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The Scarecrow
The Tin Woodman is the second companion Dorothy encounters on her way to the Emerald City. Upon hearing about Dorothy’s and the Scarecrow’s plan to see the Wizard of Oz and have their wishes granted, the Tin Woodman joins the two of them in order to ask the Wizard for a heart. Back when he was a person of flesh and blood, the Tin Woodman fell in love with a Munchkin girl, who promised to marry him once he’d saved enough money to build them a house. But a wicked witch intervened and cursed the Woodman’s axe to slip. One by one, he lost his limbs and had them replaced with tin until he was made entirely of metal, and presumably became heartless as a result. Now, he desperately wants a heart again so that he can be loving and kind, but it becomes clear during his adventure that he’s already a gentle and compassionate soul. He’s easily one of the kindest members of Dorothy’s group, shedding tears at the mere thought of harming an innocent creature. While the Tin Woodman functionally already has a heart, he still doesn’t believe he does until the Wizard gives him a silk heart full of sawdust. This trinket makes the Woodman feel whole again at last, but he never seems to realize that he had what he wanted all along.
The Tin Woodman Quotes in The Wizard of Oz
The The Wizard of Oz quotes below are all either spoken by The Tin Woodman or refer to The Tin Woodman. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 5: The Rescue of the Tin Woodman Quotes
‘While I was in love I was the happiest man on earth; but no one can love who has not a heart, and so I am resolved to ask Oz to give me one. If he does, I will go back to the Munchkin maiden and marry her.’
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Chapter 6: The Cowardly Lion Quotes
Once, indeed, the Tin Woodman stepped upon a beetle that was crawling along the road, and killed the poor little thing. This made the Tin Woodman very unhappy, for he was always careful not to hurt any living creature; and as he walked along he wept several tears of sorrow and regret.
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Chapter 7: The Journey to the Great Oz Quotes
‘We are lost, for they will surely tear us to pieces with their sharp claws. But stand close behind me, and I will fight them as long as I am alive.’
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Chapter 8: The Deadly Poppy Field Quotes
‘Aren’t they beautiful?’ the girl asked, as she breathed in the spicy scent of the flowers.
‘I suppose so,’ answered the Scarecrow. ‘When I have brains I shall probably like them better.’
‘If only I had a heart I should love them,’ added the Tin Woodman.
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Chapter 9: The Queen of the Field Mice Quotes
‘Is there anything we can do,’ it asked, ‘to repay you for saving the life of our Queen?’
‘Nothing that I know of,’ answered the Woodman; but the Scarecrow, who had been trying to think, but could not because his head was stuffed with straw, said, quickly, ‘Oh, yes; you can save our friend, the Cowardly Lion, who is asleep in the poppy bed.’
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Chapter 10: The Guardian of the Gates Quotes
‘Because if you did not wear spectacles the brightness and glory of the Emerald City would blind you. Even those who live in the City must wear spectacles night and day. They are all locked on, for Oz so ordered it when the City was first built, and I have the only key that will unlock them.’
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Chapter 13: The Rescue Quotes
When, at last, he walked into Dorothy’s room and thanked her for rescuing him, he was so pleased that he wept tears of joy, and Dorothy had to wipe every tear carefully from his face with her apron, so his joints would not be rusted. At the same time her own tears fell thick and fast at the joy of meeting her old friend again, and these tears did not need to be wiped away.
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Chapter 16: The Magic Art of the Great Humbug Quotes
Oz, left to himself, smiled to think of his success in giving the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman and the Lion exactly what they thought they wanted. ‘How can I help being a humbug,’ he said, ‘when all these people make me do things that everybody knows can’t be done?’
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Chapter 21: The Lion Becomes the King of the Beasts Quotes
‘It seems gloomy,’ said the Scarecrow.
‘Not a bit of it,’ answered the Lion; ‘I should like to live here all my life. See how soft the dried leaves are under your feet and how rich and green the moss is that clings to these old trees. Surely no wild beast could wish a pleasanter home.’
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Chapter 23: Glinda Grants Dorothy’s Wish Quotes
‘Your Silver Shoes will carry you over the desert,’ replied Glinda. ‘If you had known their power you could have gone back to your Aunt Em the very first day you came to this country.’
