It is difficult to say if the Wizard of Oz was or wasn't meant to be an allegory, but the facts are hard to deny. If it would have to say I think that it wasn't meant to be an allegory, but influenced to the point that it could be analyzed as such. The things people write about and discuss are directly related to the events and daily life experiences they encounter. So although it might not have been directly intended the metaphors and symbolic features seeped into the plot and story.
With the potential representations of the characters and situations it is very easy to relate the story to the events that were taking place at that time period. Many of these take someone saying what they are and then you have an "ah ha" moment. Like the tin man being a worker of the time, and the scarecrow being a farmer. One of the ones that stuck out for me was the flying monkie's being the Indians who were "once a free people" also how the silver slippers were transported along the "yellow" brick road to the emerald city. The fact that those can be seen to represent the economic money situation I think is brilliant. All of these can be seen as intended or over looked into a child’s book.
Many of these I think could be related to today’s world as well. With the roads, slippers, and city representing the economy I agree that that is consistent today. With the tornadoes being a political overthrowing with Obama being elected, I think that could apply. The tin man is no longer rusty due to Rockefeller, but to gas prices in general. The munchkins could be the average people who are tortured by the witch; she could be a group of many things including the war in Iraq, the economic situation, etc. Overall if you look deep enough into something I think that it’s hard to not find a greater meaning.
There are many connections and symbols in the book that are too noticeable to be called coincidences. Almost every character is based off of some aspect of American life. All of the political scandals and mistreatment occurring, it creates a good basis to write a book. Also the reference about the book being a modernized fairy tale shows that it was modern for that time period. A lot of time goes into creating a story but if the story wasn't meant to be an allegory, it is evident that the events of the 1890's was a subconscious idea.
The Wizard of Oz could very well have been written with every intent to mirror the state that America was in at the time. I do not find that to be anything impressive at all. Writers have been doing it for years. What I find impressive is the fact that theory that the Wizard of Oz is not more highly publicized. If people know that Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds was about LSD then I am sure they would love to know that Dorothy might very well represent a man, a man named Theodore.
I think that either the Baum and Denslow spend an incredibly large amount of time writing and illustrating the story to have a hidden meaning that makes a bold political statement. Which, I believe, has gone widely unnoticed by the general public. Or they created a timeless American classic, which coincidentaly, resulted in an rush to by red heels.
Scott Mills - I had heard that The Wizard of Oz was a political allegory but had never really seen hard evidence. Evidence of this being true sure is prevelent after reading this artical, though. It is interesting to hear that the tin man, the yellow brick road, the silver slippers, etc, were not even invented by writer L. Frank Baum and illustrator W.W.Denslow, but were actually figures used in previous political cartoons. Though these things may be coincidenses, the fact that Baum and Denslow were involved in politics in the 1890's, makes it more believeable that they may be connected. Economic issues are tied into this fairy tale too. When Dorothy is swept off to the land of "Oz", a place where resources are unlimited, she still has some serious problems. Oz is partly ruled by "wicked witches", ie. the drought that comes over the town. the wicked witches are killed by the flood (water kills a drought). There are connections to the name "The Wizard of Oz", as well as connections to the city "Emerald City". "Oz" in The Wizard of Oz can be seen as an abreviation of "ounce", a unit familiar to that time with the 16-1 oz. silver to gold ratio. Emerald City can also be seen as the land where green "bills" ruled everything. There are a large number of connections to political, economic, and social problems in The Wizard of Oz that I had never seen before.
I agree that the Wizard of Oz is a political commentary. There are just too many similarities between the book and the world the author lived in to say it's just a coincidence. And once you look at the book in that way, it makes more sense. Without it, the book seems kind of random. Scarecrows, witches, flying monkeys and a balloonist with a power fixation don't usually end up in the same story.
I also think it's kind of strange that these ideas would get put into a children's book. It's almost like a form of brainwashing. It made me think back to the WWII propaganda Donald Duck cartoon we watched last year in global. Although it's also intended for children, the book is slightly more subtle in getting its point across. I would not notice anything if it weren't for the website we read. Only adults or people who studied the book constantly would find these simliarities and hidden meanings.
