The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz

Everyman's Library Children's Classic Edition

Written by Frank L Baum, this children's classic was my first exposure to children's literature written with its magic, mystery and messages in a time where messages were presented in very provocative ways. And in these ways I certainly have not seen a modern day echo yet...and I know my journey is a long one to be exposed to all the various literary forms of then and now, but for now, I have not seen its echo.

I guess I do not have much to say other than that this story was one that began with me curiously approaching it with desires to read it in a political sight. With its opening dedications to "wife and comrade" I was ready to solve the mysterious puzzle of the story and exclaim "ah ha! its a story with rife with political subtext, comrades of communism fighting for their ideals via literature to the young." But this though really intriguing to me seemed not in the spirit of reading children's literature. So I did my best to ignore this ghost pulling at my sleeves while reading.

What I left this story with was a wonderful depiction of a magical land that far excelled that land shown within the 1930s film with Judy Garland. More interesting characters and descriptions and bazaar qualities of their lives and culture. For example the porcelain people, only able to stand still and be looked upon, could not be touched aggressively or do anything more then gently otherwise they would brake literally, and would need mending, of which the mending would be always visible and done poorly. This compounded with the main groups large sense of curiosity and explorer mentality propelling them towards touch and finally towards temptation of possession, put these fragile people at risk. Even Dorothy herself was distracted from her only one mission to go back home, and to possess the pretty china girl. Have her as her plaything, decoration on a shelf at home. Dorothy did resist this temptation in the end.

This children's story is filled with likewise interesting turns and events with the main characters that I can not believe would be in present day children's literature, in its truthful, subtle, and at times bazaar forms.

I read this story months ago, as a part of a purpose that I set with my Husband/Friend/Beloveds help to begin to enlarge my literary pursuits and expand my mind a bit more. At the time I was moved by the obvious theme in the book about how one is separate from the views one has of oneself and the views of one from others around. Both may be correct views and both are equally flawed not whole, and each even in tandem or knitted together still do not touch the entire one of the person. This was profound to me in the way that it was shown so starkly with each character. For example, the Lion. Meant to be King of Jungle within our social standards. Sees himself as a coward and fears most everything. His friends see him as kind and potentially able. Strangers see him as the biggest beast and want him as their leader and defender. All of these true, and not one fully true. None a lie either. It made me feel like one cannot be too confident in claiming their own faults or triumphs. It really ultimately does not matter what we think we are or what others think either, we end up doing what we do, and hopefully like the lion and the others in his troop, we find our way to fitting in where we are best needed/suited to help.

This all sounds so cliche and obvious. It is. But its more than that to me. Its like thinking about who am I and feeling negative about yourself, and also similarly having ideas about what you SHOULD be doing in life, and then finding that this is all who cares, or wrong, or not quite right, and where you were all along was where you should have been, who you are you are. Not the presentation or the affectations, or the ideas of self, but who you are, who you are being.

Dorothy found her way back to Kansas, to being the niece in the one room house, of living in grays and faded colour, of working in a farm and being in the way. She knew all along that was her being, and found herself getting back to there. Not tempted to stay in Oz or lead or be some other way, but the way she knew that was in her, that was her obligation/devoted commitment. Dorothy was able to get to where she was needed. However now that I write this I wonder about the paradox in that Dorothy knew her place, when I have been saying that one may not know, or perhaps thinks incompletely about who one is or should be. But perhaps Dorothy's challenge with being, can be found within her temptation of the Porcelain woman, and in distractions of friends met along the way, and in perhaps the temptation of believing in the idea her friends had of her, which was of seeing her as caretaker and guide. Had she believed in their view solely, she may have remained in Oz and lived for them.

And this in itself does not sound too bad either.

There is ultimately nothing to take away from this story as a singular message or thought. However it does bring an interesting thought to mind of not being too confident in ones opinion of oneself. Which for me personally is a great thing to know and think of.

This was a wonderful story full of magic, new lands, interesting characters, neat conversations that I cannot imagine happening in present day books, and so much more.

Excuse the impromptu interruption. But I just remembered while looking through photos to include within this post, that this story also has many unusual religious references especially nearing their fight of the Wicked Witch. For example upon their journey to hunt down the Wicked Witch they are told that there is no road this way, as this is a way that no one ever wants to go. Which is curious, obviously because who want to find the Witch, but more so because seemingly suggesting all the Evil or wickedness has been kept solely with this Wicked Witch and in this area alone in Oz. And people there are not tempted to go near or seek it out. It is obviously ugly to them and avoidable. Not always true for us in real life. However more interestingly is when this group seeking her out are attacked by numerous things sent by the witch herself to prevent them. All of which seem akin to the plagues of the Bible and other Biblical references as well. For example: There are 40 wolves sent to attack them, the Tin Woodsman states this is his fight and defends his friends, this is not the unusual part it is within the words, listen: "There were forty wolves, and forty times a wolf was killed; so that at last they all lay dead in a heap before the Woodman. Then he put down his axe and sat beside the Scarecrow, who said, "It was a good fight friend."" This repetitive way of stating the wolves death and the number 40 as well as the reference to that it was good, is speaking to me, of what I do not know or have any straight clue. Here is the next example within this same section: "There were forty crows, and forty times the Scarecrow twisted a neck, until at last all were lying dead beside him. Then he called upon his companions to rise, and again they went upon their journey." Perhaps I am reading to intensely into this, or perhaps this is within me and I see it in other things. I do not know. But all the same the repetitive nature, the killing in the name of good, the one killing when it is his place to do so. It all seems very provocative. As you can see this book has many potential layers of enjoyment and thought provocation to ponder. 

Enjoy your reading, and if you don't, keep reading anyway, and if not, not. Do what you do, and keep doing it.

J.