself. Every action of theirs, that seems to them an act of their own free will, is in an historical sense not free at all, but in bondage to the whole course of previous history, and predestined from all eternity” (Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace).

Moreover, while Elphaba, or the Wicked Witch of the West, is viewed as wicked and evil, and only these two things, in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Wicked humanizes her.

From her birth, beforeshe was even capable of doing anything worthy of punishment, the three peasants that aided Melena in her birth are already considering murdering her, believing that “[t]o kill it was the kindest course of action” (20). The next minute Elphaba does bite off the fishwife’s finger. Yet, despite this, it still seems that Maguire intended the reader to have sympathy for

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Elphaba. Though it is unlikely that Elphaba knew it, the women were planning on murdering her, so it seems biting off a finger is not something they are

unworthy of. Moreover, like Dorothy, who threw the water on the witch, not knowing it would kill her, Elphaba, as a baby, does not understand the sharpness of her teeth, and thus cannot be blamed for the amputated digit.

In fact, she was forced to wear a sling to prevent her from “biting her own hands off” (26), further showing her lack of understanding.

Furthermore, Elphaba’s own mother, at first, can’t “bear to look at the thing” (22), and Nanny must look away from Elphaba when holding her in order to “keep from vomiting” (25). It seems, from birth, that Elphaba was put in a

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situation lacking in the common social response a stranger would show to a baby, or even a mother to her child; such a life, it would seem, could easily shape a person into someone wicked (though it has yet to been proven if that is what will happen in Wicked), enslaving him or her to the “course of previous history” (Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace).

Works cited:

Maguire, Gregory. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 1995.

True Character

In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy is portrayed as an independent, strong and determined character. When she arrives in the Land of Oz, she does not break down and lose hope, even though she did not know where she was or how she could get home. She cried once but then decided not to cry again because she knew her goal, which was to get back home to Kansas. She does not get scared when she meets any of her companions, even the Lion. She was alarmed and shocked, but when the Lion tried to attack Toto, she stops and shouts at him. However, throughout the book, she loses her confidence. When she is meeting the Wizard of Oz, she is terrified. The Wizard of Oz is supposed to play to one’s fears but, she can barely get over her fear to tell the Wizard what she wants, which was what she has desired from the beginning of her journey. When she has to travel to the Wicked Witch’s domain, she cries and complains a lot, which is a side that the readers have not seen before. She does not lose hope; she does at least attempt to get to Winkie Country. However, she is not the leader in this escapade. She lets the other companions take charge, and she acts helpless. When she arrives in Quadling Country, she is still helpless, and does know how to get home, the Good Witch has to explain to her exactly how; this is Dorothy’s exact opposite character, usually she figures out solutions by herself, but by the end of the novel, and she needs someone to tell her what to do.

In Wicked, Elphaba is portrayed as an outsider. However, she is not evil…yet. She actually is the “good” person compared to Glinda. She has strong morals; she supports Animal rights and equality, she fights for what she thinks is right. Is Elphaba like Dorothy, will she grow into the person she really is or who society wants her to be? And Glinda, does she stay naïve and shallow or does she evolve into the person we know she becomes, the Good Witch. Are Elphaba and Glinda both hiding under a façade or do they truly morph into the Wicked Witch and the Good Witch? If so, what happens to change them to that extent?

Animals and Munchkins

In both The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum and Wicked by Gregory Maguire the discussion of rights is very prevalent. Although the groups that are seeking more rights and freedom are different they do have a lot in common. In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz the Munchkins have been living in bondage because of the Wicked Witch of the East. But when Dorothy’s house lands

on top of the Wicked Witch they are set free and no longer have to live under her oppressive rules. And in Wicked Animals are struggling for their rights in society.

While they are both struggling for their rights, the difference between them is that the Munchkins just waited around for someone to save them, and the Animals are actively fighting (not violently) for their place in society. I think that the main reason for this difference is the intended audience for which the authors were writing. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was written for children and therefore Baum probably did not want to get too graphic or depressing about the situation of the Munchkins so when Dorothy arrived in Oz all they said about it was “We are so grateful to you for having killed the wicked With of the East, and for setting our people free from bondage.” (Baum 21). However, Wicked was intended for older and more mature audiences so Maguire was able to go into depth about the situation of the Animals, “He began to hector her about Animal Rights...If the Wizard’s Banns went through the Hall of Approval, as they were likely to do, the goat himself would be required by law to give up the privileges he had earned through years of study, training, and saving.” (Maguire 66). In Wicked there are “animals” and then there are “Animals”. Animals with a capital “A” are animals that were born with a “spirit” that gives them the ability to talk and think like people. But the Wizard (of Oz) wants to take those rights away from the animals, I’m not sure why yet because I haven’t finished the book. Even though they do both go through struggles, clearly the issue for Animals in Wicked is much more complicated than that of the Munchkins in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Works Cited

Baum, L. Frank. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. New York: Dover, 1960.

