The Wonderful

Wizard of Oz
A Book Review

by

Seth O. Espinosa

Grade 7 - Archimedes
Introduction
Background of the Novel

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is an children's novel written by American

author L. Frank Baum and originally published in Chicago on May 17, 1900. It tells the
story of the adventures of a farm girl named Dorothy in the magical Land of Oz, after
she and her pet dog are taken away from Kansas by a tornado. The book is among
best-known stories in American literature and has been translated to several other
languages. The United States Library of Congress has said that the novel is
"America's greatest and best-loved homegrown fairytale." Due to the novel’s success
and the success of its adaptation in film and in plays, L. Frank Baum continued to write
thirteen more books about the Land of Oz that are considered official sequels to the
first story. The author dedicated the book to Maud Gage Baum, his good friend,
comrade, and wife.

Summary

Dorothy is a girl who lives with her Uncle Henry, Aunt Em and dog, Toto, on a
farm on the prairies of Kansas. One day, Dorothy and Toto are taken up by a tornado
that takes them and the farmhouse to Munchkin Country in the Land of Oz. The house
falls and kills the Wicked Witch of the East who was the evil ruler of the Munchkins.
The Good Witch of the North and three Munchkins arrive and give Dorothy the magical
silver shoes that used to belong to the Wicked Witch. The Good Witch tells Dorothy
that the only way she can get back home to Kansas is to follow the yellow brick road
to the Emerald City and ask help from the Wizard of Oz. As Dorothy starts her journey,
the Good Witch of the North gives her a kiss on her forehead that gives her magical
protection from harm. As Dorothy travels along the yellow brick road, she goes to a
banquet held by a Munchkin named Boq. The following day, she frees a Scarecrow
that was hanging on a pole, puts oil on the rusted joints of a Tin Woodman, and meets
a Cowardly Lion. The Scarecrow wants a brain, the Tin Woodman wants a9d heart,
and the Cowardly Lion wants courage, so Dorothy takes them along on her journey
with Toto to get help from the Wizard in the Emerald City. After several adventures,
the group of travelers arrive at the gate of the Emerald City and meet the Guardian of
the Gates, who tells them to wear green tinted spectacles to protect their eyes from
being blinded by the city's radiance. Each one of them is called to see the Wizard and
he appears as a different form to each one. He appears to Dorothy as a giant head, to
the Scarecrow as a lovely lady, to the Tin Woodman as a terrible beast, and to the
Cowardly Lion as a ball of fire. He agrees to help all of them if they kill the Wicked
Witch of the West, who is the evil ruler of Winkie Country. The Guardian warns them
that no one has ever defeated the evil witch. Using her telescopic eye, the Wicked
Witch of the West sees Dorothy and her friends approaching. She sends wolves to
attack and kill them, but the Tin Woodman kills the wolves with his axe. She sends
crows to pick their eyes out, but the Scarecrow breaks their necks and kills them. She
sends black bees to sting them, but they are killed when they try to sting the Tin
Woodman while the Scarecrow hides the others in his straw. She sends her Winkie
slaves to attack Dorothy and her friends, but the Cowardly Lion stands his ground and
drives them away. Finally, the Wicked Witch uses the magic from her Golden Cap to
send the Winged Monkeys to capture Dorothy, Toto, and the Cowardly Lion, remove

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all the Scarecrow’s straw, and put dents on the Tin Woodman. Dorothy is forced to be
the Wicked Witch’s slave, while the witch plans to steal Dorothy’s silver shoes. The
Wicked Witch was able to trick Dorothy and get one of her silver shoes. She gets angry
and throws a bucket of water at the Wicked Witch. Dorothy is astonished to see the
Wicked Witch melt away. The Winkies celebrate after being freed from the tyranny of
the Wicked Witch and help put back the Scarecrow’s straw and fix the Tin Woodman.
The Winkies request the Tin Woodman to be their new ruler. He agrees to their request
but only after he helps Dorothy return to Kansas. Dorothy uses the Wicked Witch’s
Golden Cap and commands the Winged Monkeys to take all of them back to the
Emerald City. The King of the Winged Monkeys tells Dorothy that he and all the other
Winged Monkeys are made to follow the user of the Golden Cap by a spell put by the
sorceress Gayelette from the North, and that Dorothy can use the Golden Cap two
more times to call them.

