Alexander Doty Symbolism In Wizard Of Oz

Alexander Doty’s interpretation of the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz is very interesting. Instead of just taking the movie as it comes, Doty analyzes The Wizard of Oz from a queer perspective. While Dorothy’s ruby red high heeled slippers are commonly considered a symbol for sexual power, the Wicked Witch of the West’s broomstick is also a fetishized object that serves a sexual purpose. Instead of being the symbol for heteronormative sexual desires, the Wicked Witch’s broomstick is a symbol for dyke power (Doty, p. 142). When compared with Glinda, the Wicked Witch is said to be the “more positive of the two images of powerful womanhood” (Doty, p. 144). The Wicked Witch is a dyke, butch character that represents the non-normative female desire and power and breaks away from heteronormative views

The Medusa is a Gorgon that is fierce and potent, a personification of female fury. The Medusa has been adopted by feminists as an internal Gorgon that can incite fear in those that do not embody it (Culpepper, p. 22). The Medusa contains life-saving information for women that is sometimes needed in order to survive (Culpepper, p. 23). Culpepper then goes on to write about her own experience of “Experiencing [Her] Gorgon Self” when she was attacked in her home. Instead of allowing the attack to occur, the Gorgon within her took over with rage and fury to shove the man back outside (p. 23). After the attack, Culpepper knew that something else had embodied her during this moment. As she looks in the mirror, she knows what she sees: the Medusa! Had the Gorgon not been ingrained within her soul, Culpepper’s fury would not have been nearly as