Lions, Tigers, Bears and what?

This week was the 85th anniversary of the premiere of the movie The Wizard of Oz. Based on the book by L. Frank Baum, it has become the most viewed film in American history according to the Library of Congress. I doubt anyone reading this can honestly say they have never seen it. Phrases like “follow the yellow brick road” and “ding dong, the witch is dead” need no explanation. What’s not as well known, is the theory the story is an allegory. 

An allegory is a story that has a hidden meaning. Aesop’s Tortoise and the Hare isn’t simply a tale of two animals in a race. Those animals represent the allegorical message of slow and steady wins the race. Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Suess is not simply the story of a turtle that rules his pond like a despot; it’s an allegory about Adolf Hitler. The allegory within The Wizard of Oz is a bit more complex. I need to make two points of disclosure before you continue reading. First, Baum never acknowledged his story was an allegory, so you can judge the legitimacy of this interpretation as I explain it. It is known that he used items from his surroundings, such as the name OZ, which he took from his file cabinet drawer that was labeled “O-Z.” Second, while using this story in class, a few students would declare, “You ruined that story.” They said it with a smile; nonetheless, it may result in you seeing this story a little bit differently. I should also mention it’s a political allegory, so hopefully it gives you some respite from the constant political messages of the 21st century while we travel back to the 19th century.

At the time Baum published the first book in his series about Oz, with the full title The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), a major political movement was the Populist movement. Populist goals focused on making the government more responsive to the needs of farmers and workers rather than big business and the banks. They were opposed to monopolies, supported citizen involvement in government, and their primary goal in the 1890s was very specific: abolish the gold standard and use silver currency, which would greatly help the farming community financially. The characters in the book and the events in the storyline have been interpreted as a complex allegory of this movement. 

Dorothy: The young protagonist represents the good-natured and kindhearted American citizen, one who uses common sense and thinks rationally. Dorothy gathers the members of her group—the scarecrow, tin man and lion—for their march to the Emerald City, which represents Washington, D.C. (The first two marches on Washington as political protests took place in the 1890s, in the decade just before the book’s publication.)

Toto: I am not sure how I feel about this one. The Populists welcomed many groups, including the Temperance advocates who rallied against alcohol. Toto represents their “yapping” about the evils of alcohol.

Scarecrow: His figure represents farmers who work hard but aren’t politically smart enough to address the issues negatively impacting them. He wants a brain but discovers in the story he is actually shrewd and savvy. 

Tin Woodsman: He represents workers and the working class. He is just a cog in the industrial machine who has become dehumanized, and his human parts are now replaced with metallic pieces. Losing limbs, by the way, was a sad reality for early industrial workers. He wants a heart to once again become human.

The Cowardly Lion: This iconic figure represents William Jennings Bryan, the three-time presidential candidate and leader of the movement in the 1890s. He was viewed as one of the greatest speakers of all time—but ineffective in reaching the goals. His Cross of Gold speech is the most well-known example. That’s the portrayal of the lion, boisterous but ineffective. He wants courage to get the job done. 

Emerald City: The green-colored city is the ultimate destination of Dorothy and her companions and represents the capital: Washington, D.C. The city is emerald because it’s based upon greenback paper money. It looks glamorous but isn’t all one would believe. 

Wizard of Oz: The wizard is the President of the United States who lives in Emerald City (Washington, D.C.). He appears to be all powerful, but when you look behind the curtain, it’s all a ruse. The wizard provides no real answers. At the time, the president was William McKinley who opposed silver currency and defeated William Jennings Bryan in the election of 1896.

Yellow Brick Road: The yellow bricks represent gold, and at the time the U.S. was on the gold standard. The yellow brick road leads to trouble, symbolizing the gold standard leading to trouble for farmers, for they would’ve been better served under silver currency. Farmers operated on a debt crop exchange system buying supplies against the future value of their crop. This system favored the banks when gold currency caused deflation. Interest rates sometimes reached 200%—and you thought that the credit card rates of today were bad. Monetary policy is complex, so it’s sufficient to explain it this way: for farmers and workers whose wages declined too, gold = bad and silver = good. That’s why William J. Bryan said in his famous speech about the gold standard, “You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.”

Dorothy’s shoes: The ruby slippers now famously on display at the Smithsonian are well known. They were only made ruby, however, to take advantage of the Technicolor aspect of the film. In the book, her shoes are silver. The magic power of her shoes helps Dorothy avoid a series of pitfalls and provides the solution. Silver currency was the solution for the Populist movement. 

Wicked Witch of the West: She represents the threats to those living in the west, who are symbolized by Dorothy and her companions. What’s the greatest threat to a farmer? A drought. So how do you kill the witch? Throw water on her. 

Flying Monkeys: Keep in mind when this book was written during the late 19th century, the prevailing opinions and attitudes are different from those today. Who else was considered a menace to the westerners, a group that would swoop in, dressed differently from everyone else and carry people off: Native Americans. In the book, the leader of the flying monkeys tells Dorothy, “We were once free living in this land, as we please, until Oz took over.”

Wicked Witch of the East: This character represents wealthy industrialists and bankers who get rich by taking advantage of their workers. Therefore, she is crushed by the arrival of Dorothy with her good heart and common sense. The workers rejoice. Who are the workers?

Munchkins: Representing the industrial workers and other marginalized groups, the munchkins are controlled by the Wicked Witch of the East. They even have a union: The Lollipop Guild.

Glinda, Good Witch of the South: She represents an ally to Dorothy and her western friends in the south, which was predominantly agricultural. 

In the end, Dorothy and her companions discover they have the solutions necessary already. They travel back home to Kansas after earlier departing via the tornado of political upheaval. 

Whether you subscribe to the story being an allegory or maybe it’s just a coincidence resulting from Baum’s imagination, this interpretation is an interesting twist on a well-known story. One thing we can likely all agree on: there’s no place like home.

As always, thanks for reading the History Lowdown.