The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, 

children’s book written by L. Frank Baum and first

published in 1900. A modern fairy tale with a distinctly American setting, a delightfully
levelheaded and assertive heroine, and engaging fantasy characters, the story was enormously
popular and became a classic of children’s literature. However, by the late 20th century the 1939
film The Wizard of Oz had become more familiar than the book on which it was based.
Dorothy is a young girl who lives in a one-room house in Kansas with the care-worn Uncle
Henry and Aunt Em; the joy of her life is her dog, Toto. A sudden cyclone strikes, and, by the
time Dorothy catches Toto, she is unable to reach the storm cellar. They are still in the house
when the cyclone carries it away for a long journey. When at last the house lands, Dorothy finds
that she is in a beautiful land inhabited by very short, strangely dressed people. The Witch of the
North informs her that she is in the land of the Munchkins, who are grateful to her for having
killed the Wicked Witch of the East (the house having landed on the witch), thus freeing them.
The Witch of the North gives Dorothy the silver shoes of the dead witch and advises her to go to
the City of Emeralds to see the Great Wizard Oz, who might help her return to Kansas. The
witch sends Dorothy off along the yellow brick road with a magical kiss to protect her from
harm. On the long journey to the Emerald City, Dorothy and Toto are joined by the Scarecrow,
who wishes he had brains; the Tin Woodman, who longs for a heart; and the Cowardly Lion,
who seeks courage. They face many trials along their route, but they overcome them all, often
because of the Scarecrow’s good sense, the Tin Woodman’s kindness, and the bravery of the
Cowardly Lion. At last they reach the Emerald City, where the Guardian of the Gates outfits
them with green-lensed glasses and leads them to the Palace of Oz. Oz tells them that no favours
will be granted until the Wicked Witch of the West has been killed. The companions head to the
land of the Winkies, ruled by the Wicked Witch of the West. The witch sends wolves, crows,
bees, and armed Winkies to stop them, all to no avail. So she uses her Golden Cap to summon
the Winged Monkeys. The Winged Monkeys destroy the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman and
cage the Cowardly Lion, but they bring Dorothy and Toto to the witch, who enslaves Dorothy.
The witch wants Dorothy’s shoes, which she knows carry powerful magic. She contrives to make
Dorothy trip and fall, so she can grab one of the shoes. An angered Dorothy throws a bucket of
water at the witch, who then melts away to nothing. Dorothy frees the Cowardly Lion and
engages the help of the now free Winkies in repairing and rebuilding the Tin Woodman and the
Scarecrow, and the friends return to Oz.
The Ordinary World, as the movie opens, Dorothy’s world is the Kansas farm on which
she lives with her Auntie Em and Uncle Henry. This world is bleak and run down; Auntie Em
and Uncle Henry must work hard to keep the farm going. Kansas is shown in the movie using
black-and-white film in contrast to the colorful world of Oz the Call to Adventure Miss Gulch
threatens to have Dorothy’s beloved dog Toto euthanized for digging up her garden. Auntie Em
and Uncle Henry are powerless to prevent Miss Gulch from taking the dog. Toto escapes and
runs home. This is the Call to Adventure because it calls Dorothy to embark on her quest.
Refusing the Call, Dorothy tries to return to the farm after Professor Marvel tells her that
Auntie Em is seriously ill. Dorothy’s love for family causes her to try to end her recently started
journey, thus Refusing the Call Meeting with the Mentor Glinda, the Good Witch of the North,
serves as the most important Mentor in Dorothy’s adventure. Glinda tells Dorothy that she is a
hero for having killed the Wicked Witch of the East with her house and that only the Wizard of
Oz can show Dorothy how to get back home. Crossing the First Threshold. The First Threshold
for Dorothy’s journey can be seen when she takes her first steps on the yellow brick road despite
threats of revenge from the sister of the dead witch
Tests, Allies, and Enemies, Dorothy is tested all along the journey and often comes close
to losing her way. One of the most dramatic tests occurs in the battle with the flying monkeys.
