What is the political story behind the Wizard of Oz?

What is the political story behind the Wizard of Oz?

Frank Baum’s book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” upon which the movie is based, was a political allegory for American politics at the dawn of the 20th century. Dorothy, the Kansas innocent, represents the nobility of middle (and Midwestern) America; the Tin Man is industry, the Scarecrow is agriculture.

What was Littlefield’s thesis?

In 1964, Henry Littlefield published a thesis asserting that the story was an allegory for the politics of the 1890s, especially the debate over gold and silver coinage. His ideas have led to much speculation. The Wizard of Oz could have been used as populist propaganda.

What does Kansas represent in the Wizard of Oz populism?

In a way Kansas is used to represent all of our homes and their importance in our lives. As Dorothy says, “No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful. There is no place like home.”

What is the main message of the Wizard of Oz?

Viewers were able to relate to a character, whether it was the Scarecrow in need of a brain, the Tin Man in need of a heart, or the Cowardly Lion, in need of courage. The obvious message of the story is that there is no place like home.

What does the lion symbolize in the Wizard of Oz?

Personal Symbolism – The Cowardly Lion represents the inner child or self. The courage seeking Cowardly Lion is the character that most closely represents Baum in the book.

What do the silver shoes symbolize in this selection?

Believed to be an allegory for the politics of the time: Dorothy represents the common man, scarecrow represents the farmer, Dorothy’s silver shoes represent the silver standard, the Tin Man represents the industrial worker, and the Cowardly Lion represents William Jennings Bryan.

What does the flying monkeys represent in Populism?

According to some writers, the Winged Monkeys of Oz represent Native Americans in the West in the late 1800s. Baum himself had clear attitudes toward American Indians and some of his earlier writings about Indians are very similar to his descriptions of the Winged Monkeys found in Oz.

Who do the flying monkeys in Wizard of Oz represent?

What do the flying monkeys in The Wizard of Oz represent?

Who does the Wicked Witch of the East represent?

eastern business
Wicked Witch of the West and East: The Wicked Witch of the East represents eastern business and the Wicked Witch of the West represents the politician William McKinley who defeated Williams Jennings Bryant during the time of the free silver silver movement. Good Witch of the South and North.

Who did the scarecrow represent?

The Scarecrow Represents Midwestern Farmers The Populist party, new to the scene at the end of the 1800s, was primarily made up of farmers who were mocked by everyone else. They were called deluded simpletons and radicals.

What does the silver shoes represent in Populism?

In the book and the play the shoes are silver, not ruby as they were famously depicted in the 1939 film. In his reading of The Wizard of Oz, Littlefield believed that Dorothy was a stand-in for the average American, and that the magic silver shoes represented the late 1890s free silver movement.