When Dorothy and her friends meet the Wizard of Oz again, Toto brings down
a screen in a corner of the throne room that exposes the Wizard. He sadly explains
that he is not really a wizard. He is just an ordinary old man from Omaha who came to
Oz in a hot air balloon a long time ago. He fills the Scarecrow’s head with bran, pins,
and needles that he calls “bran-new brains,” the Tin Woodman gets a silk heart full of
sawdust, and the Cowardly Lion gets a potion of courage to drink. Their belief in the
Wizard’s power, though he really has none, gives these things a focus for what they
want. The Wizard then decides to take Dorothy and Toto home to Kansas and then go
back to Omaha in his balloon. Before leaving, the Wizard chooses the Scarecrow to
be the new ruler of the Emerald City. The Scarecrow agrees but only after helping
Dorothy return to Kansas. Toto chases a kitten and Dorothy runs after her dog. The
ropes that hold the balloon snap, the Wizard flies away, and Dorothy is left behind in
the Land of Oz. Dorothy uses the Golden Cap and calls the Winged Monkeys for the
second time. She tells them to carry her and Toto back to Kansas, but the Winged
Monkeys say that they cannot cross the desert that surrounds Oz. The Soldier with
the Green Whiskers tells Dorothy that Glinda, the Good Witch of the South might be
able to help her get back home to Kansas. So, Dorothy and her friends start a new
journey to go to Glinda's castle in Quadling Country. On the way, the Lion kills a giant
spider who is frightening the animals in a forest. The animals ask the Lion to be their
king. He agrees but only after helping Dorothy return to Kansas. Dorothy calls the
Winged Monkeys for the third and last time to fly her and her friends over a hill to
Glinda's castle. Glinda greets them and tells Dorothy that her silver shoes can take
her anywhere she wishes to go. She embraces her friends. And her friends will be
returned to their new kingdoms by Glinda who will use the Golden Cap three times to
take the Scarecrow to the Emerald City, the Tin Woodman to Winkie Country, and the
Lion to the forest. After that, the Golden Cap will be given to the King of the Winged
Monkeys, and all the Winged Monkeys will be free from the spell. Dorothy holds Toto
in her arms, knocks her heels together three times, and wishes to return to Kansas.
She then begins to spin in the air and then sees herself rolling on the grass on the
prairies of Kansas up to the farmhouse. She runs to Aunt Em and says that she is so
glad to be home again.

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Analysis
Setting

The story has two main settings. The first setting is, Dorothy’s home, the
prairies of Kansas that is described as dry and gray. The second setting is the Land
of Oz which is the exact opposite of Kansas as it is colorful, bright, and full of joy.

Characterization

The novel has numerous characters, but only the five primary characters –
Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion, and Toto, who appear
consistently throughout the story will be given characterizations. Secondary and
tertiary characters will all be mentioned and be briefly described, though tertiary
characters and their roles were not mentioned in the summary above.

1. Dorothy is an intelligent and adventurous girl who deals with being taken away
into a strange new place with determination, a positive attitude, and focus on
being able to return home. Although she is probably younger than the other
characters, she is protective of her friends as they are to her. When faced with
evil as with the Wicked Witch of the West or with dishonesty as with the Wizard
of Oz, Dorothy’s honesty and fairness strengthens her.

2. The Scarecrow, his one wish is that the Wizard of Oz gives him a brain, though
he does not know that he already possesses intelligence. He learns quickly and
usually thinks of a helpful idea when the friends face a challenge.

