1. a traditional story about heroes or supernatural beings, often explaining the origins of natural phenomena or aspects of human behavior
2. myths considered as a group or a type of story
3. a character, story, theme, or object that embodies a particular idea or aspect of a culture
4. somebody or something whose existence is or was widely believed in, but who is fictitious
5. a story that has a hidden meaning, especially one that is meant to teach a lesson
my·thol·o·gy n
1. a group of myths that belong to a particular people or culture and tell about their ancestors, heroes, gods and other supernatural beings, and history
2. a body of stories, ideas, or beliefs that are not necessarily true about a particular place or individual
3. myths considered as a group
4. the study of myths, or the branch of knowledge that deals with myths
Encarta(r) World English Dictionary (c) 1999 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
“I went down into the desert city
trying so hard to shed my skin
I crawled deep into some kind of darkness
lookin’ to burn out every trace of who I’d been
You do some sad, sad things baby
when it’s you you’re trying to lose.”
-Bruce Springsteen from the song, “Living Proof.”
In L. Frank Baum‘s original story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the main character, Dorothy Gale, wore silver shoes. But as we know the more famous footwear of choice are the Ruby Slippers. Why the change in what Dorothy wore on her feet? Does the change have any effect on the story’s ultimate message or is it just a matter of costume bias? Why is the Emerald City emerald? Could the city in which the Great and Powerful Oz resides have been the Ruby City while Dorothy made her way along the Yellow Brick Road in Emerald Slippers? Were the names arbitrary or is there some other significance to their labels? What differences does it make anyway? We’re only talking about a children’s fairly tale, right? Or are we? There must be a reason for some of the very peculiar images and incidents in this film favorite.
For instance, is there any good reason for Toto’s two escapes to be from baskets? What is Toto’s role in the film? What part does the dog really play? Is Toto just Dorothy’s traveling companion to Oz and back or does he represent a more substantive part of Dorothy’s spirit? What, if any, is his connection to intuition?
What do the Wicked Witch of the East and her death by falling house represent? Is it significant that the two times Dorothy is lifted from the earth she is brought to meet a witch? Is the spiral that begins the Yellow Brick Road relevant to the spiral form of the violent Kansas cyclone? Certainly there must be some parallel. Is the Wicked Witch of the West indeed wicked? Or, might she suffer from a more subtle form of soul sickness? Can we have sympathy for her? Why does she continually threaten Dorothy “and your little dog, too!”?
What does Dorothy mean when she says, “There’s no place like home…?” Why does she repeat this phrase over and over while tapping the heels of her Ruby Slippers together? Is it significant that she says it more than once? And what, if any, is the relationship between the Wicked Witch’s Castle Guards and the Munchkins from Munchkin Land?
After many years of watching this film, there is little doubt that it is a deep part of the American psyche. The film has been passed down from parent to child for nearly four generations. But can a children’s fairytale really hold the interest of children and adults the way The Wizard of Oz has for as long as it has? There are other popular children’s stories but none have had the same influence. A few that come to mind are Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh. Entertaining as these stories are, they cannot approach the awesomely inspirational ability of Dorothy’s mystical journey.
Is there something more to this great film, a higher meaning perhaps? There is also little doubt that The Wizard of Oz does represent something more than just what we find on its surface. Or, have we celebrated this fairytale for all these years simply because we’re still children at heart? Maybe that’s it. Maybe we haven’t really grown up and that is why we’re still so fascinated by the film’s magical tale.
Can the memories we have associated with the Flying Monkeys, the twister and the Wicked Witch be so sentimental and dear to us that we must see these images again and again? Why are we enthralled with seeing this movie over the years? Why the enchantment with it? What is so interesting about The Wizard of Oz? Specifically what are we drawn to? Ultimately the answers to all these questions lie in the answer to yet another question – Is Dorothy Gale of Kansas a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?
These and many other questions set in motion many years of looking closer into what I thought was the true meaning of this great American film. The resulting conclusions, some of which are continually evolving, appear in the following pages. I hope the reader finds sufficient answers to these and other more personal questions. Most of us feel we’ve seen the Wizard of Oz enough to deduce for ourselves its meaning and relevancy to “real life.” But like most things in life, a closer examination often reveals something far more interesting and challenging to the soul. The Wizard of Oz is just such an opportunity. If we’re able to set aside things we’ve taken for granted about the movie then we will discover the treasure that lay at our feet. We will see that our destination on the journey through life is always where our feet are planted.
Oh yes, there is more to this film… much, much more.
It is my hope that when we have completed these pages, the reader will have shed an old skin of beliefs that no longer apply to what is true, real and in front of us at this very moment.
