In the Wizard of Oz, the communicator is author Frank Baum himself. As a writer well known for his children\u2019s stories, Baum would be expected to write to an audience of American children for the main purpose of entertainment. Even though one intended audience group is children, there could also be a broader audience of adults who can \u201ctake in\u201d the messages communicated throughout the novel and make connections to the context of the novel being written (ie. industrialization, the American populist movement, etc.). Since the novel may be perceived either at a surface-level or deeply, the audience consists of both children and adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In chapter 6 of the novel, the word \u201cwild\u201d is used to describe an \u201canimal hidden among the trees\u201d when Dorothy, Toto, the Tin Woodman, and Scarecrow are making their way through the woods. In this use of the polysemous word, \u201cwild\u201d is used to describe animals that live in the natural world without human interference. Furthermore, Baum paints this \u201cwildness\u201d to be something unknown, dangerous, and fear-invoking. By describing the lack of birds and sunlight in this part of the woods, the author paints the scene to be dark and lifeless. Additionally, Baum includes the sensory imagery of \u201cthe little girl\u2019s heart beat[ing] fast\u201d to describe how Dorothy reacts to the presence of wild animals in the woods. In doing so, Baum evokes a sense of fear and suspense in the audience as these wild animals cannot be seen, yet they are heard. In his novel, Baum adds an element of fright and suspense to the formal definition of \u201cwild\u201d in order to introduce a vital character in the story- the \u201cCowardly Lion\u201d. By using something \u201cwild\u201d to scare the protagonist of the story, the author expresses the importance of courage within a person to overcome this fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vivian Nguyen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In the Wizard of Oz, the communicator is author Frank Baum himself. As a writer well known for his children\u2019s stories, Baum would be expected to write to an audience of American children for the main purpose of entertainment. Even … Continue reading