This also makes me wonder why he put those things in his book. Was it to broaden his audience? Or was he was just looking for an outlet to tell everyone how he felt about certain issues? We may never know for sure, but i doubt it happened on accident.
Though I do think that Gabe has a valid point with his argument, I slightly disagree. I agree that it is easy to find the deeper meaning in something weather or not it’s suppose to be there, and that could easily be the case with the story of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. However, I feel that there are too many coincidences for this story to be anything less than an allegory.
For example, it is evident that Dorothy is a representation of Theodore Roosevelt. Dorothy is young, simple, naïve, and searching for a way home- similar to the people of the United States at the time. The citizens were new to this new way of life, and were just trying to get by, just like Dorothy. This is represented by the president of the time because it is the president’s job to represent the country. Further more, the cyclone’s representation of the Panic of 1893 fits in perfectly with other details. In the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the cyclone destroys and devastates Kansas, as for in 1893 the worsened finical state did the same. Both of these events, for instance, led to high unemployment and need for heavy repairs, which greatly affected the Scarecrow (the farmers of the Midwest) who had would continue to do what he knew how to do, but was unable to get ahead, for “having no brains” made it hard for him to advance economically, especially in this tough time.
I don’t think these things would be put into the story if they were not there for a distinct reason. Though it is reasonable to believe that all this is greater meaning pulled out unintentionally, I honestly don’t believe that was the point.
I believe that The WIzard of Oz is indeed a cleverly written allegory of the troubles America was facing at that time. Although many seem to believe that it was written merely as a childrens story, it is really hard to believe given the evidence that it is anything but an allegory. The idea from our packet that makes the connection of Dorothy being the American public makes sense. Americans at this time were attempting to overthrow oppression of the lower class and to find where they fit in society. As the Witches represent the oppressors (Large institutions and the rich and powerful) Dorothy's friends the Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion represent the farmers, the factory workers and the president. With all of these connections it is hard to imagine, although it is an awesome childrens story, it could be anything less than a political allegory for the condition of America in the 1890's.
I find it very interesting that the Wizard of Oz is considered to be similar to other fables of the past. When thinking about the other fairy tales and stories at first glance they just look like children's stories. But like the Wizard of Oz they have political meanings hidden within them. They also have certain lessons that you learn from them after reading. I find it surprising that the Wizard of Oz is mixed in because it does not seem as much a children's story as a young adult story.
Even though there is an obvious coincidence (if you choose to call it that) of political, social, and economic symbolism in the story it seems, after you think about it, to be more focused on that. After you read about all of the symbolism it is hard to remember the actual story of it, meaning the characters and events as is. It is extremely well written and hard to detect at first but once noticed, it is impossible to forget. I don't think I will ever see Dorothy the same way again, now I picture her looking similar to Uncle Sam. Being this well written is an important factor for this type of writting. The fairy tales were used to express political oppinion when it was not allowed. Masking it into a story meant for children and their parents allowed the children to be entertained and the parents to see the message.
I do see why children would enjoy this story. Classifying it as a fairy tale however is quite a stretch. I believe that L. Frank Baum himself classified the Wizard of Oz in a place where it fits perfectly. Calling it a "modernized fairy tale" classifies it similar to the older fairy tales while still showing the differences in the two works.
Ok so I personally love this. The connections are huge and I don't think they could ever be considered a coincidence. The fact that Baum was intensely involved in politics as a populist is just confirmation on that. The only doubt in this would be that some of the people have been considered different things like one saying the monkeys were the Native Americans and one saying they represented Pinkerton agents.
The Wizard of Oz was a history changing movie in general on the same level as movies like Citizen Kane which was about William Randolph Hearst which is drawn in the cartoon of the scarecrow. The use of political cartoons was much higher back then too which would enable the mind to grow from the paper to the screen.
One of my favorite representations is the tornado being The Panic of 1893 because that's what it probably felt like to most people. The connection to this movie for people back in the early 1900s must have been much stronger since they actually lived this era. Though, with the ability of hindsight it is nice to draw connections to the (now) famous people and events.
