Political interpretations of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz facts for kids
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a famous fairy tale written by L. Frank Baum in 1900, has many hidden meanings. People often see the story as an allegory or metaphor for important political, economic, and social events happening in America during the 1890s. An allegory is a story with a secret meaning, often about politics or morals. A metaphor is a way of describing something by saying it is something else.
Experts have looked at different versions of Oz to find these hidden messages. They include the original book from 1900, a Broadway play from 1901, and the well-known Hollywood movie from 1939.
These political ideas focus on how the story's pictures and plot connect to the big issues of the time. L. Frank Baum was interested in politics in the 1890s, especially about money. The book's artist, William Wallace Denslow, was even a political cartoonist. In the 1901 Broadway play, Baum added clear jokes about famous politicians like President Theodore Roosevelt.
Money Matters in Oz
In 1964, a historian named Henry Littlefield suggested that the book was an allegory about money debates in the late 1800s. Back then, there was a big discussion about whether the U.S. should use only gold for its money (the gold standard) or also include silver (bimetallism).
Here are some of his ideas:
- The Yellow Brick Road stands for the gold standard.
- The Silver Shoes (which are Ruby slippers in the 1939 movie) represent the idea of using silver money. People who wanted silver money were called "Silverites." They wanted silver to be valued at 16 times more than gold.
- The name "Oz" might come from the abbreviation for "ounces," which is how gold and silver are measured.
Many people found this idea interesting, and other experts agreed. However, some disagreed with Littlefield's specific points. The 1901 musical version of Oz was for adults and had many clear political jokes. For example, the Tin Woodman worries about running out of oil. The Scarecrow jokes that he wouldn't be as bad off as John D. Rockefeller, a very rich businessman.
Even though Littlefield's first ideas might have had some mistakes, many scholars now agree that Baum's characters and images look a lot like the political ideas of the 1890s. Quentin Taylor, for example, said that many parts of the book match real people and events from that time.
- Dorothy is a simple, young girl. She represents the average American person. She is like "Everyman," someone who is lost and trying to find their way home.
- Following the yellow brick road (gold) eventually leads to the Emerald City. This city might represent fake paper money that only pretends to have value.
- The Wizard is a tricky politician. He uses tricks to make people believe he is good and powerful. But he is actually selfish and not very good. He sends Dorothy into danger to get rid of his enemy, the Wicked Witch of the West. He admits to Dorothy, "I'm a very bad Wizard."
Another expert, Hugh Rockoff, suggested in 1990 that the book was about the U.S. stopping the use of silver money in 1873. He thought:
- The cyclone that takes Dorothy to Oz represents the big economic and political changes of the time.
- The yellow brick road is the gold standard.
- Dorothy's silver shoes stand for the movement to bring back silver money.
- When Dorothy goes to see the Wizard, she goes through seven passages and up three flights of stairs. This might be a hidden reference to the Coinage Act of 1873, which caused conflict in America.
Oz's Social Groups
Historian Quentin Taylor also saw other hidden meanings in the characters:
- The Scarecrow represents American farmers and their problems in the late 1800s. Farmers often struggled with debt and low crop prices.
- The Tin Man stands for industrial workers, especially those in the steel factories. These workers faced tough conditions and long hours.
- The Cowardly Lion is a metaphor for William Jennings Bryan. Bryan was a famous politician and speaker who ran for president many times. He was known for his loud speeches but was sometimes seen as not having enough courage to win.
Taylor also said that the cyclone was a common symbol in the 1890s. It was used in cartoons to show a political revolution that would change the country from dull to colorful and rich.
Dorothy herself represents the goodness and innocence of people.
Other ideas about the book's hidden meanings include:
- The Wicked Witch of the West could represent the American West. This region was seen as wild and dangerous at the time.
- If the Wicked Witch is the West, then the Winged Monkeys might represent another danger from the West: Native American tribes. The King of the Winged Monkeys tells Dorothy that his people were once free before Oz came to rule the land. This could be a sad reminder of how Native American tribes lost their lands and freedom.
It's important to know that L. Frank Baum, the author, had some very strong and controversial opinions about Native Americans. In newspaper articles he wrote in 1890, he suggested harsh actions against them. However, some people think he might have been using sarcasm or asking a rhetorical question to make a point about how Native Americans were treated. He also wrote about his sympathy for Sitting Bull, a famous Native American leader, saying Sitting Bull had reasons to be angry because his people were wronged.
Other Ideas About Oz
Some writers have looked at the same clues in the book but come up with completely different hidden meanings.
Besides intentional symbols, experts have wondered where Baum got his ideas. The "man behind the curtain" could be a reference to automated displays in store windows. Many people watching these fancy moving figures thought someone must be behind a curtain pulling levers to make them move. Baum actually edited a magazine for people who designed store windows.
Other hidden meanings have been suggested, even if Baum didn't plan them. The story has been seen as a theosophical allegory, which is a spiritual philosophy.
In 1993, W. Geoffrey Seeley suggested that the supposed "Good Witch Glinda" was actually very clever and tricky. He thought Glinda used Dorothy, who was innocent, to get rid of both her sister witch (the Wicked Witch of the West) and the Wizard of Oz. This would leave Glinda as the only powerful ruler of all of Oz. He even said Glinda showed her "Machiavellian brilliance" (meaning she was very cunning) by letting the story be named after the weakest of her enemies. Glinda could have told Dorothy that the silver slippers would easily take her home, but she might have wanted Dorothy to cause trouble for the Wizard.
Kassinger, in her book Gold: From Greek Myth to Computer Chips, suggests that "The Wizard symbolizes bankers who support the gold standard and oppose adding silver to it... Only Dorothy's silver slippers can take her home to Kansas." This means that Dorothy, or the people of the West, didn't realize they already had a good form of money (silver) all along.
Canadian author Margaret Atwood has even compared the election of Donald Trump in 2016 to the Wizard, saying, "the wizard is the president-elect. He has no magic powers."
Images for kids
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A cartoon from 1906 showing how The Wizard of Oz was used to talk about politics. The Scarecrow is stuck in "Ooze."
