What is the function of the wizard of ozs poppy scene. The political and economic symbols hidden inside the. The only creature not hypnotized by fear that is able to expose the wizard behind. What is the deeper meaning of the wonderful wizard of oz.
And the central message in the book is all about the rise of populism and the debate over gold versus silver. Political symbolism the wizard represents political leaders, particularly any of the us presidents during the late 19th century. Bbc culture surveys bizarre suggestions, from religious allegory to an. In the story of the wizard of oz, dorothy, the tin man, the scarecrow and the lion defeat the wicked witch and return to the emerald city. While the story of the wizard of oz is packed full of deep spiritual insights from start to finish, the first significant hidden message is shared with the viewer with the introduction of the wicked black witch of the west. Unbeknownst to many, however, he was also writing a carefullycoded political allegory, in which nearly every character, event, and object is representative of something from the american political landscape at the time. This is because of the opium extracted from them and the bloodred color. Interestingly enough, there are arguably also some parallels to todays political scene. Contentsshow history in greek mythology, demeter created the poppy so she could sleep.
Scholars have examined four quite different versions of oz. This symbolizes the cynicism that exists in politics due to the fact that politicians tend to change face. In 1890, baum wrote a series of articles regarding theosophy, including his views on the use of mystic symbolism in fiction, something he put into practice ten years later with the wizard of oz. Described as each of us at our best kind but selfrespecting, guileless but levelheaded, wholesome but plucky.
Aug 19, 2014 christian sermons have discussed the wizard of ozs biblical meanings, comparing dorothys song over the rainbow to the end of the tale of noahfrom the book of genesis, or claiming that the. During her travels she encounters a number of characters, some good, some bad. I want songs, which have since become a staple of the genre. Oct 08, 2009 sharetweetemailwith its memorable story and its cast of colorful characters, the wizard of oz quickly became an american classic. To me, it is a story about a spiritual seeker on a journey of selfdiscovery. In the century following the publication of the wizard of oz, scholars and critics have assigned all sorts of symbolic and allegorical meanings to various elements of the novel. The souls journey on the golden path unknown binding january 1, 2005 4. In this lesson, you will learn some of the symbols and then be quizzed on your understanding. Speculation of the parallels between the characters in the book and history of the united states began with a history teacher by the name of henry littlefield.
Frank baum wrote his famous novel the wonderful wizard of oz, he was writing a story that he hoped children would enjoy for ages. Specifically, littlefield argued that the story of the wizard of oz was an elaborate metaphor for the populist movement a. The secret political symbolism you never knew was hidden. Populism and the world of oz national museum of american. Mar 08, 2020 its easier to fool people than convince them they have been fooled. Like dorothy said in the film, but it wasnt a dream, it was a place this was a real, truly live place. Less known is that dorothy symbolically represents the average american, and arguably serves as an allegory for the united states itself. The wizard of oz is more than just a childrens story. Yellow brick road symbolism, in wizard of oz architecture. Theres actually a term to describe the pattern perfected by dorothys over the rainbow. The wonderful wizard of oz 1939, like many fairy tales depicting a series of fantastic adventures, is really the story of an individuals inner journeya story of personality integration and coming of age. Oct 22, 2015 dorothy literally died in the wizard of oz.
Both versions tell the story of dorothy gale and her adorable dog toto getting stranded in a fantastical land by a tornado, and both include the iconic characters of the scarecrow, cowardly lion, tin man, glinda the good witch. Nobody ever suggested it until 1964, says bradley hansen, who is a professor of economics at the university of mary washington. Is the wizard of oz an allegory for politics in the 1890s. Few, however, recognize that, under its deceptive simplicity, the story of the wizard of oz. Both versions tell the story of dorothy gale and her adorable dog toto getting stranded in a fantastical land by a tornado, and both include the iconic characters of the scarecrow. Hill company in chicago on may 17, 1900, and has since been reprinted countless times, most often under the name the wizard of oz, which is the name of both the 1902 stage play and the extremely popular, highly acclaimed 1939 fil.
The bad wizard of oz is a childrens novel written by l. The symbolism hidden within the wizard of oz jabajabba. A symbol in a story is a specific thing that represents something greater or has a figurative meaning. Benjamin blankenbehler october 27, 2015 october 19, 2016 0. In the book, the tin man, scarecrow and dorothy all saw the wizard quite differently. Frank baum put hidden symbols in his book the wonderful wizard of oz. Carl jung and later joseph campbell described how certain symbols and motifs appear in mythology, fairy tales, stories, and religions throughout the world. I discuss the occulthidden meaning of the wizard of oz through the eyes of the author l. Dorothys journey in oz symbolized the golden path in the afterlife.