Maguire, Gregory. Wicked. New York: Harper, 1995.

Preconceived Notions: Good and Evil

oz.wikia.com

When reading The Wonderful Wizard of OZ, by L. Frank Baum, the characteristics of good and evil seem be very apparent in the characters. Just from the names of the characters in the novel a reader already has a preconceived notion of what characteristics that character will symbolize. The Wicked Witch of the East and The Wicked Witch of the West both have names that have the word “wicked” in them and they embody wicked characteristics as well, “I have been wicked in my day, but I never thought a girl like you would ever be able to melt me and end my wicked deeds”(Baum 154). On the other side of the spectrum, Glinda the

Good Witch also has a name in which the word “good” is included giving an idea to the reader of what characteristics she embodies. Glinda represents "good” through her actions in the novel as well, “She was both beautiful and young to their eyes. Her hair was a rich red in color and fell in flowing ringlets over her shoulders. Her dress was pure white; but her eyes were blue, and they looked kindly upon the little girl” (Baum 254). blogs.eastonbaseball.

Though reading The Wonderful Wizard of OZ preconceived notions are formed about how good and evil are represented. When reading Wicked, by Gregory Maguire, however, these preconceived notions are tested when the characters of Elphaba-the “Wicked Witch” and Galinda-“the good witch” are introduced. Although Elphaba has the outward appearance of traditional “evil” her actions to not reflect her appearance, “Elphaba looked up at Galinda and smiled. Elphaba the Delirious. I like it” (Maguire 77). The same applies to Galinda who’s outward “good” appearance does not reflect her actions and thoughts as well, “Galinda was still trying to extricate herself from the embarrassing company of Elphaba…” (Maguire 86). Maguire seems to be instilling the same sentiment in Elphaba and Galinda that Baum did in regards to the Wizard of OZ, that even the person that appears to be the most genuine and powerful could really just be a humbug on the inside.

Maguire, Gregory. Wicked. New York: HarperCollins, 2009. Print.

Baum, L. Frank, and W. W. Denslow. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2002. Print.

applause-tickets.com

Is Dorothy really a heroine?

· Most of us know the story of The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum and how Dorothy helps her friends on her quest back to Kansas, but what we do not stop to think about is if she is actually helping her friends or if they help each other and her. From the moment Dorothy arrives in Munchkinland she wants to go home. She speaks to Glinda the good witch who tells her to follow the yellow brick road until she comes to the Emerald City, that is where she will find Oz; the great and magnificent. As Dorothy is moving along this path on her way to getting back home she comes across the scarecrow. She never planned on having him come along with her or even stop to acknowledge him. He asks to accompany her to Oz, which she agrees to. Had she needed to go out of her way for him, she would not have. When they happen across the tin man they are their way to his cabin to stay the night. They decided to check him out and end up helping him. When Dorothy tells him what she is on a quest for and the scarecrow also tells him he asks to join their group, so he tags along. While on their journey they come across the lion whom Dorothy is not fond of for scaring Toto. He apologizes and says it is because he has no courage and would like to go on to ask Oz for courage. He tags along as well. All three of her companions deeply care for Dorothy and try their hardest to help her. When Oz tells her to go kill the Wicked Witch of the West, they did not have to go along to help but they chose to. When Dorothy misses the balloon and must go on to the good witch, her

companions decided to go as well to help her. Dorothy would not do the same for them if she had the option to go home. When the scarecrow gets stuck on the pole in the river for instance, Dorothy wishes she could help but feels she cannot so she moves that thought from her mind and continues on. Had the stork not offered to help, the scarecrow would never have been helped. Dorothy’s goal from the beginning is to get home. She deals with the obstacles that she has to to get home but if they hinder her chances of getting home she will have nothing to do with it. Everything she does is to help herself and when she does help one of her friends it is because it is also helping her or someone else has offered. Dorothy is looked at as being a heroine but is she really a heroine, or just a selfish child trying to find her way home?

Female characters in Oz

Baum obviously has something to say on gender when he chooses his main character to be a female. Instead of letting the main character of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz be the princess as the other children stories like snow white and the seven dwarfs or the sleeping beauty, Baum let Dorthy to be a heroine. She helps the scarecrow get his brain, saves him from the farmer’s corn field; she helps the tin man get his heart and oils his joints and she also help the lion to find his courage. Notice how all the female characters in the story are all strong. The wicked witch of the west, the main threat of Dorothy’s way home, knows magic and has the capabilities to destroy her companions. The wicked witch of the west, although was destroyed by Dorothy’s house, is mentioned as evil and powerful as the wicked witch of the west. The witch of the North, who gives Dorothy the kiss that protects her from danger, is female. Lastly, the witch of the South, Galinda, is portrayed as a beautiful witch in the story and is the only person who points Dorothy her way home. In addition, Dorothy also encounters many characters on her road trip to Emerald City. Notice how the “helpful” character Dorothy encounters are all female. The stork helps scarecrow to cross the river and the queen of the field mice lead the field mice to help the lion roll out of the poppy bed to green field. The witches, Queen of Field Mice and Dorothy are all examples of strong female figure. I realize now that they all exhibit characteristics of activists, “a person who believes strongly that a problem needs to be remedied that she dedicates herself and other people to fix the problem.” There’s more to be explored in this topic. I am curious if Baum intentionally matches up the female characters to existing feminists? Works Cited Baum, Frank L. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. New York: Dover Publications Inc., 1960.

