The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - Literary Analysis Essay

Victoria Liu
Mrs. Knable
8th Grade Language Arts
Period 3
21 January 2011
Liu 2
 What if The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum was not just a

children’s fairytale novel? What if this popular classic has some symbolic

reasoning of history tied into it? For instance, Baum lived during America’s “Gilded

Age” (1877-1900). That was when some “robber barons” like J.P. Morgan, Andrew

Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller had all the wealth in America and ran giant

corporations, despite the controversy among the rest of the US. President William

McKinley was disliked by most Americans as well. In fact, the Populist Party was

created by upset farmers and their leader, William Jennings Bryan. Bryan believed

in the Silver Standard; a standard that would fill the Gold Standard with silver. This

was the Populist Era. The purpose of this essay is to describe three

characters/items/events in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and how they represent a

historical figure/event in the Populist Era. The three characters/items/events are

Kansas, the cowardly lion and the oil can.

To begin with, Kansas represented the dreary, hard and boring life of most

American farmers. To illustrate this point, in the book it says, “...Taken the sparkle

from her eyes left them a sober gray; they had taken the red from her cheeks and

lips, and they were gray also. She was thin and gaunt and never smiled now.”

(Baum 12). This was a physical description of Aunt Em before she lived as a

farmer’s wife. She was not gray however; the lifelessness of Kansas overtook her.

Everything and everyone in Kansas was gray except for Dorothy and Toto. Toto

made Dorothy happy which kept Dorothy from becoming lifeless like her

surroundings. In this case it says, “It was Toto that made Dorothy laugh, and

saved her from growing gray as her other surroundings. Toto was not gray; he was

a little black dog…” (Baum 15). From being happy and able to laugh, Dorothy did
not go gray like her Aunt and Uncle. Dorothy was only a modest girl and did not

concern herself with farming, but instead, played with Toto, something that made

her joyful. Thus, Kansas represented the dull life of farmers and their hardships.

Additionally, the Cowardly Lion represented Isolationists like President

William McKinley. To support this statement, in the book it says, “But that isn't

right. The King of Beasts shouldn't be a coward...” (Baum 83). Just like the

Cowardly Lion, McKinley did not want to get in the war and was considered a

“coward” to the people of the United States. People disliked him and his

cowardice. It also says in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, “Whenever I've met a man

I've been awfully scared; but I just roared at him, and he has always run away.”

President McKinley was scared of people confronting him but since he was the

president, he has the authority to send them away. McKinley was scared of the

people so he hid. In summary, President McKinley was a coward just like the

cowardly lion.

Lastly, the oil can represented John D. Rockefeller's oil company, Standard

Oil. In this case “...if I should get caught in the rain, and rust again, I would need

the oil can badly.” (Baum 69). Industrial workers needed Standard Oil because

that was how they earned money to live. If Standard Oil went out of business,

many would be left homeless and jobless. Everyday citizens needed oil from

Standard Oil because it was the only oil company at the time. They needed oil for

heat in their homes. The tin man also needed the oil can to oil his joints in case

they became rusted. In the play, the scarecrow even mentions Rockefeller by

name, “You wouldn't be as badly off as John D. Rockefeller. He'd lose six thousand

dollars a minute if that happened.” (Swartz, Oz p34). The scarecrow was telling
the tin man that it, without his oil can was better than Rockefeller without

Standard Oil because the tin man would only have to stand still until someone

oiled him but Rockefeller would lose his money. Rockefeller could end up going in

debt and in trouble. In conclusion, Standard Oil helped people just like the oil can

helped the tin man even if it got irritating for people buying at expensive prices

and the tin man needing to oil himself everyday.

Clearly, Kansas, the Cowardly Lion and the oil can are symbolic in The

Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Kansas represented the dreary life of the farmers and

their hardships. They Cowardly Lion represented President William McKinley and

isolationists because McKinley did not want to get involved in the Spanish-

American War. The oil can represented Standard Oil, a company run by wealthy

J.D Rockefeller. The Industrial workers and citizens needed Standard Oil just like

the tin man needed the oil can. Therefore, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is not just

an everyday children fairytale but a book used as a historical symbolism for

adults.
 Works Cited

Baum, L. Frank. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Chicago. Harper Collins, 1900. Print.