The Fascinating Characters of Oz - Book Report/Review Example

The Fascinating Characters of Oz Contrary to popular belief, the magic of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz does not end after the movie is over. Oz is not only a film but a kingdom which stems from 15 original classic stories written by L.Frank Baum. These stories embody themes and morals which are relevant now as they were when written. Perhaps, the most interesting aspect of these stories is not the plot, since all of the stories seem to have the same linier adventure plot, but the characters which leap out of the pages and remain with us long after the books are closed. Characters which remind us that even the most ordinary object has the possibility to become extraordinary and even a little girl from Kansas can accomplish tasks that seem impossible. This paper will examine the fascinating characters of Oz, the roles they play within the stories and what they represent. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz introduces us to a world of characters that can only exist in the most creative of imaginations. Oz is an enchanted fairyland filled with witches, wizards and other unusual creatures. Despite all the enchanted characters the most important figure is a Kansas farm girl, a mere mortal named Dorothy. We are instantly introduced to Dorothy and her simple life which revolves around a farm in Kansas. She is farm girl who is forced out of her normal way of life and into an unfamiliar world. Despite, the magic that surrounds her Dorothy does not fall into the evil trap of power but insists on going home and returning to her aunt and uncle. We can see from her determination to return home that she is fiercely dedicated and loyal to her aunt and uncle. She is the typical heroine who is smart, brave, compassionate and beautiful. She represents the struggle of ordinary people who are forced into extraordinary circumstances and have to master the ability to overcome difficult circumstances to achieve their goals. Despite being away from home and in a strange land, Dorothy does not alienate herself but openly embraces the unconventional creatures she meets such as the Lion, the Tin Woodsman and the Scarecrow. Throughout the series we see how Dorothy transforms from simple farm girl to Princess of Oz. At the start, she has no greater ambition than returning to the comfort of her Kansas farm but later develops a taste for adventure as she is constantly involved in rescue missions and battles that aid in keeping the Land of Oz safe. We first catch a glimpse of her power in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz when she is not afraid of accusing the Wizard of being a phony. Later, in Ozma of Oz she once again stands up for her self by refusing to exchange her head with one of Princess Langwidere's. She shows an understanding of how magic can be used by suggesting to Princess Ozma that she should use the magic belt to bring her and her friends back to Oz (The Emerald City of Oz). In Glinda of Oz, Dorothy is fighting side by side with Princess Ozma to stop the war between the Flatheads and Skeezers. This is significant because it affirms Dorothy ultimate transformation from simple farm girl to the right hand of Princess Ozma (Glinda of Oz). Dorothy's first companion in the Land of Oz is the Scarecrow who is convinced that he needs a brain. The Scarecrow plays the role of protector throughout the series. His inability to feel pain puts him in a position to be the first to monitor dangerous situations and gather supplies for the group. Despite his ability to devise plans which help the group he is single-minded in his attempt to find what he thinks he is missing, a brain. Once he has a false brain made for him he instantly feels smart although nothing has changed. With his new brain he becomes the ruler of the Emerald City. The Scarecrow eventually realizes that his lack of a brain was a self fulfilling prophecy rather than reality. In The Patchwork Girl of Oz he convinces Ojo the Unlucky that his bad luck is self inflicted because of his strong belief in being born unlucky. He renames Ojo the Lucky instead of Unlucky thus showing us that he has changed significantly from the Scarecrow we met in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (The Patchwork Girl of Oz). Through his ability to continually devise plans of rescue, he shows us that his brainpower is above average even though he does not have a real brain. In The Scarecrow of Oz he uses a magical thread to overcome a geographical separation in order to rescue Cap'n Bill, Button-Bright, and Trots. He is no longer afraid that he is not smart enough (The Scarecrow of Oz). Tin Woodman is another representation of insecurity. His once human body was chopped up by his own ax which was under an evil spell put on by The Wicked Witch of the East. Although his body was repaired by a kindly tins man, he believes that his heart along with the rest of his body has been transformed into tin, thus leaving him unable to love. He is determined to get a heart and does not realize that he is capable of kindness that is far greater than those who possess physical hearts. Throughout the Oz series the Tinman continues to show signs that lead us to believe that he does possess a real heart rather than the false one made for him by the Wizard. For example, he helps the Scarecrow fight in order to regain his throne in the Emerald City (The Marvelous Land of Oz). If the Tinman did not have a heart he would not care enough to help his friends. Another example of his kindness is shown in The Patchwork Girl of Oz when he does not want a butterfly killed. The Cowardly Lion covers his shortcomings with a facade of bravado when he tries to bite Toto. Dorothy instantly calls his bluff by calling him a coward and brings him to shame. The Lion, like the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman, believes that he is missing something. He fails to see that he already has what he thinks he is missing which is courage. Perhaps, his role in the food chain as King of Beasts put extra pressure on him to be brave. Especially, when he