What Is The Wizard Of Oz An Allegory About?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Hugh Rockoff suggested in 1990 that the novel was an allegory about

the demonetization of silver in 1873

, whereby “the cyclone that carried Dorothy to the Land of Oz represents the economic and political upheaval, the yellow brick road stands for the gold standard, and the silver shoes Dorothy inherits from the Wicked …

Is the Wizard of Oz a monetary allegory?

For many years, the Wizard of Oz retained its status as purely a modern classic of the children literature. More recently, however, a number of authors have argued that the Wizard of Oz is not a children book at all, but rather

a populist allegory about the US monetary debates of the last quarter of the 19

th

century

.

What does the Wizard of Oz symbolize?

Frank Baum’s book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” upon which the movie is based, was a

political allegory for American politics at the dawn of the 20th century

. Dorothy, the Kansas innocent, represents the nobility of middle (and Midwestern) America; the Tin Man is industry, the Scarecrow is agriculture.

What is the hidden message in the Wizard of Oz?

But in both cases, Dorothy is instantly hailed as a conquering heroine, just as the Wizard was when he touched down in Oz. The message is that

people will march behind any authority figure who makes a splash, however undeserving they may be.

What is the moral lesson of the Wizard of Oz?

The lesson from of The Wizard of Oz is

to stop trying to be the person you think everyone expects you to be, and simply be who you are

.

What do the ruby slippers symbolize in the Wizard of Oz?

In the movie, the slippers represent

the little guy’s ability to triumph over powerful forces

. As the item that she – a simple teenage farm girl from Kansas – steals from the dictatorial Wicked Witch and ultimately uses to liberate the oppressed people of Oz, they’re nothing less than a symbol of revolution.

Is Wizard of Oz a dream?

In the movie, Dorothy gets knocked out by a flying window during the cyclone scene. She eventually lands in Oz but by the movie’s end, she wakes up in her bed with her family surrounding her. This reassures the viewer that the whole ordeal was simply a dream.

In the book, however, there is no dream.

What is the Wizard of Oz a metaphor for?

The Wizard of Oz is widely recognized as a story which, on many levels, relates metaphorically to

our own journey through life

. If you have seen the film, you may recall the beautiful scene in which Dorothy, after just arriving in Munchkin Land, encounters Glinda, the Good Witch of the North.

What do the flying monkeys in The Wizard of Oz represent?

Winged Monkeys. According to some writers, the Winged Monkeys of Oz represent

Native Americans in the West in the late

1800s. … At the time, tensions between white settlers and Native Americans were running high. Baum used this forum to comment on political and social events, including the conflict with the Sioux Indians …

Was the Wizard of Oz a financial success?

The Wizard of Oz, American musical film, released in 1939, that was based on the book of the same name by L. Frank Baum.

Though not an immediate financial or critical success

, it became one of the most enduring family films of all time.

Who was the highest paid actor in The Wizard of Oz?

Despite the fact that Garland was the lead, she only made $500 per week for her work. Meanwhile, Scarecrow Ray Bolger and Tin Man Jack Haley were each making around $3,000 per week, CBR reported.

Bert Lahr

(Cowardly Lion) wasn’t far behind them at $2,500 per week.

Why was Wizard of Oz banned?

In 1957, the director of Detroit’s libraries banned The Wonderful Wizard of Oz for

having “no value” for children of today

, for supporting “negativism”, and for bringing children’s minds to a “cowardly level”.

How much money has The Wizard of Oz made to date?

Theatrical Performance Domestic Box Office $34,685,891 Details International Box Office $263,591 Details
Worldwide Box Office


$34,949,482
Further financial details…

Is the Wizard of Oz spiritual?

The Wizard of Oz is a great story. Though secular, it encompasses many mythological motifs that occur in religious stories. Dorothy’s life experiences and the people she meets may teach us the lessons needed on our own spiritual journey. Dorothy is undergoing psychological angst, this we perceive in the tornado.

What lesson did Dorothy?

She learned that

the servants of wicked people are happy to throw off their oppressor

. She learned that our limitations are often of our own making: Scarecrow, Lion, and Tin Man each already possessed what they sought. The first thing she learned was that not all witches are ugly.

What does the yellow brick road signify?

The Yellow Brick Road symbolizes

the gold standard

. “The phrase ‘gold standard’ is defined as the use of gold as the standard value for the money of a country.

Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.