A Parable of Populism
Unravel the hidden political allegory within The Wizard of Oz through the characters of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion. Explore the intricate symbolism representing historical situations and human life embedded in L. Frank Baum's timeless tale. Delve into the parallels between the Populist era in American politics and the fantastical journey through Oz. Discover the rich tapestry of meaning woven into this classic story, shedding light on its deeper significance beyond its surface narrative.
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Presentation Transcript
Wizard of Oz clips: Arrival in Oz. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwcE0KhcCCY
The Wizard of Oz + Populism In 1964, Henry Littlefield, a high-school history teacher in Mount Vernon, New York, wrote an essay for his students claiming that The Wizard of Oz was a political allegory about the Populist era in American politics (1891-1900). Many scholars agree. L. Frank Baum wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900. Among other jobs, he had been a newspaper editor in Dakota Territory who wrote about politics, women s suffrage and native Americans. His second Oz book was a commentary on women s suffrage.
Allegory, n. A story in which the characters and events are symbols that stand for ideas about human life or for a political or historical situation
The Wizard of Oz + Populism See if you can figure out the allegory by reading Littlefield s article. Early on, Dorothy s house lands on and kills the Wicked Witch of the East who (the book tells us) had once kept the Munchkin people in bondage for many years, making them slave for her night and day. This witch was also responsible for the condition of the Tin Woodman. The Witch of the East represents _______________________.
The Wizard of Oz + Populism See if you can figure out the allegory by reading Littlefield s article. Dorothy meets a scarecrow who feels a great sense of inferiority and self doubt. He doesn t believe he can solve his own problems (like crows and raising corn) because, he thinks, he doesn t have a brain. The Scarecrow represents _____________________________.
The Wizard of Oz + Populism See if you can figure out the allegory by reading Littlefield s article. Next they meet a Tin Woodman who actually wasn t always a tin woodman. Once he was an ordinary hard-working man who was put under a spell by the Witch of the East. After that, each time he swung an axe it would chop off a different part of his body, which would then be replaced by tin until he wasn t a flesh-and-blood human being any longer. Now, he thinks he no longer has normal human feelings he doesn t have a heart. The Tin Man represents _____________________________.
The Wizard of Oz + Populism See if you can figure out the allegory by reading Littlefield s article. Finally, Dorothy and her friends meet a cowardly lion who wants to be king of the forest but can t seem to get anyone to listen to him. All he wants is enough courage to fulfill his destiny. The Cowardly Lion represents _________________________.
The Wizard of Oz + Populism See if you can figure out the allegory by reading Littlefield s article. The four friends now march together toward the Emerald City, where they hope the Wizard of Oz will be able to solve all their problems. Dorothy and her friends represent ______________________.
The Wizard of Oz + Populism See if you can figure out the allegory by reading Littlefield s article. They travel, by the way, on a yellow brick road and the good witch, Glinda, tells Dorothy that as long as she s on it she must wear the magic silver slippers. As long as they keep the yellow brick and the silver slippers together, every- thing will be alright. In the book, Dorothy s slippers aren t ruby-colored but silver. The Yellow Brick Road and silver slippers represent _________________________________________.
The Wizard of Oz + Populism See if you can figure out the allegory by reading Littlefield s article. By the way, that Emerald Citythey re marching toward it s a place where everybody sees everything tinted green which is just an illusion. Not everybody is what they seem in the Emerald City; it s a place where everyone puts on a show, and the greatest showman of all is the Wizard. The Emerald City represents __________________________.
The Wizard of Oz + Populism See if you can figure out the allegory by reading Littlefield s article. But standing between Dorothy and the City is the wicked witch of the West, who likes to set fires to frighten the Scarecrow. She s mean and destructive, but in the end she can be defeated by a simple bucket or two of water. The Witch of the West represents ______________________.
The Wizard of Oz + Populism See if you can figure out the allegory by reading Littlefield s article. A troop of winged monkeys do the Western witch s bidding, but they haven t always worked for her and they aren t necessarily bad. The monkey leader tells Dorothy, Once we were a free people, living happily in the great forest, flying from tree to tree, eating nuts and fruit, and doing just as we pleased This was many years ago, long before Oz came out of the clouds to rule over this land. The Winged Monkeys represent _______________________.
The Wizard of Oz + Populism See if you can figure out the allegory by reading Littlefield s article. The Wizard of Oz, finally, puts on a great show for Dorothy and her friends in the book, he puts on a different show for each of them, whatever it is they want most to see. In reality, though, he s just a bumbling old man from Omaha, Nebraska, who has no special powers at all. He used to go up in a balloon on circus day, so as to draw a crowd of people together that was his greatest skill. The Wizard represents _______________________.
