A Literary Analysis Of The Wizard Of

Oz Essay, Research Paper

Survival of the Fittest

Fairy tales, such as Mervyn Leroy?s 1939 production of The Wizard of Oz, follow children throughout the ages because each child contains a wholesome instinctive desire for fantastic stories and manifest reality. Characters like the munchkins and fairies of Grimm and Anderson have brought more joy to young hearts than from all other human inventions. The Wizard of Oz has served for generations and is now considered a ?historical? tale in the children?s library. Contemporary child ventures solely in entertainment in a fairy tale but it is essential that in modern education the story includes morality; Fleming?s production easily dispenses both entertainment and morality to please educators and children of the world. The Wizard of Oz survives today because it speaks the truth, demonstrates ?affirimitiveness?, and contains beauty.

The movie revolves around the central character Dorothy Gale, who is a twelve-year-old girl from Kansas who loves her dog Toto. She lives an unhappy lifestyle on her Aunt Em?s and Uncle Henry?s farm; therefore, she embarks on a journey for a better life with Toto as her only companion. She yearns to travel ?somewhere where there isn?t any trouble? and escape from the clutches of dog-hating Elvira Guilch. Before long, Dorothy and Toto are whisked away by a swirling tornado and thrown into a Technicolor world. They arrive in munchkin land atop the wicked witch of the East. Dorothy and Toto meet the inhabitants of Munchkin City and Glinda, the good witch of the North. The wicked witch of the West then threatens Dorothy. As a result, Dorothy and Toto travel down the yellow brick road in search of the Emerald City to ask The Wizard of Oz to send them home. During their long walk, three new friends accompany them: the scarecrow, the tin man, and the cowardly lion. The new companions desire a gift from the wizard, a gift that each individual lacks within his or her soul. The scarecrow opts for a brain; the tin man would like a heart; the cowardly lion longs for courage. Along the yellow brick road, the five characters are challenged by encounters with the wicked witch who wants her sister?s ruby slippers back from Dorothy. At one point, the witch induces sleep using a sleeping spell in a poppy seed field. This spell is only broken by snow sent by Glinda, the good witch. The five partners arrive in Emerald City where the Wizard promises to fulfill their wishes when they can retrieve the wicked witch?s broomstick. The witch?s gang of flying winged monkey?s capture Dorothy in pursuit of the broomstick, but good manages to prevail over evil. The companions return to the wizard and discover that he is a charlatan. He claims to be ?A Kansas Man? himself. He eventually provides Dorothy?s new friends with satiating tokens and tells Dorothy he will return her and Toto to Kansas on a hot-air balloon. The wizard loses control of the balloon placing Dorothy in a stranded foreign land once again. Glinda informs Dorothy that she possesses the power to return herself by using the magical ruby slippers. To show for her trip Dorothy ?returns? to Kansas merely with memories and a bump on her head, but with an epiphany repeating ?there?s no place like home?.

The truth in the movie pertains to society as a whole. The Wizard of Oz is a reflection of society?s struggle to maintain pace with drastic changes that occur around it. The bright, colorful world of Oz represents the new century; where as, Dorothy illustrates every man that relies on brains, a heart, and courage to survive the New World. Glinda and the Wizard guide Dorothy along her journey, only to help her envision her full potential. Over time Dorothy becomes accustomed to the new environment and becomes able to embrace her surroundings. Furthermore, in several ways, civilization is currently in Oz. People are caught in the turbulence of modern society and then released into a wonderland of high expectations, unclear paths, wizardly technology, and frightening enemies. New lands are often grand but simultaneously scary. Like Dorothy, individuals must utilize their knowledge, hearts, and courage in order to survive this wonderland.

The Wizard of Oz depicts ?affirimitiveness? through the characters? struggle with self-reliance. ?Affirimitiveness? can be defined as an assurance through finding stability in one?s self. All humans contain some aspect of instability. Therefore, society searched for an ?Emerald City? and an ambiguous ?Wizard? who solves problems and grants people all the characteristic civilization lacks such as: a brain, heart, and courage. At times, many people lack in some of these attributes. The journey for the wizard ultimately proves to each character that the attribute they seek is already alive in each individual and just needs to be recognized, acknowledged, and utilized. This moral is applicable to all humans. Each individual must not only contain a brain, heart, and courage, but utilize these attributes in order to make a difference in not only his or her soul, but the world as well.

The movie still holds beauty within the soul even though it was released over seventy years ago. Society can learn from the character?s actions even in present times. Rather than dwelling on the fact that a tornado places Dorothy in a foreign land accidentally killing the wicked witch of the east, she willingly embraces the change while imagining the Emerald City and the Wizard to be her guide home. Along the yellow brick road, she meets three psychologically flawed individuals. The characters arrive at the city only to be rudely greeted by a gatekeeper who responds unpromising until the four explain there association with Glinda; thus, demonstrating similarities to the contemporary business world in which they use a method known as networking. Once they speak with the wizard and receive his challenge, they devise a strategic plan to accomplish their goal. In other words, success is more easily attained when a plan is devised to organize thoughts and ideas. Once Dorothy, the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion accomplish their goal, they discover that the critical information they search for has been available close to home the entire time. The beauty of The Wizard of Oz is evident in its ease of moral issues into the world today.

The Wizard of Oz is a parable of America that gives all people a look at themselves in the midst of a confusing world. Everyone confronts elements of confusion when searching for the lacking portion of themselves whether it be a brain, heart, or courage. This movie also demonstrates that everyone contains particular aspect of these characteristics within themselves; it does not require a ?wizard? to understand this concept. The movie is still a universal masterpiece because it contains universality that is applicable to present individuals in their own lives. Despite particular human conditions, all humans have value and the power to triumph. The Wizard of Oz?s beauty, ?affirmitiveness?, and truth is found in its unification of the production?s purpose.