L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” begins with an illustration by W.W. Denslow that depicts Cowardly Lion sitting between two trees, as if confined. Just like this first picture, content of the book offers a vast interpretation behind the narrow definition of an innovative fairytale. The innovation brought by Baum is rather realistic, it does not fascinate the reader with an exquisite magic. “The Wizard of Oz” is a “down-to-earth” fairytale, because every time the narration leads into a height of phantasmagoria and the tone gets elevated, small details bring common sense to any slightest departure to the virtual realm. Abundant descriptions of food and the way Dorothy and companions recreate from adventures are put in contrast to the extraordinary in their characters.
Chapter seven presents the reader with a detailed description of the way Scarecrow picks food for the meal: “And the Scarecrow found a tree full of nuts and filled Dorothy’s basket with them, so that she would not be hungry for a long time….His padded hands were so clumsy and the nuts were so small that he dropped almost as many as he put in the basket”(Baum, 76). Scarecrow’s efforts to pick up the food teach the morale of not giving up, but at the same time the description of it takes as much space in the book as do the details about feats or, rather, “accidents” of the companions. All the routine processes of changing, sleeping and eating are depicted with care: “They slept that night on the grass, with nothing but the stars over them; and they rested very well indeed” (Baum, 221). The motif of disillusionment is enforced especially by seemingly meaningful additions to the plot. The powerful voice of Oz turns out to be a skillful ventriloquism, no more than a play of a humbug hiding behind a simple screen in the corner of the “great” wizard’s hall. An important moment when Oz was leaving the city is interrupted by an innocent cat chase. The great Wicked Witch of the West is merely afraid of darkness and water.Possibly, Baum meant to use this kind of irony to emphasize the value of small details that are present within defining moments, but are not paid attention to. The author debunks greatness through banal things.
A symbolic representation of the idea emerges when Scarecrow is sitting on the wall that surrounds china land. He is falling to the ground immediately to not let his friends be injured. Because Scarecrow is identified as a wise creature at that moment in the book, his falling brings back the fact that he is indeed a stuffed man only.
Since his head is huge and round because of the bran “brain”, Scarecrow is associated with Humpty Dumpty from Lewis Carrol’s “Alice in Wonderland”, a character that deceptively rises, but whose crush is inevitable. It is interesting that W.W.Denslow, Baum’s collaborator, created illustrations for a book that contains a nursery rhyme about Humpty Dumpty. The concept of breaking of the charm in “The Wizard of Oz” is broadened trough breaking of the china figures as well. Baum respects simplicity throughout the story as it attracts good luck and abbreviates struggles that could exist if all the adventures were perceived to be more defining than accidental. Dorothy’s soul, courage and mind are meaningful but at the same time her monologues and actions describe her as an ordinary frightened child.
I think it is interesting that you note how food is described in relative detail in the novel. This think is definitely a representation of the importance of saving, industry, and hardworking or otherwise known as the "working man" clearly in the novel Dorothy represents this and has taken these values from her upbringing in Kansas to the land of OZ. Also it is interesting that there is such a juxtaposition of Dorothy's actions vs. her speech. Maybe Baum is saying "dont judge a book by it's cover"
ReplyDelete"Don't judge a book by its cover" perfectly describes the "The Wizard of Oz". Metaphors indeed relate to the working class, though I think they serve more as a distraction from wonder in the tale. Like Ms. Carlson said once, Scarecrow looked at a spider when he was at the beautiful apartment that was given to Dorothy and companions. A small detail that stands out.
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