Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Wizard of Oz, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Self-Doubt vs. Self-Confidence
Home and Belonging
Good vs. Evil
Friendship
Summary
Analysis
The small man at the gates of the Emerald City takes the group’s green spectacles as they leave and tells them that there’s no road to the Witch of the West’s domain, as no one ever wants to go there. As they set off towards the west, Dorothy notices that the green silk that she and Toto are wearing has somehow become pure white. The companions travel deeper into the west, and the landscape becomes rougher and wilder. As they stop to take a rest, the Wicked Witch of the West spots them from her castle, as her one eye can see through vast distances. Furious at the sight of these uninvited visitors in her domain, she resolves to destroy them.
Dorothy’s suspicious observation about the green spectacles once again hints at possible deception taking place in the Emerald City. It seems to be a place where perception is somehow skewed, and appearances can be deceiving. In contrast, the Wicked Witch of the West is just as evil as her namesake, as she immediately decides to kill the visitors to her country. Unlike the mysterious Emerald City and its enigmatic Wizard, the witches of Oz generally behave along predictable lines of good vs. evil.
Themes
Literary Devices
The Wicked Witch of the West’s silver whistle allows her to summon wolves, crows, and bees to do her bidding. She orders these creatures to destroy Dorothy and her friends, but each attempt is thwarted. The Tin Woodman beheads the wolves, the Scarecrow strangles the crows, and the bees die after unsuccessfully stinging Dorothy, Toto, and the Lion, each of whom covered themselves in the Scarecrow’s straw. The Witch also sends the Winkies—people she’s enslaved—to destroy the travelers, but the Lion scares them away with a fearsome roar. As a last resort, the Witch dons her enchanted Golden Cap, which allows her to command an army of winged monkeys. The cap only lets her command the monkeys three times, and she’s already used it twice. She orders the monkeys to destroy everyone except the Lion, as she might have a use for him.
The Witch’s relentless attempts to kill the four companions continue to place her firmly on the side of evil in Oz’s black and white morality system. Likewise, Dorothy’s friends don’t hesitate to use gruesome violence to fight back against the forces of evil. The usually polite and compassionate nature of the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman contrasts sharply with the violent beheadings they perform in this sequence. This highlights the fact that pure evil is an extreme that simply isn’t tolerated by the “good” characters in the Land of Oz.
Themes
The winged monkeys fly swiftly to Dorothy and her friends and do as they were commanded. They pick up the Tin Woodman and drop him onto sharp rocks from a great height, leaving him battered and immobile. They pull all the straw out of the Scarecrow and throw his clothes into tree branches. They tie up the Cowardly Lion and bring him to the Witch’s castle, but they refuse to harm Dorothy because of the shining mark on her forehead. Instead, they gently pick her up and fly her to the Witch’s castle, explaining that they wouldn’t dare to harm someone protected by the Power of Good. Even the Wicked Witch doesn’t dare to hurt Dorothy when she sees the mark, but she decides to enslave Dorothy instead.
This attack represents the lowest point and darkest hour for Dorothy and her friends. As half the group is enslaved and the other half is torn apart, it seems like evil might triumph over goodness, despite the flying monkeys’ belief in the Power of Good. Nonetheless, the shining mark that the Witch of the North left on Dorothy’s forehead represents the one flicker of hope Dorothy has left, as the good witch’s magic protects her from even the most powerful wicked person in Oz. Even so, this is the point of the story when things look bleakest for Dorothy and her companions.
Themes
Dorothy begins working for the Wicked Witch of the West, becoming sadder each day, as getting home seems more impossible than ever. The Witch keeps the Lion in a yard and intends to have him pull her chariot, but he refuses to do as she commands. He roars and scares her off whenever she visits him, and the Witch threatens to starve him until he obeys. He continues defying her, as Dorothy secretly brings him food when she can, but both of them live miserably in the Witch’s castle. Before long, the Witch grows jealous of Dorothy’s silver slippers, which Dorothy never takes off, even while sleeping. The Witch knows how to use the slippers’ power, but she’s too afraid of the dark to steal the slippers while Dorothy sleeps. She also doesn’t attempt to steal the slippers while Dorothy bathes, as she’s terribly afraid of water.
As the Wicked Witch of the West continues to demonstrate her capacity for pure evil, Dorothy and the Lion just barely hold on to what shreds of hope they have left. Even after they’re captured and enslaved, they prolong the struggle of good vs. evil as they endure the witch’s cruelty. Being in this extreme situation also seems to give the Lion a surprising bit of confidence, whether he realizes it or not. While he calls himself a coward and doubts his courage, he nonetheless stands up to a powerful witch and refuses to surrender to her demands. His concern for Dorothy likely fuels this rebellious attitude, and their friendship is ultimately what keeps them going in these dark days.
Themes
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Eventually, the Witch comes up with a clever plan to steal the silver slippers. She leaves a bar of iron in the middle of the kitchen floor and casts a spell to turn it invisible. When Dorothy walks through the kitchen to begin the day’s chores, she trips over the invisible object and falls flat on the floor, letting one of the silver slippers fall off. The Witch immediately grabs the slipper and puts it on, mocking Dorothy and promising to steal the other slipper as well someday. Furious, Dorothy calls the Witch a wicked creature and empties a bucket of water over the Witch’s head. To Dorothy’s surprise, the Wicked Witch of the West begins to melt like brown sugar, screaming and asking Dorothy if she knew her weakness was water. Dorothy admits she had no idea, and the Witch melts away to nothing.
For a second time, Dorothy kills a wicked witch through sheer luck. Dorothy’s accidental success makes her a perfect contrast to the deliberate cruelty of the Wicked Witch of the West. In true fairy tale fashion, good defeats evil without even meaning any real harm. This might be why the flying monkeys mention that the Power of Good is stronger than the Power of Evil. This victory also seems to make Dorothy question the self-doubt she expressed earlier, as she’s somehow managed to kill a witch after all. She didn’t believe that she could, but this sudden burst of anger and confidence was the key to victory.
Themes
