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A few weeks ago in my AP History class we did a presentation on the Wizard of Oz. Apparently the author was subtly referring to the Progressive Movement of the late 1800s. Each different character had a different purpose in the book. Dorothy represented the naive citizen, her uncle and aunt represented the oppressed farmers of the Midwest. The Tinman was the overworked steel worker and the lion represented WIlliam Jennings Bryan, who ran for the Democratic nomination 4 times.
If you remember when Dorothy and her friends fell asleep in the flowers then you can understand the connection it would have to Coxy's Army when they were arrested for walking on the grass at the White House. Other interesting connections were that Oz symbolized Washington, D.C. and the Wizard symbolized the unresponsive presidents from McKinley to Roosevelt.
The Wizard of Oz actually has a significant meaning in history besides being a children's book. It is interesting to go back and analyze things in a different way.
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ReplyDeleteThis is really, truly interesting. I've never followed the Wizard of Oz storyline really closely, but now it's visible in a different light, if it's truly as you say; written for the purpose of political satire.
However, this also makes me a little sad at the same time, that one of the most innocent childhood memories for many children is really a kind of insidious finger-wag at the way the government does things. While I do appreciate a stinging rebuttal against The Man, I do get that kind of "is-nothing-sacred" feeling.
A mixed blessing, I suppose.