The communicator of the Wizard of Oz is Frank Baum. Its primary audience is children, but it has been enjoyed by people of all ages since its release. However, I see the Wizard of Oz primarily as a children’s story because of the themes and characters involved. The story follows the perspective of Dorothy, an innocent young girl who many children can relate to. Many of the characters in the story appeal to children due to their fantastical nature, such as a cowardly lion and a scarecrow with no brains.
Baum uses the word “wild” to describe the “wild crows” that were summoned by the Wicked Witch of the West to kill Dorothy and her companions. In this instance, “wild” means undomesticated or living in an untamed state of nature. This definition is coupled with a negative connotation in this passage, as the crows were minions of the Wicked Witch and attempted to tear apart the protagonists. Baum describes how the wild crows “flew in one great flock” towards Dorothy’s group, and how Dorothy grew “afraid” upon seeing them. Dorothy’s reaction reinforces how the wild nature of the crows is seen as frightening in this context. Crows that were more tamed might not act as savagely to Dorothy and her friends as wild crows. This scene also takes place in the West, which Baum describes as wild without explicitly using the word. Baum talks about how the ground in the West was “rougher and hillier” as well as “untilled.” This imagery fits within the definition of “wild” as existing without human care.
-Avinash K