Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the Populist Movement - 3033 Words

For many generations, adults and children alike have relished L. Frank Baum’s cleverly written bedtime story, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. On the surface, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz seems like an innocent fairy-tale that was written â€Å"solely to pleasure children today† ; however a deeper look into the main characters and symbolism inherent in the story, suggest an outlook into the Gilded Age. Many historians, beginning with Henry Littlefield, have interpreted The Wizard of Oz as being an allegory to the Populist Movement and the issue of money that surrounded the Gilded Age. Although Baum mentions that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was written as a bedtime fairy-tale to be read and enjoyed by people of all ages, the hidden symbols and deeper†¦show more content†¦Therefore the Democrats pushed for a more conservative presidential candidate -William Jennings Bryan with the Populist support. On the other hand, the Republicans comprising mostly of bankers and indus trialists rallied for the gold standard because they wanted to keep the value of the dollar high to retain their monopolistic power. The gold standard would also be beneficial to the creditors because the amount of money they received from the debtors would be valued a lot more than that which they initially lent out. Thus the stage was set for the â€Å"battle of the standards† in the elections 1896 between the Populist and Democrat nominee William Jennings Bryan and the Republican candidate William McKinley. Baum writes The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with the battle between the Republicans and the Populists as the main basis for its plot structure. L. Frank Baum’s background is instrumental in understanding the parallels between The Wizard of Oz and the Gilded Age in which Baum lived. Baum lived in South Dakota during the period when Populism was gaining popularity. Western farmers had naturally rallied for the Populist cause of better crop prices (inflation) because of droughts which destroyed their crops. Baum was witness to the misery of the Western farmer and therefore sympathetic towards them. There is however some confusion regarding Baum’s political beliefs. Henry M. Littlefield believed that Baum was a â€Å"reform-minded Democrat† who supported Bryan and his cause forShow MoreRelatedThe Wizard Of Oz : Parable On Populism1628 Words   |  7 PagesThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a classic tale about Dorothy’s adventurous trip along the Yellow Brick Road, finding her way back to her Aunt Em in Kansas City. However, many critics thoroughly analyzed the true meaning behind this classic tale to have a more profound message than simply a friendly children’s story. The theories developed from the interpretations of populist, feminist, and religious critics create a fascinating perspective of the story of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. A populist is aRead MoreSymbolism In The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz842 Words   |  4 PagesFrank Baum uses his story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as a metaphor to compare William Jennings Bryan to the Cowardly Lion through his use of symbolism and the the striking parallel of events throughout his story to those in the populist era. Because Baum was influenced by this time period, it is logical that he would use his characters to symbolize this movement. Henry M. Littlefield explains the connections and references of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to the Populist Era. For example, The WickedRead MoreWonderful Wizard of Oz as Allegory2212 Words   |  9 PagesBaum, novel The Wonderful wizard of Oz Baum describes a story in which a young girl Dorothy and her dog, Toto go on a magical journey from the dull, gray land of Kansas to the colorful, magical land of Oz. This girl and her dog meet three companions, a Cowardly Lion, a Brainless Scarecrow, and a Heartless Tin Man and have adventure i n the Land of Oz and untimely help Dorothy get home. In Baum’s allegorical The Wonderful Wizard of Oz he uses satire and symbols, such as the regions of Oz, the charactersRead MoreThe Wizard of Oz- Parable on Populism1293 Words   |  6 PagesThe Wizard of Oz: Parable on Populism When Lyman Frank Baum first publicized The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900, it had been very popular from the start. The Wizard of Oz is filled with musical comedy and is a warm and touching production. This production was such a hit that it had been turned into three movies and there were a number of plays on it. The Wizard of Oz was not written for the purpose of a sequel, but it was so popular that there had been many demands to do so. The Wizard ofRead MoreEssay about The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum1076 Words   |  5 PagesThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum was the first fairytale written in United States. Baum wrote TheWonderful Wizard of Oz during a time in history that was The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum was the first fairytale written in United States. Baum wrote TheWonderful Wizard of Oz during a time in history that was not known for its social justices. The story focused on the many similarties between Baums characters and the United States during the 1800s. It is suggested thatRead MoreThe Wizard Of Oz By F. Frank Baum1604 Words   |  7 PagesMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer, The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 musical fantasy film. It is the most commercially successful adaptation of the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, written by L. Frank Baum. It was a box office failure when it was first released, making only $3,017,000 on a $2,777,000 budget, a meager profit of $240,000. It wasn t until it was subsequently released did it make a substantial profit. Although It was nominated for six Academy Awards, this film failed to be victorious. The Wizard of Oz did, howeverRead MoreWhat It Means To Be An American Essay1233 Words   |  5 Pagesindividuality, by making art that is distinctively theirs. Novels and stories are able to express ideas of individualism explicitly or implicitly. The famed children’s book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, embraces individuality in a subtle manner. In the 19th century a group of farmers formed the People’s Party or the Populists. The Populists wanted federal regulations of railroads so that the railroad tycoons would not hurt them. One of the party’s main platforms was the unlimited coinage of silver, at the timeRead MoreFeminism in The Wizard of Oz4177 Words   |  17 Pagesï » ¿The Wizard of Oz Film and Book Background The Wizard of Oz is a book by L. Frank Baum written in 1900 and adapted into a musical fantasy in 1939. It starred a young Judy Garland, and was notable because of its use of special effects, color, unusual characters, and a fantasy storyline made into a major motion picture. It has become almost iconoclastic in film history, shown regularly on network television and becoming a part of American cultural history. The song Somewhere Over the Rainbow,Read MoreThe Studio System Essay14396 Words   |  58 Pages(1944 bw), The Yearling (1946 - color), Little Women (1949 - color), An American in Paris (1951 - color), The Bad and The Beautiful (1952 - bw), Julius Caesar (1953 - bw), Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956 - bw). He was nominated for Wizard of Oz in 1939, but didnt win. In some ways you could say that Cedric Gibbons was the most influential set designer of the 1930s, because he controlled such a large studio. His autocratic control ensured that his vision and his visual