The Wizard of Oz has enriched and entertained generations of viewers since it premiered in 1939. I’ve watched it with fascination since I was a child. The phrase, “There’s no place like home, ” is certainly one of my earliest childhood recollections. The Wicked Witch of the West, her flying monkeys and the ominous image of the tornado ripping across the dry Kansas soil are wandering permanently about the back most corridors of my memory. It seemed that every time I watched it the mystery of Dorothy’s journey unfurled anew.
Would she ever return to Kansas? Would the Wizard give the Scarecrow a brain, the Tin Man a heart and the Cowardly Lion his courage? Was Dorothy to be trapped in the witch’s castle forever or would she be saved? And what about Toto? Would he, time after time, jump from Ms. Gulch’s bicycle basket and return to Dorothy through her bedroom window? I hoped so. The suspense and intensity of this story were always there, always fresh as if they continued to happen for the first time. The flying monkeys are as creepy to me now as they were as a child. Dorothy never aged. Aunt Em never died.
Why do we, as a society stay tuned year after year, for over seventy years, to await Dorothy’s return to Kansas? If the story told were simply about a girl and her dog who run away only to discover that there is no place quite like the place they left, then one would think to watch the movie a few times would satisfy anyone’s interest. There is obviously something more. What other reason would we have to be so affected by these sentimental and sometimes overly-painted, characters and scenes? Our hearts are captured year to year. The suspense of Dorothy’s encounters with the Wicked Witch of the West never seem to lessen in intensity.
By the movie’s end we are misty-eyed and elated as Dorothy and her companions’ triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds. One would be hard pressed to find a single American citizen who has not seen the Wizard of Oz at least once either as a child or an adult. On some level, one could say that this movie has governed how we think and act in our society. Of course we couldn’t put our finger directly on why this is so, but suffice it to say, that its characters, costumes, dialogue and story have been ubiquitously absorbed into our culture.
There are constant references made to it in the commercial and print media. Countless songs have been sung which have alluded to the movie images and characters. Several books can claim the same. It is, in short, an integral part of the fabric of America’s cultural history. Do children’s fairy tales really have the power to influence popular culture to such a degree? The movie’s impact on American ethos has been profound. Could it be that The Wizard of Oz deserves to be elevated to the level of great and notable mythology? It is, after all, the typical mythological plot of the voyage of the hero and the return to bestow treasure upon the community or society as a whole.
A celebrated film like this lends itself to many interpretations and this is no exception. For example, some among the gay community believe that the movie is a rallying call to all closet homosexuals to, “come out, come out, wherever you are…” The effeminate gestures of the Cowardly Lion as he sings his song for courage and his remark about being born a sissy are seen as grounds for this viewpoint. Even the Tin Man possesses what could be construed as typically gay characteristics and mannerisms.
Another adapted aspect of the film is the rainbow and the spectrum of colors that now symbolize the diversity of the gay community. Gay pride events and marches are splashed with rainbow banners and flags. One might even see a subtle, thin, sticky banner on the back of a car of a gay occupant – I see these all the time. The rainbow image, of course, is taken from the films signature song, “Somewhere over the Rainbow.”
And lastly, the red ribbon, which has come to symbolize AIDS awareness, was taken from the curly locks of the Cowardly Lion’s mane (look for it to appear in his hair after the group is given a make-over upon their arrival into the Emerald City). (From Wikipedia: The Red Ribbon Project was created by the New York-based Visual AIDS Artists Caucus in 1991. The artists who formed the Visual AIDS Artists Caucus wished to create a visual symbol to demonstrate compassion for people living with AIDS and their caregivers. Inspired by the yellow ribbons honoring American soldiers serving in the Gulf war, the color red was chosen for its, “connection to blood and the idea of passion — not only anger, but love, like a valentine.”)
Other insights suggest the story is one of independence from and rebellion against a repressive parental system. In this assertion, made by Salman Rushdie in his book The Wizard of Oz, published by the British Film Institute, is the claim that the “driving force” of the movie is the “inadequacy of adults, ” in which the “weakness of grown ups forces children to take control of their own destinies.”
The book tends to be overly intellectual, gets bogged down in theory and does not take note of the practical nature of the movie. It makes too much out of irrelevant matter, sees things that are not there by forcing opinions and in the end, comes across as pompous. Although an enthusiasm for the subject matter is obvious, his insights fall short.
Drugs, opium in particular, by way of the field of poppies, have been mention as elements to the films deeper significance; that the movie is really one long acid trip out of which Dorothy awakes surrounded by her concerned friends and relatives. Some have said it represents agriculture and the Dust Bowl generation of the mid-west in the 1930′s (Kansas, The Scarecrow), versus industry and the urban civilizations of Chicago, New York and Los Angeles (the Tin Man, Oz and The Emerald City).