More than a hundred years after the release of this book, kids everywhere are still enchanted by ozs world of wonder. They travel along the yellow brick road the gold standard to see the wizard, who could represent president grover cleveland or william mckinley. Although the wizard of oz might be most famous today for the 1939 movie, starring judy garland, the book was originally written in the 1890s by author l. What is the political meaning of the wizard of oz answers. One wellknown theory holds the entire novel is a comment on turnofthecentury monetary policy, where the yellow brick road symbolizes the conservative gold standard, and the silver slippers represent the populists. The occult roots of the wizard of oz the vigilant citizen. Still, the main characters dorothy, the scarecrow, the tin woodman, and the lion embody traditional american values. Symbolism, the representation of objects and ideas through the use of symbols, often of a more abstract concept, gives deeper meaning to a text. Littlefield pinpoints what he sees as symbols of monetary reform i.
Frank baum and first published in 1900 as an allegory or metaphor for the political, economic, and social events of america in the 1890s. They travel along the yellow brick road the gold standard to see the wizard, who could represent president grover cleveland or william. Dorothy gale, the lead character of the wonderful wizard of oz, is an 11yearold orphan girl who resides in. The symbolism of the wizard of oz came to light again recently after the famous filmmaker, bill still, produced a twohour documentary film, the secret of oz, in which he shakes up the existing economic paradigms and contends that the book contains a solution to the economic problems that plague this country. In buddhism and an important part of theosophical teachings the same concept is referred to as the golden path. Think the big hidden meaning in oz is about turnofthe20thcentury politics and the gold standard. Other people cannot tell us what meanings to make or. Dorothys journey in the land of oz symbolized mans journey through the afterlife to rebirth. Learn about the different symbols such as cyclone in the wonderful wizard of oz and how they contribute to the plot of the book. The symbolism hidden within the wizard of oz many people believe that the wizard of oz was and is an allegory for the radically new state of affairs that existed in america in the 1930s, following the stock market crash and the bankruptcy of the united states government which. Oct 27, 2015 frank baum put hidden symbols in his book the wonderful wizard of oz. This gives more credence to the populist silver vs.
Some historians believe oz stands for an abbreviation of the weight measure, ounce. The visual component of film and television allows the audience to interpret symbolism in a way printed text cannot. The question and answer section for the wizard of oz film is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. The wonderful wizard of oz was, littlefield thought, a midwesterners vibrant and ironic portrait of this country as it entered the twentieth century. The winged monkeys are a representation of the plight of dispossessed and enslaved native americans and asian laborers. Political interpretations of the wonderful wizard of oz wikipedia. The wizard of oz and political symbolism sophies tale. Sep 02, 2016 the wonderful wizard of oz 1939, like many fairy tales depicting a series of fantastic adventures, is really the story of an individuals inner journeya story of personality integration and coming of age.
The symbolism hidden within the wizard of oz many people believe that the wizard of oz was and is an allegory for the radically new state of affairs that existed in america in the 1930s, following the stock market crash and the bankruptcy of the united states government which occurred immediately thereafter. Frank baum and followed by the iconic cinematic masterpiece starring judy garland in 1939, has remained one of the most enduring and popular stories over a hundred years later. Baum published the book in 1900, just after the us emerged from a period of deflation and depression. The wizard of oz symbols, allegory and motifs gradesaver. Its easier to fool people than convince them they have been fooled. Thinking the great wizard of oz can grant her wish, she sets out to meet him with her beloved dog, toto, joined by a scarecrow, a tin woodman and a lion.
This book completely opened my eyes to the deeper, metaphysical meanings within the seemlyjuvenile wizard of oz. Ray bolger as the scarecrow, the wizard of oz 1939 the scarecrow represents those farmers. Munchkin symbolism in wizard of oz architecture revived. The entire story of the wizard of oz is an allegorical tale of the souls path to illumination the yellow brick road. Try egyptian deities, masonic rituals, and archetypical symbolism common to many of the worlds mystery religions. In the wizard of oz, characters like glinda the good witch represent the mother archetype because she looks out for dorothy, and toto represents the trickster.
The objective of her travels is to wizard the wizard of oz in emerald city so that she can go home. Quizlet flashcards, activities and games help you improve your grades. What is the deeper meaning of the wonderful wizard of oz by. Over the decades, the wizard of oz has been seen by many christians and used often in sermons see here for one example as an allegory of faith.