This story works really well for the time period but it almost seems universal in a way, There is a problem, there are people that are heartless, stupid and cowardly and there is a goal to get to which may be fake. I could almost say the same thing about a day in the mall. It is clear though that it is a clearer connection for the early 1900s and that it would make sense for the time the book was written.
I think that the interpretation of the wizard of oz as the populist movement is highly plausible. For one thing there are just too many coincidences that the story mentions that are highly symbolic of the time. Whether its president McKinley as "The Wizard of Oz" or the monkeys that ridicule the politicians, there is just too much evidence suggesting towards the populists movement. Reading this article really put into persepective the unit that we have been learning about because it sums up the time in a simple story that alot of people know.
There are so many examples in the book that go back to the populist movement that it is hard not think that that Wizard of OZ isn't an allegory. The story also seems to have a lot of dry humor in it. Because of the way that represented the characters. Such as the Great wizard who couldn't do anything being the president and the silver shoes that makes everything right again. Its almost as if he was trying to say that the political issues were treated like a load of nothing, a fairy tale. Or even the popuist party was ignored.
I think that the wizard of oz is a brilliant peace of literary work. It is not only a allegory of the politics of the late 19th century but also a phenomenol piece of literature that is popular with children. The fact that he later wrote a musical that refers to several people by name is proof that it was indeed intended to be a allegory. However i do not think that some of these comparisons are accurate and seem to be alittle too out there to make sense. I looked up some more stuff on this and is really a fascinating piece.
Side note: Did pink floyds dark side of the moon just happen to match the movie or were they somehow related to Baum??? oooo mystery
Personally, I find the idea of the Wizard of Oz as an allegory a very interesting point of view. Given the facts, I would absolutely have to agree, with no question, that it is one. I find it amazing that one of the most famous children’s books of all time happens to have hidden messages. It sounds like some sort of conspiracy theory. I think that because his public political stance matches the evidence found, that it seems very likely that the Wizard of Oz is an Allegory. Even the title could have a separate meaning ( OZ= oz.) I feel like I should have heard about this before, based on how wide spread the idea actually is. Still, the idea works, and I will never think of the flying monkeys the same way again (Native Americans?)
14 comments:
It is difficult to say if the Wizard of Oz was or wasn't meant to be an allegory, but the facts are hard to deny. If it would have to say I think that it wasn't meant to be an allegory, but influenced to the point that it could be analyzed as such. The things people write about and discuss are directly related to the events and daily life experiences they encounter. So although it might not have been directly intended the metaphors and symbolic features seeped into the plot and story.
With the potential representations of the characters and situations it is very easy to relate the story to the events that were taking place at that time period. Many of these take someone saying what they are and then you have an "ah ha" moment. Like the tin man being a worker of the time, and the scarecrow being a farmer. One of the ones that stuck out for me was the flying monkie's being the Indians who were "once a free people" also how the silver slippers were transported along the "yellow" brick road to the emerald city. The fact that those can be seen to represent the economic money situation I think is brilliant. All of these can be seen as intended or over looked into a child’s book.
Many of these I think could be related to today’s world as well. With the roads, slippers, and city representing the economy I agree that that is consistent today. With the tornadoes being a political overthrowing with Obama being elected, I think that could apply. The tin man is no longer rusty due to Rockefeller, but to gas prices in general. The munchkins could be the average people who are tortured by the witch; she could be a group of many things including the war in Iraq, the economic situation, etc. Overall if you look deep enough into something I think that it’s hard to not find a greater meaning.
There are many connections and symbols in the book that are too noticeable to be called coincidences. Almost every character is based off of some aspect of American life. All of the political scandals and mistreatment occurring, it creates a good basis to write a book. Also the reference about the book being a modernized fairy tale shows that it was modern for that time period. A lot of time goes into creating a story but if the story wasn't meant to be an allegory, it is evident that the events of the 1890's was a subconscious idea.
The Wizard of Oz could very well have been written with every intent to mirror the state that America was in at the time. I do not find that to be anything impressive at all. Writers have been doing it for years. What I find impressive is the fact that theory that the Wizard of Oz is not more highly publicized. If people know that Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds was about LSD then I am sure they would love to know that Dorothy might very well represent a man, a man named Theodore.