encounters the much larger and more confident Hungry Lion who believes that he is one of the largest creatures on the planet. Magic is a central theme throughout the series and introduces us to numerous witches and wizards. The Wicked Witch of the West plays the typical role of bad witch. She is ugly, has only one eye and has dried blood in her veins. Her ploys of starvation, torture and slavery fit her imagine perfectly. On the other hand the Witch of the North is a kind figure who plays the role of grandmother and protector. Her physical appearance is not hideous but elderly and kind thus a representation of goodness. (note: she is elderly, full of wrinkles, and is far from beautiful. I think this needs to be reworked NOTE TO NOTE she is not said to be beautiful but kind and elderly). Glinda is the Witch of the South and is clever, kind and beautiful. She is referred to as Glinda the Good because of her kindness and ability to help others. For example, she is the one who helps Dorothy get back to Kansas by revealing the power of the magic slippers. She also helps the Tinman return to Winkie Country, the Scarecrow to the Emerald City and the Lion to the forest. She plays a strong informative role throughout the series because of her ability to see every event that occurs in Oz thanks to her Great Book of Records. In The Marvelous Land of Oz she reveals the conflict between the Wizard of Oz and Pastoria the former king. Thanks to her, Ozma is freed from the spell she was under and is returned to her rightful place as Princess of Oz. Glinda'a role is also very loyal. She does not try to overthrow Ozma but fights along with her and supports her decisions as Princess. For example, by forcing Mombi to free Ozma from the spell which she was under, Glinda restores Ozma to power. Glinda supports Ozma's declaration that Oz should be invisible to all but the inhabitants of Oz and fulfils the Princess' command. Ozma is the daughter of Pastoria, the former sovereign of OZ. In The Marvelous Land of Oz we learn that the Wizard handed Ozma over to a witch named Mombi in order to secure his position as king of Oz. Ozma was then transformed into a boy named Tip (Tippus) and could not remember ever being a girl. Under the orders of Glinda the Good Witch, Mombi is forced to transform Tip back into Ozma. After the spell is broken, Ozma is free to rule Oz as princess. Ozma's rule is mostly kind which is prominent throughout the series. For example, she replaces Shaggy Mans clothes with finer clothes of silk but leaves them shaggy thus respecting and welcoming his personality into Oz rather than trying to transform him into a character better suited to life in Oz. Although there are times when even she can be testy, such as when she was prepared to put Dorothy's kitten to death. The witch Mombi is introduced to us in the Marvelous Land of Oz and plays the role of Tips guardian. She chooses to transform Ozma into a boy, although her use of magic is questionable since The Good Witch of the North has banned the use of magic in her jurisdiction. It is not clear if Mombi is good, evil or just plain confused in this book. Although, later in the series her role is changed from neutral into villain because she is officially responsible for kidnapping Ozma and the Wizard is not involved in this crime (The Marvelous Land of Oz). (please rework for accuracy I believe this is accurate because at this point the wizard is no longer responsible for kidnapping Ozma because he became a popular character. So, Baum shifted to blame to Mombi which is an inaccuracy in the series.) The Wizard can be viewed as a coward, villain or hero depending on your point of view. The Wizard of Oz is believed to be a wizard in the Land of Oz therefore pretends to be one. In The Marvelous Wizard of Oz he is portrayed as a villain who hides away the king's daughter in order to secure the thrown for himself. This reminds us that the Wizard is a fraud. At this point in the story, he is nothing but a lowly con artist who is afraid of being challenged by those who possess greater powers than he does (The Marvelous Land of Oz) But in the end, he becomes a trusted friend to Dorothy and Ozma and learns magic from Glinda the Good. The Wizard is a multidimensional character who does not fit the typical profile of good wizard or bad wizard. In Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, we catch a glimpse of the Wizards vulnerable side when he admits to Ozma that he was embarrassed to use his entire initials because they spelt out O.Z.P.I.N.H.E.A.D. Instead, he opted to use only his first two initials which by a stroke of fate turned out to be O.Z thus making locals believe that he was a king. When given this reason as to why the Wizard has lied and deceived the people of Oz, we have to pity him and he is no longer a villain in our minds but a normal man riddled with insecurities. From this point on, the role of the Wizard was changed from borderline villain to an accepted member of Oz society (Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz). Next to the existence of witches and wizards there are other magical creatures such as fairies. Oz itself is a fairyland created by the Fairy Queen Lurline who took pity on the former wasteland. Technically, all the inhabitants of Oz are fairies but do not fit the typical profile of fairies. The only actual fairy we encounter throughout the series is Polychrome who is the daughter of the rainbow. She is introduced in The Road to Oz when she falls off her father's rainbow and is accidentally left behind. Polychrome fits the typical fairy profile. She is described as ethereal, beautiful (of course) and most importantly magical. She fills the role of good fairy by appearing and helping characters when she can. For example, she rescues the Ozzians from the clutches of the Nome King by calling Quox the dragon for help (Tik-Tok of Oz) and by oiling the rusted joints of Captain Fyter the Tin soldier (The Tin Woodman of Oz). Perhaps, Polychrome is the only truly traditional creature we encounter in Oz giving us a glimpse of its possible origins. Royalty makes a continual appearance throughout