What Makes a Heroine?

There are certain characteristics that are typical among characters in a fairy tale . Every fairy tale has a hero who attempts to achieve a noble goal, and a villain, who is the obstacle to the hero’s goal. The hero usually has romantic characteristics that are associated with goodness, honesty, and bravery. These overall “good” characteristics are what help the hero achieve his goal, win the girl, and overcome his obstacles. However, through simply changing the hero to a heroine, the conventional heroic characteristics instantly change.

A heroine instead is self-reliant and is not dependent on a male figure. She, like the hero, is courageous, selfless, and honest. Although, unlike the hero, achieving the noble goal is not intertwined with also winning the love of a prince. L. Frank Baum made a deliberate decision in choosing a specific main character. Unlike other fairy tales common at time, Baum created a relatable heroine that seemed like an average little girl from Kansas. Dorothy’s character is complex in that her age and gender give the reader a preconceived idea that she is dependent and childish. Though, within the story she encounters and overcomes many obstacles.

Contrastingly so, it can also be seen that Dorothy received a lot of help from magical gifts and other characters to overcome her obstacles. Does Dorothy have and apply the characteristics of a true heroine? What kind of a heroine was Baum attempting to portray? Baum’s purpose for the Wonderful Wizard of Oz had been to create a “modern fairy tale”. His choice in creating the innovative character of Dorothy makes the The Wonderful Wizard of Oz a more relatable story and gives it a more interesting character dynamic.

Works Cited

Baum, L. Frank. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Dover Publications: New York, 1960.

Gokturk, V. "The Elements of a Fairy Tale." Valerie Gokturk's English. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2011. .

“Dorothy Saving Toto” Ilustration.

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“Dorothy killing the Wicked Witch” Illustration

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/Wicked_Witch2.jpg/250px- Wicked_Witch2.jpg

"Dorothy and the Flying Monkeys” Illustration

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"Qualities of a Hero." Mesa Community College. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2011.

“What do you wish in the Emerald City?”: The Characterization of the Emerald City in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Emerald City plays an important part in making the Land of Oz, in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Bau

m, multifaceted. Baum situated the Emerald City in the geographical center of Oz. Another interesting decision Baum made was also to make the city an emerald city instead of a golden or silver city like many other works of fiction. Baum carefully builds up the reputation of the Emerald City,

as well as using many different aspects to characterize the city.

The Emerald City appears in the novel as the most civilized or modern area in Oz. Surrounding the outside of the city are wide open fields and very few residents. When the companions take shelter with an elderly couple while traveling through this area, they hear about the grandeur of the wizard and the beauty of the Emerald City (Baum 113). Even while the elderly man tells them of the wizard’s great powers, he also warns of the difficulties involved in getting to meet him. This helps the reader to build expectations as to what

will happen in the Emerald City and the discrepancies in rumors help to foreshadow the wizard’s shortcomings. The Emerald City is completely walled in and the only entrance is through a large guarded gate. Outside of the emerald encrusted gate all that can be seen is the glow of green light emitting from the city. From this perspective the city becomes exclusive and to enter is made a privilege. The gate seems similar to immigration

centers like Ellis Island where many foreigners

came to gain entrance to the United States and often waited long periods of time to receive answers as to their admittance, just like the companions. The companions, similar to those immigrating, are looking to start a new life. They look to do this by asking the wizard to grant their wishes. Inside the city it is quite diffe

rent from the rest of th

e provinces for one striking reason; there are no wild animals (122). The only animal seen, besides the Cowardly Lion, is a domesticated cat that is made to seem abnormal (207). This shows an industrialized or “civilized” aspect of the Emerald City because unlike the Lion the cat cannot talk thus showing the human dominance over animals. This also coincides with Toto who cannot speak and is also under the jurisdiction of humans, i.e. Dorothy. The green glasses that are required to wear while in the city also serve to add perspective to the city. While they are presented as precautionary safety devices for the wearer’s eye

s, they are really safety items for the wizard’s fraud (117). These glasses disguise the fact that the Emerald City is not actually made entirely of emeralds.

For travelers in the Land of Oz, the Emerald City raises hope because it appears as a place where their desires will come true. However, in reality the Emerald City is actually a deception devised by the wizard.

Works Cited

Baum, L. Frank. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Dover Publications: New York, 1960.