Dorothy faces these tests with allies she has met during her journey, including the Scarecrow, the
Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion. The Approach to the Inmost Cave. For Dorothy, the approach
to the inmost cave occurs in the Witch’s castle where she is forced to choose between giving up
her magic slippers and Toto, whom the Witch has threatened to drown if Dorothy doesn’t
relinquish the slippers. The Ordeal When the Witch torches the Scarecrow and his straw starts to
burn, Dorothy cannot stop herself from protecting her friend. The Reward: Dorothy is rewarded
with knowledge. She returns from the Wicked Witch’s castle with the old crone’s broomstick in
hand. She expects that the Wizard of Oz, as promised, will send her home to Kansas. The Road
Back the Wizard gives the Scarecrow, the Lion, and the Tin Man their Rewards/Elixirs, i.e., the
degree, the medal for valor, and the ticking heart. When it is time for Dorothy to receive what
she thought was her Reward, a trip home to Kansas in a balloon, Toto jumps out of Dorothy’s
arms to chase a cat. Resurrection: — Dorothy is resurrected when she finds, courtesy of her
mentor, Glinda, that she had the ability to return home from her first minutes in Oz, when the
magic slippers appeared on her feet. Glinda explains that she didn’t tell Dorothy at the time
because Dorothy wouldn’t have believed her. Return with the Elixir: — The Dorothy who
awakens in her bed back in Kansas is quite different from the girl who left. She has returned
from her journey with the self-assurance necessary to live fully and the knowledge that to do
anything, you must first believe in yourself.
Dorothy is obviously the heroine of “The Wizard of Oz.” She is a protagonist who
successfully completes her quest, maturing and finding self-assurance as she passes test after
test. Dorothy’s primary mentor is Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, who appears at strategic
moments to guide Dorothy on her path. Toto, Dorothy’s little black dog, can also be considered a
mentor. At crucial points in the story, it is Toto who leads Dorothy to the right path. It is Toto
who escapes from Miss Gulch, prompting Dorothy to run away from home; it is Toto who
unmasks the Wizard of Oz; and it is Toto who jumps out of the Wizard’s balloon, leading
Dorothy to the final stages of her quest. “The Wizard of Oz” is a story about learning self-
assurance. Knowing when to follow one’s instincts is an important part of that lesson. Threshold
Guardians the first threshold guardian that Dorothy meets is Professor Marvel, who convinces
her to refuse the call to the quest and return home. The guard at the gate of the Emerald City is
also a threshold guardian. Herald, there is no classic Herald in Dorothy’s story. Shapeshifter —
Each of Dorothy’s allies shifts their shape. Most importantly, Oz is a shapeshifter. He becomes
Dorothy’s ally only after Toto reveals his true form. Shadow — The Shadow in “The Wizard of
Oz” would appear to be Dorothy’s desire to go “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” which she
realizes is a false goal when she discovers that “There’s no place like home.” However, this is a
superficial theme, and the more important theme is that in order to attain your goals, you must
first believe in yourself. Dorothy’s immaturity would be the Shadow here, but it does not appear
to play a major role in the story. Trickster — Professor Marvel/the Wizard of Oz is a classic
trickster. As professor Marvel, he tricks Dorothy into going back to the farm. As the Wizard, he
tricks Dorothy and all of Oz into thinking that he was a great magician. Toto is also a Trickster in
this story in the sense that he is a catalyst for change who, by refusing to conform to what is
expected of him, leads to complications for the other characters. Toto digs up Miss Gulch’s
garden, an action that leads to the beginning of the quest; he guides and reunites the travelers; he
reveals the Wizard of Oz to be a fraud; and he sets up the final stages of the journey when, to
Dorothy’s horror, he leaps out of the basket of the Wizard’s balloon, causing her to leave the
balloon just before it rises into the air. After all, the story would have been much less fulfilling if
Dorothy had remained in the balloon and Professor Marvel/the Wizard of Oz had taken Dorothy
back to Kansas. If this had been the ending, the lesson of the story would have been that
Dorothy, in addition to being considerate and helpful to others, needed to find a father figure to
take her where she wanted to go.