Economical Issues behind the 1975 fILM Characters:
Dorothy, the main character in the novel, is said to represent the average American. Her character represented the best of what was valued as the American character; she was kind, showed spunk, was level-headed, straightforward, and was willing to face the unknown to find answers to the issues she was faced with. In the last 20 years of the 19th century, American farmers took an economic beating as the result of calamitous weather and the wreckage caused by swarms of locusts, leading to a rise in Populism as the farmers blamed their misfortunes on the banks, the railroads, and nature.
The Scarecrow represents those farmers. The Scarecrow thinks he doesn’t have a brain, which parallels the view that Easterners in the country had of the farmers of the Midwest region, as being generally irrational, uneducated, and ignorant. The character shows a good deal of common sense as they make the journey to Oz, and a lot of resilience, proving that he is far less stupid than many people might think.
The Tin Man was said to represent a dehumanized and mistreated factory worker, who, through no fault of his own, has had his self-worth chipped away by outside forces. He represents factory workers who were suffering in the economy of the time and was even covered in rust when Dorothy and the Scarecrow first encounter him, representing the high levels of unemployment that were prevalent in the 1890s.
The Cowardly Lion is, according to Littlefield, a representation of William Jennings Bryan, who was a hero of the Populist movement at the time. Bryan was even referred to as a lion in the press. He was a huge supporter of the “Free Silver Movement” and moving away from a gold standard.
The Wicked Witches are interpreted as a representation of the major financial-political interests that held sway over American politics. When Dorothy’s house falls on the Wicked Witch of the East, it’s a reference to smashing Wall Street’s power. Her sister, the Witch of the West, symbolizes the financial elite who lived in the western region of the country such as railroad magnates, bankers, etc.
The Wizard, unsurprisingly, represents the President of the United States. In the story, the wizard is a charlatan who has convinced those around him that he wields great power, but who doesn’t really have much power at all. That point is highlighted when he asks Dorothy to go kill the Wicked Witch of the West for him.
The Scarecrow represents those farmers. The Scarecrow thinks he doesn’t have a brain, which parallels the view that Easterners in the country had of the farmers of the Midwest region, as being generally irrational, uneducated, and ignorant. The character shows a good deal of common sense as they make the journey to Oz, and a lot of resilience, proving that he is far less stupid than many people might think.
The Tin Man was said to represent a dehumanized and mistreated factory worker, who, through no fault of his own, has had his self-worth chipped away by outside forces. He represents factory workers who were suffering in the economy of the time and was even covered in rust when Dorothy and the Scarecrow first encounter him, representing the high levels of unemployment that were prevalent in the 1890s.
The Cowardly Lion is, according to Littlefield, a representation of William Jennings Bryan, who was a hero of the Populist movement at the time. Bryan was even referred to as a lion in the press. He was a huge supporter of the “Free Silver Movement” and moving away from a gold standard.
The Wicked Witches are interpreted as a representation of the major financial-political interests that held sway over American politics. When Dorothy’s house falls on the Wicked Witch of the East, it’s a reference to smashing Wall Street’s power. Her sister, the Witch of the West, symbolizes the financial elite who lived in the western region of the country such as railroad magnates, bankers, etc.
The Wizard, unsurprisingly, represents the President of the United States. In the story, the wizard is a charlatan who has convinced those around him that he wields great power, but who doesn’t really have much power at all. That point is highlighted when he asks Dorothy to go kill the Wicked Witch of the West for him.