Oz operates on two levels, one literal and puerile, the other symbolic. The symbolic meaning of the wizard of oz depends upon the inclinations of the reader of the original 1900 book edition or the viewer of the beloved 1939 film version. Oz is the wizard that dorothy and the others travel to see in the wonderful wizard of oz. The political and economic symbols hidden inside the wizard of oz. Frank baum was a theosophist who believed in rebirth. The struggles and wonders in the land of oz represented her journey toward rebirth. It is filled with symbols and metaphors, all pointing to other things. And it turns out that the wizard of oz is full of hidden political symbolism, which sometimes seems barely hidden at all. Oh, my, and theres no place like home, are ones that will always pop into our heads when someone. Sharetweetemailwith its memorable story and its cast of colorful characters, the wizard of oz quickly became an american classic. The symbolic quest to find your inner heroes, face your worst enemy, and attain wholeness.
Christian sermons have discussed the wizard of ozs biblical meanings, comparing dorothys song over the rainbow to the end of the tale of noahfrom the. The wizard of oz is a nostalgic tale of dorothy, a young farm girl from kansas, who is swept away to a magical land by a tornado. Political symbolism in the wonderful wizard of oz many people are not aware that the wonderful wizard of oz is suspected to have referenced several political issues of the late 1800s. Political interpretations of the wonderful wizard of oz include treatments of the modern fairy tale as an allegory or metaphor for the political, economic, and social events of america in the 1890s.
More than just a childrens story by lauren houlberg the wizard of oz is a classic, a legend, and a childrens story that will never grow old. Like dorothy, the scarecrow, the tin woodman, and the lion embody traditional american values. In general, a poppy means imagination and eternal sleep. Asked in cooking measurements, volume, weight and mass, wizard of oz.
Theosophists wrote about a golden path that led through the blue sky to heaven. Quotes from the story such as toto, i have a feeling were not in kansas anymore, lions, and tigers, and bears. Frank baum and originally published in 1900, may have been inspired by the reallife economic struggles during the gold standard. Judy garland as dorothy gale, in the 1939 film the wizard of oz.
The scarecrow thinks he doesnt have a brain, which parallels the view that easterners in the country had of the farmers of the midwest region, as being generally irrational, uneducated, and ignorant. Because there are many different colors of poppies, there are many different meanings. One story in particular had so much symbolism for me that i wanted to share what i unearthed. However here are some of the symbols that have been suggested for the wizard of oz. The wizard of oz as satire a closer look to some extent, allegory and metaphor are always in the eye of the beholder, and unless an author has explicitly explained just exactly what he or she was trying to say in a particular work and baum never revealed his true intentions with respect to the wizard of oz to anyone there will. Her character represented the best of what was valued as the. The winged monkeys carrying dorothy, the tin man, and the cowardly lion, as illustrated by w. Dec 19, 2017 i discuss the occulthidden meaning of the wizard of oz through the eyes of the author l. I really enjoyed the journey and i hope you do too pretty much everyone enjoyed the movie the wizard of oz and it has been remade recently by disney. Dorothy, the main character in the novel, is said to represent the average american. Political interpretations of the wonderful wizard of oz. Political interpretations of the wonderful wizard of oz include treatments of the modern fairy tale written by l. The wizard of oz starts and ends with the musical, and as you may have suspected, actually served as the inspiration for countless musicals to come.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. But not everyone believes the wonderful wizard of oz includes any hidden meanings. Frank baum wrote 14 wizard of oz books, but his biggest home run was 1900s the wonderful wizard of oz, which mgm turned into a wonderful wizard of oz movie. Mark twain there are numerous interpretations of the wizard of oz or is it oz as in ounce. Those who find political meanings and symbolisms in the wizard of oz may see the scarecrow as representative of the farmers. The lead character, dorothy gale, symbolizes the average american. The wizard of oz film symbols, allegory and motifs. The novel the wonderful wizard of oz has deep and underlying meanings that symbolize various ideas. Here is the guidance offered to you by the story of the wizard of oz. The wizards name oz could be the abbreviation for an ounce of gold, the letters o to z on the second of baums pair of filing cabinets, or just a word that sounds good with wizard. Frank baum was editor of the aberdeen saturday pioneer. The wonderful wizard of oz is too long to be a parable and not quite didactic enough to be an allegory. Emerald city symbol from the wizard of oz symbol meanings.
The wizard of oz symbolism goes incredibly deep, from the main characters to the cyclone, those famous slippers, and even toto. The wizard of oz and political symbolism sophie tale. This was after the loss of her daughter, persephone. Heres the real, forgotten meaning of the wizard of oz. The secret political symbolism you never knew was hidden within.
The political interpretations focus on the first three, and emphasize the close relationshi. Here are 16 hidden meanings that you might never have noticed before in l. As a theosophist, baum believed in a literal afterlife. The occult symbolism of the wizard of oz a positive.
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