[net.books] wizard of oz == parable on Populism

manderso@sdcsvax.UUCP (Mark Anderson) (03/06/86)

Here is a short sample from Henry Littlefield's "The Wizard of
Oz: Parable on Populism", American Quarterly spring 1964 pp. 47.

Dorothy == Miss Everyman
	levelhead, human, and has a real problem, she is one of us

Wicked Witch of the East == evil Eastern Industrial influences

The Tin Woodman == Hard working laboror
	He was dehumanized and became a kind of machine

The Scarecrow == The midwestern farmer
	displays a sense of inferiority and self doubt, but
	is innately a very shrewd and very capable individual.

The Lion == William Jennings Bryan
	Tried hard to win vote of Eastern Labor but unsuccessful
	as lion's attack on tin woodman

Emerald City == Nation's Capital (Wizard == President)

Wicked Witch of the West == Malign nature
Winged Monkeys == plains Indians

ph@wucec2.UUCP (03/10/86)

In article <1516@sdcsvax.UUCP> manderso@sdcsvax.UUCP (Mark Anderson) writes:
>Here is a short sample from Henry Littlefield's "The Wizard of
>Oz: Parable on Populism", American Quarterly spring 1964 pp. 47.
> [list of parallels omitted]

	    Fine.  Now extend the allegory to the other 41 books in the
	series.
	    I would say that this is another case of looking so hard for
	something that you find it where it isn't.
						--pH
/*
 *	    "That's true.  But some people who don't have brains do an
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