The Wonderful Wizard of OzAn Examination of the Underlying Political Allegory
By Grant Wang '01 and Dan Jacobs '01
The Gold Standard as the Yellow Brick Road ...
"After a few hours the road began to be rough, and the walking grew so difficult that the Scarecrow often stumbled over the yellow brick, which were here very uneven. Sometimes, indeed, they were broken or missing altogether, leaving holes that Toto jumped across and Dorothy walked around. As for the Scarecrow, having no brains he walked straight ahead, and so stepped into the holes and fell full length on the hard bricks."
In the late 1890s, a major issue was the currency of the United States
Silver Coinage as the Silver Shoes...
"'The Witch of the East was proud of those silver shoes,' said one of the Munchkins; 'and there is some charm connected with them; but what it is we never knew.'"
"At that moment Dorothy saw lying on the table the silver shoes that had belonged to the Witch of the East. 'I wonder if they will fit me,' she said to Toto. 'They would be just the thing to take a long walk in, for they could not wear out.'"
Supporters of the silver movement argued that it had the elasticity and abundance to last for a long time. Dorothy likewise felt the silver shoes to "be just the thing to take a long walk in, for they could not wear out." Additionally, the Wicked Witch of the East was proud of the silver shoes because "there is some charm connected with them." The banker bosses during that time had the power to control money but the addition of silver to the gold standard would dampen their ability to hold power by money.
Uncle Sam as Dorothy
"She (the Witch of the West) looked down at Dorothy's feet, and seeing the Silver Shoes, began to tremble with fear, for she knew what a powerful charm belonged to them. At first the Witch was tempted to run away from Dorothy; but she happened to look into the child's eyes and saw how simple the soul behind them was, and that the little girl did not know of the wonderful power the Silver Shoes gave her."
In Baum's mind, the nation was unknowing and innocent. They always had the chance to implement silver, but they were too "simple" to realize its power. Dorothy owned the power of the silver shoes but was too innocent to recognize it. In this passage, Baum reveals his opinion that the railroad barons and banker bosses fed off of the innocence of the nation (Dorothy).
William Jennings Bryan
"I learned that if I roared very loudly every living thing was frightened and got out of my way. Whenever I've met a man I've been awfully scared; but I just roared at him, and he has always run away as fast as he could go."
Bryan, who never actually won a presidential election, ran many times, including the 1896 election against William McKinley. In speeches such as the Cross of Gold, Bryan
An Eastern Worker as the Tin Woodman...
"He (the Cowardly Lion) struck at the Tin Woodman with his sharp claws. But, to the Lion's surprise, he could make no impression on the tin, although the Woodman fell over in the road and lay still."
The eastern laborers of Baum's era were often cruelly subjected to long hours, low pay, and an inability to argue for themselves because labor unions were prohibited and the ones that existed were powerless. Baum noted in this passage how William Jennings Bryan could not get the vote of the worker during his election. Baum was taking a stand against the approach of the Populists and Bryan. He contended that the worker could find his own solution just as the Tin Woodman, in accepting his fake heart, found his own emotions.
A Midwestern Farmer as the Scarecrow
"As for the Scarecrow, having no brains he walked straight ahead, and so stepped into the holes and fell at full length on the hard bricks. It never hurt him, however, and Dorothy would pick him up and set him upon his feet again, while he joined her in laughing merrily at his own mishap."
Baum's experiences during the droughts that he observed in Aberdeen , SD
William McKinley and Mark Hanna as the Wizard of Oz...
"'No; you are all wrong,' said the little man, meekly. 'I have been making believe.'
'Making believe!' cried Dorothy. 'Are you not a great Wizard?'
'Hush, my dear,' he said; 'don't speak so loud, or you will be overheard--and I should be ruined. I'm supposed to be a Great Wizard.'
'And aren't you?' she asked.
'Not a bit of it, my dear; I'm just a common man.'
'You're more than that,' said the Scarecrow, in a grieved tone; 'you're a humbug.'"
"'What is that (a balloonist)?' asked Dorothy.
'A man who goes up in a balloon on circus day, so as to draw a crowd of people together and get them to pay to see the circus,' he explained."
Mark Hanna presented William McKinley, who won the election of 1896, as a great man and coerced the people into electing him, even though he was simply a common man. The Wizard of Oz was "supposed to be a Great Wizard," but was in reality just an ordinary man. Baum supported the common man and objected to Mark Hanna's dominance.
A Banker Boss as the Wicked Witch of the East
"'She was the wicked Witch of the East, as I said,' answered the little woman. 'She has held all the Munchkins in bondage for many years, making them slave for her night and day. Now they, are all set free, and are grateful to you for the favour.'"
The banker bosses during the late 1800s easily controlled manufacturing and business in the east using such methods as trusts and interlocking directorates. The common worker, especially the child worker, suffered at the expense of the profits of these banker bosses. In Oz, the Wicked Witch of the East held the Munchkins in bondage, who were forced to "slave for her night and day."
A Railroad Baron as the Wicked Witch of the West
"She (the Witch of the West) looked down at Dorothy's feet, and seeing the Silver Shoes, began to tremble with fear, for she knew what a powerful charm belonged to them. At first the Witch was tempted to run away from Dorothy; but she happened to look into the child's eyes and saw how simple the soul behind them was, and that the little girl did not know of the wonderful power the Silver Shoes gave her. So the Wicked Witch laughed to herself, and thought, 'I can still make her my slave, for she does not know how to use her power.' Then she said to Dorothy, harshly and severely, 'Come with me; and see that you mind everything that I tell you, for if you do not I will make an end to you, as I did of the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow.'"
The monopolistic railroad barons of the late 1800s ruled over the common workers and farmers, controlling the farmers shipping expenses and manipulating the earnings of railroad workers. In the same way, the Wicked Witch of the West made an end to the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow. Many people, including Baum, feared that the population of the US
The Plains Indians as the Winged Monkeys...
"'Once,' began the leader, 'we were a free people, living happily in the great forest, flying from tree to tree, eating nuts and fruit, and doing just as we pleased without calling anybody master. Perhaps some of us were rather too full of mischief at times, flying down to pull the tails of the animals that had no wings, chasing birds, and throwing nuts at the people who walked in the forest. But we were careless and happy and full of fun, and enjoyed every minute of the day. This was many years ago, long before Oz came out of the clouds to rule over this land.'"
The Plains Indians, in the 1890s, were unable to find a home anywhere in America US
