The communicator of The Wizard of Oz is Frank Baum, the author, and Dorothy, the protagonist. I believe the text truly speaks to adults, because if you analyze it deep enough, the characters and themes have a much deeper level than what is seen on the surface. Children aren’t able to pick up on this, but adults are able to process and analyze the deeper meaning within the story.
Quote from chapter 18: “The road is straight to the South,” he answered, “but it is said to be full of dangers to travelers. There are wild beasts in the woods.”
Dorothy is with her newly found friends, such as the Scarecrow and the Woodman, and they are looking for a way to cross the desert to go South. The soldier tells them that know one knows, except for the Witch of the South. The soldier tells them that they will have to follow the road “straight to the South” to find her. The soldier has ethos, or credibility because he has been living there for a long time, and he knows of the castle. There is pathos by giving fear to the audience in the line, “it is said to be full of dangers to travelers.” Finally, there is a sense of logos in the term “wild beasts.” The animals that dwell on the road to the south are considered both wild and beasts. Both of these terms, especially wild, can appeal to the audience logically, as they understand the dangers that Dorothy will face can be very uncontrollable and unexpected.
-Major Wheless
Hi! I totally agree with you that the story is most definitely written mostly for adults. There are so many deeper themes in this book that children would not be able to understand!
I think you offer an interesting perspective on why The Wizard of Oz was written primarily for adults. While it deals with fantastical themes commonly found in fairy tales for children, it is no doubt loaded with figurative language that might be difficult for children to immediately grasp.
Your explanation of the use of ethos and pathos is interesting. It feels like they are there to help set up the next arc of the story by explaining that there are new troubles that the group must face.