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Symbolism in The Wonderful Wizard of OZ
Symbolism wonderful wizard of oz
Symbolism in The Wonderful Wizard of OZ
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Symbolism is a literary element that uses an object to symbolize something else.It is often used by writers to enhance their writing. Symbolism can give a literary pieces a richer meaning which can make the piece of the work deeper. This allows writers to have an allegorical meaning to their story using symbols complete a bigger picture. One story that uses symbolism in order to create an allegory is The Wizard of Oz.
The Wizard of Oz, written by Frank Baum was first published in Chicago in 1900. Baum was a presidential candidate three different times for the democrat party. The particular concern of Baum was the nature of the money supply in the United States, especially in the Mid-Western States. During this time there had been a severe
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Otherwise known as the man behind a curtain pretending to be the wizard. Not everything is always seen at first. This quote along with many other things in the Wizard of Oz shows the symbolism and allegorical references used throughout the entire story. It refers to the people who work behind the scenes pulling the strings and levers in the background to make something work. There are many unseen by people, we usually pay no attention to them. The symbol itself can actually be compared to symbolism. Symbolism is not always seen at first but is almost always discovered, just like the man behind the curtain. Nobody knew about him for years, but eventually he was caught in his major …show more content…
Thi symbolized Baum’s theory of how the bank should be based off of the silver ather than gold. in the end of the story Dorothy used the slippers to get home. Glinda the Good Witch said to Dorothy, “You don 't need to be helped any longer. You 've always had the power to go back to Kansas.” Wat Baum is implying here is that the American people always had the power to fix the bank, they just had to realize it for themselves as Dorothy had in the Wizard of Oz. The yellow brick road is also a symbol used to represent money or the bank. It is used to symbolize the gold standard which held all the power. In The Wizard of Oz, the yellow brick road led to the land of Oz where power was. Oz in itself is also a symbol for money. It is an abbreviation for ounces which was the way that gold was
The narrative begins with Dorothy, who lives on a farm in a black and white setting presuming the absence of vitality and the insufficiency of a place that was in poverty at the time. However, when Dorothy is picked up by a twister and wakes up in the Land of Oz, she finds herself in a completely opposite environment full of life, beauty, and color filled with new found opportunities. On her quest to Emerald City, Dorothy is presented with a few characters who are The Tin Man, The Cowardly Lion, and The Scarecrow who all feel like they need something more to complete them and they all seek out the “all powerful” wizard to obtain the things they want. The items they yearn for were a brain, a heart, and courage. Three things that we learn to utilize with experiences we go through. The characters eventually realize that they have always had what they have been longing for after the many obstacles they came through on their journey. In the end, Dorothy says, “If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own back yard. Because if it isn't
In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the characters all turn out to have what they have been searching for all along (the lion was brave, the scarecrow could think, the tin man could feel, and Dorothy could have returned home at any time.
Frank Baums, The Wizard of Oz is arguably one of the most popular films made. Even though it was released in 1939, nearly three-quarters of a century ago, the film continues to entertain audiences and speak to them in a personal way. The question that comes to the mind when analyzing this film is: What is it about this film that gives it such timelessness? When reflecting on the film’s timeless qualities, it seems clear the plot is one of the things that enable it to maintain its relevance. Primarily, the plot of The Wizard of Oz is timeless because it is such an excellent example of the heroic journey, both in literally and cinematically. This journey of self-awareness is a metaphor for growth, which is something we all search to discover at some time in our lives.
In relation to occult symbolism, the above quotes have illustrated these features. Toto, the inner voice, led Dorothy along her trek . Glinda, the guide, gave Dorothy the resources to lead her in the direction to what she ultimately desires, a way to return to Kansas. Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion searched for a want or need, while supporting Dorothy. In whole, each of these characters displayed good behavior in assisting the young girl in her exploration to illumination and enlightenment. “Like Dorothy’s journey, ours lead to a better self-understanding and, hopefully, to wisdom. But what does “wisdom” mean? I suspect it consists precisely in having discovered the brightness, the enchantment inside everything we have encountered all our lives.”
