Scarecrow In 'The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz'

Essay Question #3

As humans, we go through changes all throughout our life constantly. We may change as we get older or learn hard lessons that force us to change. Whatever the fact, we must adapt to these changes and figure out how it will best benefit us. Characters in books are just the same; they start the book as one person and end it as a more matured and wiser person. They learn and grow through the chapters sometimes negatively or positively. In the beloved children’s book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the character Scarecrow changes throughout the story and learns life lessons along the way while he travels with Dorothy and the gang to the Emerald City.

The biggest change that the Scarecrow faced was the development of confidence. When Dorothy first met the Scarecrow, he did not think of himself rather highly. He always doubted himself and did not think he was capable of understanding anything. He stated sadly that he does not know anything because his head is stuffed with

When things got unpleasant, the Scarecrow did not give up or crack under pressure, he stayed calm, lead the way, and gave solutions to the problems that arose. His calm noble demeanor started to become more dominant rather than his flighty goofiness. He may have been realizing his capabalities even though he thinks he lacks it. It is not until they reach the Wizard, that the Scarecrow realizes his capablities. The Wizard, who is just as any ordinary man as the Scarecrow, obviously realizes the qualities that the Scarecrow already posesses. To please him and give him and incentive to beleieve in himself, the Wizard produces a brain made out of “bran, pins, and needles” to make him look “sharp” (Baum 160). The Wizard made a physical represntation of a percieved “brain” for the Scarecrow and it gave the self-assurance of his own intelligence that he needed to feel