Symbolism In The Wizard Of Oz

Intro:

The Wizard of Oz is one of the most classic and timeless children books of all time. It was written by L. Frank Baum in 1900, a time when the Populist Movement was collapsing and a depression was setting in. America was turning to it’s leaders for help, but was not exactly getting the secure response they needed. It has been speculated that The Wizard of Oz is not only a fantastic children’s novel, but also a secret parable on Populism and the American Monetary Policy.

Dorothy & the Silver Slippers:

The entire story of the Wizard of Oz is centered around Dorothy and her silver slippers, although they were changed to ruby in the movie to showcase the wonders of technicolor in film. Once the color of the shoes was changed from silver to ruby, all the symbolism was lost. The silver shoes represent the populist parties desire to attain silver as the national currency. Dorothy herself represents the average, good hearted, populist American growing up in Kansas, the heart of the country.

Scarecrow:

The first character Dorothy encounters on her journey, the Scarecrow, might be the most obvious form of symbolism in the story. He represents the typical midwestern farmer who was thought of as uneducated, but they were in fact much smarter then the central bank realized. The Scarecrow thought very little of himself. He often complained about not having a brain but wound up to be the most adept problem solver out of the four travelers. The scarecrow, much like midwestern farmers, was ignorant to many city things but had an abundance of common since and still managed to understand with little education.

Tin Man:

The second character Dorothy meets on her journey is the Tin Man. He represented the industrial workers who had ...

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...ld City. Once they arrive though, they are surprised to find that the actual Wizard was not so big after all. He was just a normal man hiding behind a curtain and a pull string. The Wizard can be compared to the central bank. Another tricky similarity between the two is the Wizard and the bank is the word Oz. Oz not only represents the Wizard himself but is also the standard for measuring gold.

Conclusion:

After becoming wealthy from the profits of his novel, L Frank Baum lost interest in American politics. And although the evidence of the brilliant parable is evident, he never actually admitted to secret symbolism throughout The Wizard of Oz. Many fans to this day argue that none of it is true, that the classic tale is nothing more then a creative and captivating children’s story. The stories true meaning can now only be decided by the individual reader. believe