The Wizard of Oz, was written by Frank Baum who serves as the story’s communicator. Through the characters and setting of the novel, Baum inputs his own beliefs about our own world. While Baum states that the book was written for children, there is deeper meaning in his words that appeals to adults. The Wizard of Oz uses a magical adventure in a fantasy world with a colorful cast of characters to appeal to younger audiences, but the topics covered can be seen as allegory of the early 1900s in the leadup to the Great Depression. The Good Witches of the North and South are representations of the common folk laborers. On the other hand, the Wicked Witches of the East and West represent corporate greed, politics, and mistreatment of workers. In addition, the Wizard of Oz himself represents the illusion of a powerful leader in politics, likely referring to the presidents at the time. The story at a surface level is likely to still appeal to kids though, with the supporting characters of the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion & the adventurer they go on with Dorothy.
One instance of the use of “wild” in the text is found in Chapter XXI, The Lion Becomes the King of Beasts. Dorothy’s group is walking through the notably rough country, noting that it “seemed wilder than ever”. This instance of the word uses it to describe the unruly nature of the terrain they are traversing, mentioning the muddy holes and tall, rank grass. Another instance is when the group refers to the animals of the forest as wild. Wild is used here to describe how the animals are native to nature or “the wilds”. This use of wild, being out in nature, is often paired with being uncivilized which is subverted later in the chapter. A pathos appeal is used to make the audience wary of the growing of the wild animals, appealing to their emotions to worry about the characters safety, only to instead explain that the animals are holding a “civilized” meeting.
– Kenny Ly
I like that you included the roles and people each character represents. Because of this, I think that “The Wizard of Oz” conveys a more political message than just just a fairy tale. Your example of wildness is also great as it describes the wild beasts. Great blog post!
I agree with your reasoning on the deeper context in the story. I liked how you explain each of them and it appeals more to adults. Although that is true, I also agree that on the surface it is a fun fairytale story that children can enjoy. Good blog post!