the Oz series and is quite different from the typical picture of royalty that we often imagine. Obviously, the Wizard has royal status until Ozma dethrones him. But, there are many other royal figures that we are introduced to as the story progresses. Dorothy meets Princess Langwidere in Ozma of Oz while she is trapped in the Land of Ev. Princess Langwidere is a ruler she is extremely lazy and spends only 10 minutes a day attending to governing issues and the rest of the day admiring her own beauty. She is an unusual beauty because she has thirty heads instead of one but each and every one of them is beautiful. At first, she is portrayed as a villain who captures Dorothy and wished to exchange a head with her but as the story progresses she is revealed to have a tighter grasp of political matters than we thought when she frees Dorothy so she and Ozma can defeat the Nome King. King Rinitink is another royal character who has a starring role in Rinkitink in Oz. His personality and appearance are almost a parody because he is described as the typical jolly, plump king. His character is almost a contradiction because despite his humorous appearance and mannerism, he is a good king. He puts his life in danger trying to capture the powerful pearls in order to free his people. His serious side is balanced out by his comic side when he hides the magic pearls between his toes and accidentally loses his shoe by throwing it at a cat. (Rinkitink in Oz). Another race of creatures is the infamous Nomes who we first meet in Ozma of Oz. Although they do not actually live in Oz they play the important role of villain throughout the series because of their greed and ability to start war at any given moment. The Nomes are the more realistic of the characters in the Oz series because of their love for minerals and quickness to wage war their values and actions are not much different from humans. The Nome King General Guph (confusing) visits strange, anti-Oz races in order to gather allies who will aid him in the takeover of Oz. General Guph is not very intelligent, as he does not realize that these races are much stronger and more powerful than the Nomes, thus are just using him in order to claim Oz as there own. The Nomes are portrayed comical villains as they are very small, not very intelligent and very greedy. These aspects of their personality are clearly displayed when they are easily defeated in The Emerald City of Oz by drinking greedily from The Fountain of Oblivion (The Emerald City of Oz). In Tik-Tok of Oz they capture Shaggy Mans brother and use illegal magic to achieve their goals. It is apparent that even though the Nomes can perform magic, it is not very strong, as it can be easily overcome. For example, General Guph is punished by Quox and forced to walk above ground (Tik-Tok of Oz). Later in the series, Guph renamed Ruggedo tries to reclaim Oz by using a Hyup to do work magic for him. Once again, the former Nome king is defeated and transformed into walnut. The Shaggy Man, who we first meet in The Road to Oz, is an example a kindly outsider who has gotten himself intertwined in the Land of Oz. He is a harmless who lives by the principals of a stress free, simple life which revolves around love. In American society he would easily be labeled as a crazy, old hippy that needs to get a job but in Oz his uniqueness is welcomed in Oz (The Road to OZ). Perhaps, his only important meat rail possession is the love magnet which he uses to help his fellow Americans in Oz. The Shaggy Man becomes a reoccurring character in the Oz series and is involved in numerous adventures such as the rescue of his brother from the Nome King. He breaks previous barriers that the law of Oz set up in order to keep out mortals by negotiating that his brother be allowed in Oz as well (Tik-Tok of Oz). He is an interesting character because he is the ultimate personification of Baums Oz. Oz is a land which is home to outsiders and creatures that are shunned by society. In America, a man such as the Shaggy Man would be looked down on but in Oz he has the power to be a hero. Baum has taken the Shaggy Man and given him an important role thus breaking the barriers that previously limited him. Dorothy meets Tik-Tok, a man made out of copper and runs by clockwork, in the land of Ev. Proving himself to be a trustworthy friend, he wins himself an invitation to Oz to help the Shaggy man's brother who has been captured by the Nome King. Although his intentions are good, Tik-Tok does not always react well under pressure. The Shaggy man, Button-Bright, Betsy Bobbin and Trot are all Americans who have made Oz their home and aid in the battle against the Nomes. Sir Hokus of Pokes comes from an enchanted land and proves to be a great friend and ally. Jinnicky, the Red Jin is a powerful wizard lives in a castle in Ev but often is involved in the politics of Oz. He plays in important roles as friendly rival to the Wizard and is an important force on the side of good. It is clear that characters in the Oz series have inspired modern day characters in books and films. One of the most obvious examples is Jack Pumpkinhead who is an animated man with a pumpkin head and greatly resembles Jack the Pumpkin King in Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. The living kitchen utensils of Utensia are very similar to the enchanted kitchen utensils of Beauty and the Beast. (please add examples from star wars NOTE I AM SORRY BUT I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH STARWARS CHARCTERS SORRY) Oz is filled with so much diversity that it is almost impossible to find a modern day children's book or film that has not been in someway inspired by the original characters. Baum did not only give us a film or Broadway musical he gave us the gift of imagination. Through his characters he made us aware that we do not have to live in Oz to appreciate the wonder that surrounds us. He gave us the ability to look at a plate, a saw horse or a jigsaw puzzle and made us see that magic that it is capable of. Works Cited Baum L.Frank. 15 Books in 1 the Original "Oz" Series. Shoes and Ships and Sealing Wax Ltd. UK 2005. Read More