I think that either the Baum and Denslow spend an incredibly large amount of time writing and illustrating the story to have a hidden meaning that makes a bold political statement. Which, I believe, has gone widely unnoticed by the general public. Or they created a timeless American classic, which coincidentaly, resulted in an rush to by red heels.
Scott Mills -
I had heard that The Wizard of Oz was a political allegory but had never really seen hard evidence. Evidence of this being true sure is prevelent after reading this artical, though.
It is interesting to hear that the tin man, the yellow brick road, the silver slippers, etc, were not even invented by writer L. Frank Baum and illustrator W.W.Denslow, but were actually figures used in previous political cartoons. Though these things may be coincidenses, the fact that Baum and Denslow were involved in politics in the 1890's, makes it more believeable that they may be connected.
Economic issues are tied into this fairy tale too. When Dorothy is swept off to the land of "Oz", a place where resources are unlimited, she still has some serious problems. Oz is partly ruled by "wicked witches", ie. the drought that comes over the town. the wicked witches are killed by the flood (water kills a drought).
There are connections to the name "The Wizard of Oz", as well as connections to the city "Emerald City". "Oz" in The Wizard of Oz can be seen as an abreviation of "ounce", a unit familiar to that time with the 16-1 oz. silver to gold ratio. Emerald City can also be seen as the land where green "bills" ruled everything.
There are a large number of connections to political, economic, and social problems in The Wizard of Oz that I had never seen before.
I agree that the Wizard of Oz is a political commentary. There are just too many similarities between the book and the world the author lived in to say it's just a coincidence. And once you look at the book in that way, it makes more sense. Without it, the book seems kind of random. Scarecrows, witches, flying monkeys and a balloonist with a power fixation don't usually end up in the same story.
I also think it's kind of strange that these ideas would get put into a children's book. It's almost like a form of brainwashing. It made me think back to the WWII propaganda Donald Duck cartoon we watched last year in global. Although it's also intended for children, the book is slightly more subtle in getting its point across. I would not notice anything if it weren't for the website we read. Only adults or people who studied the book constantly would find these simliarities and hidden meanings.
This also makes me wonder why he put those things in his book. Was it to broaden his audience? Or was he was just looking for an outlet to tell everyone how he felt about certain issues? We may never know for sure, but i doubt it happened on accident.
Though I do think that Gabe has a valid point with his argument, I slightly disagree. I agree that it is easy to find the deeper meaning in something weather or not it’s suppose to be there, and that could easily be the case with the story of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. However, I feel that there are too many coincidences for this story to be anything less than an allegory.
For example, it is evident that Dorothy is a representation of Theodore Roosevelt. Dorothy is young, simple, naïve, and searching for a way home- similar to the people of the United States at the time. The citizens were new to this new way of life, and were just trying to get by, just like Dorothy. This is represented by the president of the time because it is the president’s job to represent the country. Further more, the cyclone’s representation of the Panic of 1893 fits in perfectly with other details. In the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the cyclone destroys and devastates Kansas, as for in 1893 the worsened finical state did the same. Both of these events, for instance, led to high unemployment and need for heavy repairs, which greatly affected the Scarecrow (the farmers of the Midwest) who had would continue to do what he knew how to do, but was unable to get ahead, for “having no brains” made it hard for him to advance economically, especially in this tough time.
I don’t think these things would be put into the story if they were not there for a distinct reason. Though it is reasonable to believe that all this is greater meaning pulled out unintentionally, I honestly don’t believe that was the point.
I believe that The WIzard of Oz is indeed a cleverly written allegory of the troubles America was facing at that time. Although many seem to believe that it was written merely as a childrens story, it is really hard to believe given the evidence that it is anything but an allegory.
The idea from our packet that makes the connection of Dorothy being the American public makes sense. Americans at this time were attempting to overthrow oppression of the lower class and to find where they fit in society. As the Witches represent the oppressors (Large institutions and the rich and powerful) Dorothy's friends the Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion represent the farmers, the factory workers and the president.
With all of these connections it is hard to imagine, although it is an awesome childrens story, it could be anything less than a political allegory for the condition of America in the 1890's.
