The Wizard of Oz – A Populist Allegory

Wizard of Oz• Tornado/Cyclone Scene

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA42WWfh1xQ • Dorothy meets Glinda the good Witch (0:20)

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP_wx0qrKu0 • Lullaby League & Lollipop Guild

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KSiyaqnZYs• “Follow the Yellow Brick Road”

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THbY7EL8k5w • Scarecrow – “If I only had a brain”

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nauLgZISozs• Dorothy meets the Tin Man

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oq15Zy7sB4• Dorothy meets the Cowardly Lion

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2itQkiQUOE• Poppy fields

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG2keYgBiZc • Procession to Emerald City (0:52)

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm3ypbAbLJ8• Emerald City song (“Merry Old Land of Oz”)

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN75xqpqCGE• Winged Monkeys

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SESI19h4wDo • Death of the Wicked Witch of the West

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aopdD9Cu-So • Wizard of Oz Revealed

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZR64EF3OpA

Gray Kansas setting

Drab, colorless, dry western plains

Agrarian malaise, crisis in agriculture

Cyclone Twisting, disorienting, violent, displaces Dorothy

and Toto

Political Upheaval-political revolution that will transform the drab country into a land of color and unlimited prosperity;

the free silver movement

Glinda, Good Witch of the North

(and South)

Helpful to Dorothy, beautiful, kind

Populism that can solve potentially everyone's problems - had a large

following among citizens of the Northern Plains

Wicked Witch of the East

Unseen; known to be evil and oppressive

Eastern business and financial interests (industry, banks,

railroads)

Ruby SlippersMagical, powerful, can help

Dorothy on her quest

In the book, they are silver

the silver component of a bimetallic standard

MunchkinsThe little people; all dressed

similarly in blue (in the book)

ordinary citizens of the East

The Lullaby League and the Lollipop Guild

Unified groups of Munchkins

divided by genderspecific labor skills

guilds/trade unions of skilled workers

Yellow Brick Road Long, winding, made of yellow bricks –

path to Emerald City

gold standard

Scarecrow

Tin Man

Western farmers (take over Emerald City in the

book)

Rusted, helpless, missing a heart, needs

oil to move

Dehumanized industrial workers - limbs cut off due to witch of the

east (loss of limbs in the factories)

(take over West and spread industry in the book)

Lack of brains; straw, not much substance; not valued but does have

common sense

Cowardly Lion

Poppy fields Causes some characters to fall asleep

Vocal, loud - ultimately unable to

frighten; needs courage to stand up to others (all roar,

no bite)

William Jennings Bryan (famous speeches but unable to

get elected)

Side issues that slow politicians down

Procession to the Emerald City

Traveling party marching to the Emerald City

Populism going to Washington, gaining political power

or possibly Coxey's Army (unemployed workers marching to Washington seeking relief)

Washington D.C.

Winged Monkeys Native Americans

Emerald City (and song)

Capital city of Oz, things not as they appear; glorious place where all

things are possible, but also very lazy

Act under the control of Witch of the West, forced to

either submit or be killed

All-powerful, evil, scary, tries to stop

Dorothy

killed by water

“malignant nature,” drought, the difficult physical

environment in which farmers on the Great Plains lived

Wicked Witch of the West (and her

death)

Throne room

Wizard of Oz

Oval Office in the White House

Smoke and mirrors, theatrics, slight of hand

Place of meeting between the Wizard and the

traveling party, closed off to others

Not always visible,works behind the scenes,

a charlatan

(also, oz = ounce of gold)

generally dishonest or shady politicians (Cleveland and

McKinley) OR Mark Hanna (campaign manager for

McKinley)

Toto

Dorothy

Dog / sidekick

Innocent, young, simple, earnest

Everyman (the American people), led astray and who seeks the way back home;

Other idea:

DOROTHY

DORE – O – THEEROOSEVELT

Prohibitionist party (also called Teetotalers) that was a small part

of the movement