Madeline Marquis

Mrs. Alstot

Child Lit Per 3

12 February 2020

Wizard of Oz Two Chunk

In ​The Wonderful Wizard of Oz​ by L. Frank Baum, the author uses the symbol of The

Emerald City to convey the feeling of hope and learning about life outside of home, to the

reader. When Dorothy asks how to get to the City of Emeralds the witch of the North says, “You

must walk. It is a long journey, through a country that is sometimes pleasant and sometimes dark

and terrible,” (Baum 26). The use of the words “pleasant” and “terrible” showcase to the reader

that in order to get to The Emerald City Dorothy will have to face many challenges along the

way. Though she is in search of Oz to send her back home to Kansas, Dorothy will end up

gaining life experience and learning more about herself on her journey to The Emerald City, as

she must face many unknown things along the way. In addition to being a symbol of life

experience as you must leave home to find it, The Emerald City is also portrayed as a symbol of

hope to the reader. For instance, when the Boq told Dorothy the road to The Emerald City was

rough, “This worried Dorothy a little, but she knew that only the great Oz could help her get to

Kansas again, so she bravely resolved not to turn back,” (Baum 35). Using the words “great” and

“only” the author illustrates how much faith Dorothy has in Oz, and how hopeful she is that he

will return her home to Kansas. Since Dorothy desperately wants to get back home, she views

The Emerald City as her “light at the end of the tunnel” keeping her going and fueling her with

hope. In conclusion, the ideas of hope and life lessons gained from leaving home are both
conveyed through the symbol of The Emerald City in L. Frank Baum’s ​The Wonderful Wizard of

Oz.