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 guardian of the gate is shocked and delighted to learn that Dorothy destroyed the Wicked Witch of the West. He gives everyone their spectacles and lets them back into the Emerald City, where crowds gather around them and follow them to the palace. To the friends’ disappointment, the Wizard makes no reply to their requests for an audience, even after he’s informed that the Wicked Witch is dead. Dorothy and her friends wait several days as they wait for the Great Oz to speak with them again, but they quickly lose their patience. The Scarecrow has word sent to Oz that if he doesn’t see them soon, they’ll use the winged monkeys against him. Fearfully, the Wizard agrees to hold court with them the following morning. The four of them hardly sleep that night, and Dorothy dreams of Kansas and Aunt Em.
After the distressing distraction of the wicked witch, Dorothy once again has the space to focus on her ultimate goal of getting back home. Through all her trials in Oz, her determination to return to where she belongs has never wavered. The group’s harsh experiences in the western country also seem to have given them a much-needed boost of confidence as well. While they were mostly fearful and reverent toward the Wizard before, they now threaten to attack him if he doesn’t give in to their demands. All in all, their ordeal with the Witch of the West has made them stronger and even more focused on achieving their goals.
Themes
When the four companions finally enter the Wizard’s throne room the next day, they’re surprised to find it empty and silent. They suddenly hear Oz’s voice speaking to them, telling them that he’s everywhere, yet invisible to mortals. He pretends to forget the promises he made them, and he asks if the Wicked Witch is truly dead. Dorothy confirms that this is the case, and the Wizard tells them to come back tomorrow, after he’s thought about it. The group is outraged, and the Lion tries to scare the Wizard with a ferocious roar. The roar scares Toto, who bumps into a nearby screen, which falls over to reveal a surprised old man. When the Tin Woodman asks who he is, the man answers that he is Oz, the great and terrible.
The four friends once again display their newfound confidence as they confront the Wizard directly. Rather than doubting themselves, they now have reason to doubt that the Wizard of Oz is really who he says he is. The silence of the empty throne room is scarier than any form the Wizard took before, as a powerless Wizard who can’t help them is much more frightening than a powerful Wizard who can.
Themes
The man admits that he was only pretending to be a great wizard this whole time, much to the anger and disappointment of Dorothy and her friends. He begs them not to tell anyone that he’s not really a wizard, as he’s maintained the ruse for many years. He shows them how he used illusions and special effects to conjure the images of the forms they’d seen in the throne room before, and he sheepishly decides to explain himself. He was an entertainer and a balloonist from Omaha who accidentally landed in Oz when an air current carried his hot air balloon far away. The people of Oz thought he was a great wizard after seeing him descend from the sky, and he humored their delusions to amuse himself. He ordered the Emerald City built and established himself as the Wizard of Oz.
This is the critical turning point of the group’s adventure: the deceptions of the Emerald City finally fall away to reveal the disappointing truth. They can no longer rely on a Wizard to solve their problems, as he seems to be nothing but a fraud. Rather than hoping that some external force can make them complete, Dorothy’s friends must now face the fact that all they really have is themselves. At this point, it appears that a feeble old man won’t be able to banish their self-doubt. Interestingly, the Wizard’s backstory also makes him an odd reflection of Dorothy. While both characters fell from the sky, landed in Oz, and were believed to be magicians, the Wizard was the only one who supported the lie that he had magical powers.
Themes
Literary Devices
The Wizard also explains that the city isn’t really greener than any other place; he only makes everyone wear the green spectacles to make the “Emerald City” name more fitting. While he’s made his people happy for many years, he’s always feared the wicked witches who had real magical powers, unlike himself. This is why he wanted Dorothy to kill the Wicked Witch of the West, and now he’s ashamed that he can’t keep his promise to her. The group still insists that Oz give them what they asked for, and he tries to explain to the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion that they already have what they seek. They still aren’t convinced, so the Wizard agrees to give them what they desire tomorrow.
The truth about the green spectacles is the perfect representation of the Wizard’s character. He doesn’t lie out of malice; instead, he gives an added tint of illusion to the world to make his people happier. His good intentions combined with his selfish deceptions make the Wizard a uniquely morally gray character when compared to the other characters in Oz. While the witches are either purely good or purely evil, the Wizard of Oz lies somewhere in the middle. This may be because he comes from the (literally and figuratively) gray country that Dorothy calls home, where good and evil aren’t as clearly defined. While the Wizard tries to convince Dorothy’s friends that they already embody the qualities they believe they lack, it's clear that they won’t stop doubting themselves without further help.
Themes
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