With the release of “Wicked Part 1,” many people have been introduced to the wonderful landscape of Oz, whether that be with Shiz University or the Emerald City. However, the land of Oz existed long before this movie was released. On May 17, 1900, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum was published. Due to its popularity, many spin-offs aired including “The Wiz” and “The Wicked Years” and the duology “Wicked Part 1” is inspired by.
The book follows the adventures of Dorothy Gale and her dog, Toto, as they are magically whisked away to the land of Oz. After they land, they follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City to try to meet the Wizard of Oz.
Along the way they met the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion all while exploring Oz and it’s unconventional citizens. Each of the three companions is missing something that they need the Wizard to give them: the Scarecrow needs a brain, the Tin Woodman is in need of a heart and the Cowardly Lion lacks courage. As a kid, it was easy to remember all the characters because each one feels distinctly different and memorable.
However, throughout the story, each character grows. For instance, the Scarecrow comes up with a plan to get into the Wicked Witch of the West’s castle. Furthermore, the Tin Woodman cries so much over stepping on a bug that he begins to rust. Meanwhile, the Cowardly Lion bravely leaps over a dangerous gorge despite being “cowardly.” Their ironic nature gives them a unique personality.
The book’s plot can almost feel like a fever dream. As a child, I failed to notice how dark some of the plot points were, but coming back to it as a teenager, I am able to see how scary these events would be in real life.
When Dorothy arrives in Oz, the first thing she hears from the Munchkins is gratitude for “kill[ing] the Wicked Witch of the East” from her house falling on top of her. Another surprising part of the plot is the Tin Woodman’s dark backstory explains how he fell in love with a Munchkin girl, but the Wicked Witch of the East did not approve and, as a result, she enchanted an axe to cut off his body one at a time until he was completely replaced by tin.
Thankfully, there are happy plot points that contrast the dark attributes so the book does not become a horror novel, like when Dorothy is freed from the Wicked Witch of the West and reunites with her friends and when she finally returns home. It helps to not make the story boring by being too dark or too happy; it hits the perfect middle ground.
The Land of Oz is one of the most immersive settings in all of literature. All the different locals kept me entertainedand always had me excited to see where the characters would go next. The colorful bright landscape of Oz contrasts beautifully with dull and barren Kansas. The four different counties feel very distinct from each other. In addition, the bizarre locations in Oz perfectly capture the feel of a fantasy land like China Country where people, animals and buildings made of china live. The imaginative lands definitely helped me become more curious as a child.
However, the highlight of all the locations in Oz is none other than the famous Emerald City, located in the center of Oz. The city’s supposed brightness and glory is so radiant that all the people have to wear green spectacles to protect their eyes. Furthermore, the yellow-brick-road leading up to the Emerald City has become a popular metaphor of the English language.
Even though some may simply refer to this book as “just children’s literature” it is much more than that. Henry Littlefield, a Columbia University historian, used “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” to teach AP United States History, APUSH. He believed it served as a metaphor for the Populist movement, when a politically oriented coalition of agrarian reformers advocated for a range of economic and political legislation in the Midwest and South in the late 19th century. In general, according to American History, Littlefield believed the book to be “a critique of the complicated national debates over monetary policy.”
Due to this discovery of a potential political allegory, it is used by students today as a helpful tool for understanding complex historical concepts. Oak Park High School history teacher, Todd Creason, uses “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” in his Honors United States History, HUSH, curriculum.
“Overall, like most literature, it is a reflection of its time period and it is hard not to see some overt connections to this time period. It is something people can connect with and a lot of people have seen the ‘Wizard of Oz,’” Creason said.
After my many rereads of the book, I can confidently say this is one of my favorite and most nostalgic books. Baum’s original goal for “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” was to create a modern American fairy tale and he succeeded amazingly. If you’re bored and an avid reader that hasn’t read “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”, you have some homework to do.