L. Frank Baum shared an imaginary tale to the world when she wrote the “The Wonderful Land of Oz”. His passion and reasoning for writing this story was “written solely to pleasure the children of today”. Although not everyone agreed with this reason and thought otherwise. Quentin P. Taylor believed the “The Wonderful land of Oz” was a political symbolism and even thought that it was a populist allegory. Taylor accused the author of this imaginary tale that he was putting hidden messages or meaning in his story. Not only was Taylor accusing Mr. Baum of these actions but used different examples to prove his point. The biggest and most iconic example was the shoes Dorothy wore. In the movie “The Wizard of Oz” Dorothy wore shiny red ruby slippers but in Baum story Dorothy wears a pair of silver slippers. Taylor believe that not only was the slippers an issue but the yellow brick road with attaching the silver slippers was an Populist platform in which it demanded “ free and unlimited coinage of gold and silver”.
The scarecrow is the first friend Dorothy helps in a time of need. The scarecrow was on his wooden post and the crows were hurting him because he was not frightful,” You see, I can 't even scare a crow. They come from miles around just to eat in my field and laugh in my face. Oh, I 'm a failure because I haven 't got a brain”, verifies this. He did not have a brain therefore he was not intelligent needing a friend like Dorothy. “If I only had a brain” is an iconic quote from the Wizard of Oz. Dorothy invited the scarecrow on her journey to Emerald City to see the great wizard of oz himself and see if he would grant her wish to go home. The second comrade that Dorothy comes across is the tin man. At first he was not noticed because Dorothy was on the ground to pick an apple to eat and noticed his foot and then the rest of him. The tin man begins to make noises and makes out the words help me, so Dorothy finds an oil can nearby and oils first his mouth then the rest of his body. Out of curiosity Dorothy poses the question “how did you ever get like this”, and the tin man answers “well about a year ago I was chopping that tree and it began to rain and right in the middle of a chop I rusted solid and I’ve been that way ever since.” Dorothy makes the comment that he was perfect after she oiled him and he told them the story of how the tinsmith
The Wizard of Oz was written by L. Frank Baum and was published by George Hill Company on May 17, 1900. The story wasn’t intended to become very popular, but by the year 1956, 3 million copies had been sold. Today, this story remains popular, and is forever considered a classic. In short, the story begins in Kansas with Dorothy and her dog Toto, a cyclone comes and sweeps up the house, landing Dorothy and Toto in the Land of Oz. The house had also landed on top of the Wicked Witch of the East, killing her. Dorothy simply wanting to get back home encounters the Good Witch of the North, who she suggests that Dorothy find her way to the Emerald City, following the yellow brick road, to speak with the Great and Powerful Oz and ask for his help to get back home. On her journey she encounters three characters, the Scarecrow, the Tin man, and the Cowardly Lion. As well as defending herself from the Wicked Witch of the West, attempting to
In almost every story, one can find symbolism throughout the text to help the reader better understand what the writer wants the reader to takeout from his/her story. Symbolism is something that must be analyzed and explored to experience a deeper meaning to the story. Sometimes, symbolism throughout a story may not be noticeable when first read, but going back to analyze the text can add a deeper meaning to words and can also help to enhance the meaning behind the story line. In some instances, symbolism can leave a reader to ponder what the writer is trying to express with the symbolism used in the story; for symbolism can be interpreted differently and can have many layers of meaning to it. Some good examples of short stories that use symbolism
“The Wizard of Oz” is a beloved, classical movie among children and adults alike. The story is about a young Kansas girl who dreams of being picked up from her uncle’s farm in a storm; in the dream, she is carried away to a land different from anything she has ever seen. Along the way she meets new friends who all wish to ask something of the Great Wizard of Oz for themselves. Once they reach the great Emerald City, however, they find the city to be a fraud; the very thing each had been searching for was found within each of them. Historian Hugh Rockoff claims The Wizard of Oz contains numerous symbols of the political and social issues. His analysis is listed in the Journal of Political Economy. (Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 98, 1990, pp. 739-760).