3. The Tin Woodman's wish is to get a heart from the Wizard of Oz. But he is
already kind, sensitive and loving as if he has a real heart. He is courageous,
protective of his friends and will cry when he sees an animal or a friend in need
of help.

4. The Cowardly Lion believes himself to be a coward but, on many occasions, he

proves that he is brave before the Wizard of Oz gives him courage from a
potion.

5. Toto might only be a dog, but he sets the whole story in motion. He is dedicated
to Dorothy and stays by her side unless he sees a cat or another interesting
object. He is curious which has led to the discovery that the Wizard of Oz is just
a normal person.

6. Aunt Em is Dorothy's beloved, hardworking but sad guardian.

7. Boq is the richest Munchkin who lives in the eastern part of Oz.

8. China Clown is a very cracked and often repaired character in China Country.

9. China Milk-Maid is a young woman who always complains and blames Dorothy
for breaking her cow's tail.

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 10. China Princess is frightened porcelain figurine in China Country.

11. Glinda is the Good Witch of the South who tells Dorothy how to get home to
Kansas.

12. The "green girl" is a servant in the Wizard of Oz’s palace.

13. The Guardian of the Gates guards the entrance to the Emerald City.

14. The Hammer-Heads are tribe in the Quadling Country. They have no arms and
can stretch their necks.

15. The Kalidahs are monsters with the head of a tiger and a bear’s body.

16. The Monkey King is the leader of the Winged Monkeys. They are bound to
serve the Wicked Witch of the West by a spell placed on her Golden Cap.

17. The Munchkins are from the East of Oz. They are small and like the color blue.

18. The Wizard of Oz is a cheerful imposter who has tricked everyone in Emerald
City into making him their ruler.

19. The Quadlings are from Quadling Country. Their favorite color is red.

20. The Queen of the Field Mice comes to the rescue of Dorothy and her friends
twice.

21. The Soldier with the green whiskers guards the Wizard of Oz's palace and tells
Dorothy that Glinda is the one who can best help her get back home.

22. The Stork is a bird that helps rescue Scarecrow when he gets stuck on a pole
in the middle of a river.

23. Uncle Henry is Aunt Em's farmer husband.

24. The Wicked Witch of the West is the evil ruler of the Winkies. Dorothy is sent
to destroy her, and the witch becomes her enemy.

25. The Winkies are from the yellow Winkie Country and were under the rule of the
Wicked Witch of the West until Dorothy frees them.

26. The Witch of the North is a sweet and kind witch who appears as a little old
lady. She says she is from the North but is a friend of the Munchkins in the East.

Conflict

Conflict in the story of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz begins when Dorothy’s

farmhouse in Kansas is taken away by a tornado. It continues when Dorothy and her
friends must overcome many dangerous challenges, make their way down the yellow

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brick road, and meet the Wizard of Oz in the hope that the Wizard will give each
character the thing he or she desires the most.

Point of View

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is narrated from a third-person’s perspective.

Themes of getting back home, a perilous adventure and the discovery of hidden
strengths are clarified by a third-person narrator.

Theme

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz gives point to the idea of self-reliance, self-

discovery and positivity in the face of extreme difficulty. The Scarecrow, the Tin
Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion all seek magic to give themselves qualities that they
already possess but fail to see nonetheless as Dorothy pushes on with optimism to
get back to Kansas.

Reflection

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a novel that I have just started to read in

response to a book report assigned to me by my seventh-grade teacher. Though short-
sighted in my purpose, the novel has taught me long-term lessons in character such
as self-reliance, commitment, honesty, courage and hope in the face of difficulty.
Qualities that all young people – and future adults, must possess in order face
challenges in the present and in the future.

Conclusion

Though first published in Chicago over a hundred years ago and translated in
over a hundred languages across the world, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz still rings
true with its message of truth, belief in one’s self and overcoming adversity. L. Frank
Baum’s brand of American homegrown fairytale is a gift and a lasting legacy to young
and old alike.