Allegory In The Wizard Of Oz

In L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz, the Scarecrow, after being removed from his stake by Dorothy, decides to tell her the story of his creation, describing how he was made by a farmer and how, after a particular encounter with an old crow, realised his need for brains. This story, along with highlighting why the Scarecrow decided to join Dorothy on her journey, also supports the many allegories found in Baum’s text. Such allegories, particularly as they relate to the Scarecrow’s story, include the Scarecrow as a representation of Dorothy’s ability to think, with both characters, as they journey to the Emerald City, learning about the mysterious world around them, as well as the Scarecrow as a representation of the general development of the

Similarly, this encourages the reader to interpret how these changes in perception could be representative of that of the Western farmer who, as a result of the monetary crisis and the falling price of wheat, sees his once prosperous livelihood fall into ruin. Likewise, from the start of his story, the Scarecrow’s creator, when it is pointed out by another Munchkin that the Scarecrow “looks just like a man” responds with “why, he is a man”. This statement, along with solidifying the Scarecrow’s perception of himself as “just as good a man as anyone” can be interpreted socio- culturally by the reader, who notices that the word ‘man’, especially when used in the phrase, “why, he is a man”, not only means a member of the human race but, as men where typically the ones in charge of the homestead, etc. also means someone worthy of respect. Similarly, the reader can conclude that because the Scarecrow represents the Western farmer, this statement, combined with the Scarecrow’s belief that he is “just as good a man as anyone”, represents the Western farmer considering himself respected by both by himself and society at