I find it very interesting that the Wizard of Oz is considered to be similar to other fables of the past. When thinking about the other fairy tales and stories at first glance they just look like children's stories. But like the Wizard of Oz they have political meanings hidden within them. They also have certain lessons that you learn from them after reading. I find it surprising that the Wizard of Oz is mixed in because it does not seem as much a children's story as a young adult story.
Even though there is an obvious coincidence (if you choose to call it that) of political, social, and economic symbolism in the story it seems, after you think about it, to be more focused on that. After you read about all of the symbolism it is hard to remember the actual story of it, meaning the characters and events as is. It is extremely well written and hard to detect at first but once noticed, it is impossible to forget. I don't think I will ever see Dorothy the same way again, now I picture her looking similar to Uncle Sam. Being this well written is an important factor for this type of writting. The fairy tales were used to express political oppinion when it was not allowed. Masking it into a story meant for children and their parents allowed the children to be entertained and the parents to see the message.
I do see why children would enjoy this story. Classifying it as a fairy tale however is quite a stretch. I believe that L. Frank Baum himself classified the Wizard of Oz in a place where it fits perfectly. Calling it a "modernized fairy tale" classifies it similar to the older fairy tales while still showing the differences in the two works.
Ok so I personally love this. The connections are huge and I don't think they could ever be considered a coincidence. The fact that Baum was intensely involved in politics as a populist is just confirmation on that. The only doubt in this would be that some of the people have been considered different things like one saying the monkeys were the Native Americans and one saying they represented Pinkerton agents.
The Wizard of Oz was a history changing movie in general on the same level as movies like Citizen Kane which was about William Randolph Hearst which is drawn in the cartoon of the scarecrow. The use of political cartoons was much higher back then too which would enable the mind to grow from the paper to the screen.
One of my favorite representations is the tornado being The Panic of 1893 because that's what it probably felt like to most people. The connection to this movie for people back in the early 1900s must have been much stronger since they actually lived this era. Though, with the ability of hindsight it is nice to draw connections to the (now) famous people and events.
This story works really well for the time period but it almost seems universal in a way, There is a problem, there are people that are heartless, stupid and cowardly and there is a goal to get to which may be fake. I could almost say the same thing about a day in the mall. It is clear though that it is a clearer connection for the early 1900s and that it would make sense for the time the book was written.
I think that the interpretation of the wizard of oz as the populist movement is highly plausible. For one thing there are just too many coincidences that the story mentions that are highly symbolic of the time. Whether its president McKinley as "The Wizard of Oz" or the monkeys that ridicule the politicians, there is just too much evidence suggesting towards the populists movement. Reading this article really put into persepective the unit that we have been learning about because it sums up the time in a simple story that alot of people know.
There are so many examples in the book that go back to the populist movement that it is hard not think that that Wizard of OZ isn't an allegory. The story also seems to have a lot of dry humor in it. Because of the way that represented the characters. Such as the Great wizard who couldn't do anything being the president and the silver shoes that makes everything right again. Its almost as if he was trying to say that the political issues were treated like a load of nothing, a fairy tale. Or even the popuist party was ignored.
I think that the wizard of oz is a brilliant peace of literary work. It is not only a allegory of the politics of the late 19th century but also a phenomenol piece of literature that is popular with children. The fact that he later wrote a musical that refers to several people by name is proof that it was indeed intended to be a allegory. However i do not think that some of these comparisons are accurate and seem to be alittle too out there to make sense. I looked up some more stuff on this and is really a fascinating piece.
Side note: Did pink floyds dark side of the moon just happen to match the movie or were they somehow related to Baum??? oooo mystery
Personally, I find the idea of the Wizard of Oz as an allegory a very interesting point of view. Given the facts, I would absolutely have to agree, with no question, that it is one. I find it amazing that one of the most famous children’s books of all time happens to have hidden messages. It sounds like some sort of conspiracy theory. I think that because his public political stance matches the evidence found, that it seems very likely that the Wizard of Oz is an Allegory. Even the title could have a separate meaning ( OZ= oz.) I feel like I should have heard about this before, based on how wide spread the idea actually is. Still, the idea works, and I will never think of the flying monkeys the same way again (Native Americans?)
Post a Comment