In the movie the Wizard was exposed as a fraud and a fake, yet he still convinced the group that he could give them what they needed. The imposter gave the Scarecrow a diploma, the Lion a medal of honor, and the Tin Man a ticking heart-shaped watch. The Wizard of OZ granted their wishes convincing
Another interesting point regarding the Wizard is the duality that exists between the character of the Wizard and the other characters he portrays in the film. Frank Morgan, the actor that plays the Wizard, also plays the parts of the gatekeeper, cabbie, and palace guard within the city of Oz. Coincidence or not, this duality presents an interesting viewpoint regarding the Wizard’s need for control within his city. By acting as the gatekeeper to the Emerald City, the Wizard can regulate who enters the walls, thus ensuring that those who do enter are easily susceptible to his ongoing deception. When Dorothy tells the gatekeeper that she wishes to see the Wizard, he seems frazzled and replies by saying “Nobody can see the great Oz, nobody’s ever seen the great Oz! Even I’ve never seen him!” (0:59:02). The only reasonable explanation to this strange response is that the select few that enter the city are chosen based upon the premises that they will succumb to
The first major connection in The Wizard of Oz was the Scarecrow. The scarecrow was used to symbolize the farmers and their struggles in America in the 18th century (Foner, Eric 636-640). The scarecrow made of straw was vulnerable with no brain. The scarecrow had little control over the circumstances he was facing just as the farmers did in the 18th century. The western farmers had issues with overproduction and when prices fell farmers suffered ended up losing their farms (Foner, Eric
After the witch’s threats, the Scarecrow and Tin Man vow to stay with Dorothy. This is when Dorothy feels a familiarity with the Tin Man and the Scarecrow. They are not afraid of the wicket witch. They continue to walk, with the sound of the forest in the back ground, but Dorothy is afraid of meeting wild animals in the forest. Suddenly a lion appears, noisy and acting ferocious; he wants to fight them all. Initially, they are afraid, but Dorothy hits the lion and chastises him; the lion begins to cry and thinks his nose is bleeding. Dorothy calls him a big coward, he agrees and says he even scare himself. They suggest the Wizard of Oz could give the lion courage. He calls himself a dandelion. They head to the wizard to get a heart, a home, a brain, and coverage. The wicked witch of the west is behind the scene making a poison and puts it in the beautiful land scape of miles and mile of flowers. This is an area Dorothy must cross to get to the emerald city. Dorothy and company can now see The Emerald City in the distance. They began to walk across the colorful flowers towards the Emerald City and they can again see the yellow brick road. Dorothy suddenly becomes dizzy and sleepy, her and mentors and allies offers to pull her alone, but Dorothy and Toto and the lion falls asleep. The Tin Man and Scarecrow wants to carry Dorothy when realizing that
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 film directed by Victor Fleming, which follows Dorothy Gale on her journey through the magical land of Oz. Dorothy is swept away from a farm in Kansas to the land of Oz in a tornado and embarks on a quest to see the Wizard who can help her return to her home in Kansas. The director, uses a number cinematic techniques such as camera angles, lighting, colour and dialogue to portray a central theme of There’s no place like home.
The Wizard of Oz is a film created by MGM Studios in 1939, directed by Victor Fleming and starring Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, Frank Morgan as the Wizard and Margaret Hamilton as The Wicked Witch of the West. The Wizard of Oz is commonly known as the classic film of American cinema and is loved by many people. It can be classified as a Family, Fantasy, Musical film due to the touching messages told throughout the film, the magical special effects featuredn and the beautiful musical numbers highlighted in the film.