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She threw her arms around the Lion’s neck and kissed him, patting his big head tenderly. Then she kissed the Tin Woodman, who was weeping in a way most dangerous to his joints. But she hugged the soft, stuffed body of the Scarecrow instead of kissing his painted face, and found she was crying herself at this sorrowful parting from her loving comrades.
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The Tin Woodman Character Timeline in The Wizard of Oz
The timeline below shows where the character The Tin Woodman appears in The Wizard of Oz. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 5: The Rescue of the Tin Woodman
...tin, who seems to be frozen in the middle of chopping down a tree. The Tin Woodman says he’s been groaning for more than a year, but only now has someone finally...
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...that she and the Scarecrow are on their way to the Wizard of Oz, the Tin Woodman asks if the Wizard could give him a heart. Assuming that this is also within...
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The Wicked Witch of the East enchanted the woodman’s axe so that the blade would slip off the handle. The first time this happened,...
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Chapter 6: The Cowardly Lion
...woods, a Lion suddenly bounds out of the bushes and attacks the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman . Toto begins barking at the beast, who opens his mouth as if to eat...
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When Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Woodman explain that they’re going to see the Wizard of Oz to gain what they desire,...
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Chapter 7: The Journey to the Great Oz
...to kill a deer for Dorothy to eat, as her supplies are running low. The Tin Woodman begs the Lion not to kill a deer, as this would surely make the Tin...
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...truly impossible to cross, even for the Lion. Eventually, the Scarecrow has an idea: the Tin Woodman should chop down a tree so that they can lay it across the ditch and...
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...creatures to his last breath. Just then, the Scarecrow gets another idea. He urges the Tin Woodman to quickly chop the end of the tree on their side of the ditch, and...
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Chapter 8: The Deadly Poppy Field
The travelers slept by the river the previous night, as the Tin Woodman needed time to work on the raft. All of them are cheered to see beautiful...
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...swim through the rushing river and drag the raft to shore behind him as the Tin Woodman holds onto his tail. When they’re safely on land again, they make their way back...
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...eventually he succumbs to slumber as well. The poppies don’t affect the Scarecrow or the Tin Woodman , as they aren’t made of flesh. They carry Dorothy and Toto out of the...
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Chapter 9: The Queen of the Field Mice
As the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman wait for Dorothy to awaken, they spot a ferocious wildcat chasing a mouse through the...
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...her subjects, and to tell all of them to bring string. He also orders the Tin Woodman to construct a wooden platform on which to carry the Cowardly Lion out of the...
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Chapter 11: The Wonderful Emerald City of Oz
...could ever kill the Witch of the West. On the following days, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman , and the Cowardly Lion each have their own meetings with the Wizard, who takes...
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Chapter 12: The Search for the Wicked Witch
...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...
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...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....
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Chapter 13: The Rescue
...absence of their missing friends, and the Winkies agree to rescue the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman from their fates. Both of them are recovered and repaired, and the four companions are...
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Chapter 15: The Discovery of Oz, the Terrible
...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.
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...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,...
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Chapter 16: The Magic Art of the Great Humbug
...and filling it with bran, pins, and needles along with the straw. He gives the Tin Woodman a silk heart full of sawdust, inserting it into his chest after cutting a hole...
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Chapter 18: Away to the South
...and the next morning, the four friends discuss what can be done. The Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman , and the Lion are each satisfied with their lot, but they still care for...
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Chapter 19: Attacked by the Fighting Trees
...must return soon to rule the Emerald City with his wise new brains, and the Tin Woodman and the Lion have also gotten their wishes granted, so they can’t help but think...
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Chapter 20: The Dainty China Country
...take the cow to the mender’s shop to get its leg glued back on. The Tin Woodman reminds his companions to be especially careful, as he would hate to harm any of...
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Chapter 23: Glinda Grants Dorothy’s Wish
...The Scarecrow will go back to live in the Emerald City and rule there, the Tin Woodman will rule over the Winkies who treated him so kindly, and the Lion will rule...
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