The film has even been adapted on Broadway in The Wiz, a play that holds true to the film’s intention but with an emphasis on gospel interpretations of the music. The film features Diana Ross as Dorothy and Michael Jackson as a convincing Scarecrow, Nipsie Russell as the Tin Man and Richard Pryor as a befuddled Wizard. Essentially, the movie’s themes are maintained but this version does not approach the level of profound mythological proportions that the original version accomplishes.
And within the last 10-20 years someone, somewhere, insisted that Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon was conceived as a sound track to the movie. In fact, if you push play just as the MGM lion roars before the opening credits, the music does seem to accompany the images in a most peculiar way (with the film’s sound turned down). But interviews with Pink Floyd band members reveal nothing more than their surprise that anyone would make such a connection. The album, they say, has nothing to do with The Wizard of Oz. (A quick search on the Internet reveals at least 3,300 sites that discuss the DSM and WOZ synchronization theory. I’ve watch the two together and yes, it is interesting, but beyond the coincidence there is little interest. In my opinion one will get the optimal affect with a drug-induced state, which I’m sure is where the inspiration originally occurred. That is the only way I could see anyone wanting to sit through this “experiment.” One’s patience wanes after a few sober minutes of watching what is pure coincidence.)
All of these interpretations and insights hardly take into account the film’s truly spiritual efforts. It is a mistake to ignore or dismiss the movie as merely a fairy tale. A closer look reveals a series of standard mythological and spiritual images and characters, events and situations that support the spiritual premise to such a degree as to be indisputable. The references, direct and indirect, intentional and unintentional, are so pervasive along Dorothy’s journey that to ignore them would be to neglect the truly spiritual power of the film. If we watch and listen to what the movie says and does, the meaning is clear. And what is more, the movie was made in America and speaks to us as Americans. Any child easily understands all of the themes and points of view. Furthermore, there are several dilemmas and occurrences that continue to challenge the adult sensibilities. I think our humanness makes us to relate to every circumstance portrayed.
The Wizard of Oz offers us a panoramic solution to our problems that, as it suggests, are spiritual rather than physical or material; the problems of the day are the results of our soiled and lost souls. As we get caught up in the chase for what is fleeting and unreal, we lose something of ourselves. We hang on to old beliefs and selfish means and in the end, are miserable. What results are recurring dilemmas (tornados) – issues of great importance that need our spiritual attention. The coveting of material possessions, the yearning to be somewhere or someone else and the inability to help other people are all human failings we share in common with Dorothy. But we also share the solutions. And the best thing is: all that is lost or never possessed can be found or acquired, as we shall soon see.
It is my belief that we watch this film because we yearn for the freedom Dorothy achieves, the freedom from the prison of her false and deluded self. In the pages of the great book, The Choice Always Ours (Author), it is explained that, “deep in the psyche of every individual is an urge for the kind of fulfillment which yields understanding and meaning… Men and women consciously or unconsciously, desire to obtain the insight whereby they can resolve their personal turbulences.” In brief, Dorothy’s journey to the Emerald City is a subconscious attempt to resolve her personal turbulences. There is a conscious effort to get home to Kansas, but an even stronger subconscious desire to obtain insight, fulfillment and resolve.
Moreover, while the movie is based on the book of the same name, one has to completely divorce the film from L. Frank Baum’s original children’s story. Nearly forty years separate the two; there were at least seven different screenplay writers and four directors (Victor Fleming gets the final credit but even he left early to begin filming of Gone with the Wind). In addition, there were a myriad of cast changes, accidents on the set, numerous and unforeseen filming challenges, not to mention the major differences in theme, story telling, costume and character. (Shirley Temple was supposed to play Dorothy – imagine for a moment how different the movie would have been with this dramatic change in cast? The focus would have been solely on Shirley Temple and much less on Dorothy Gale). And in the original, Dorothy is a mere 6 years old, but in the film is transformed into a young adolescent teen of 13 or thereabouts. This was a substantial change.
In other words, the original story was dramatically altered so that it would be visually and thematically appealing to a wide audience. For example, imagine the visual impact of the silver shoes (worn by Dorothy in the original book) on a Yellow Brick Road as opposed to the ruby red of Dorothy’s slippers in the film. The contrast in color is made greater red to yellow rather than silver to yellow.
Having undergone this and several other changes, the story transformed into something unintended by anyone involved in its making. This collaborative effort, where no one really seemed to be in charge, resulted in creating a direct channel to a great spiritual intuition that is rarely seen on this scale. This intuitive aspect of the making of this film has raised The Wizard of Oz to the height of traditional mythology.
In his book, Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell writes, “The symbols of mythology are not manufactured; they cannot be ordered, invented or permanently suppressed. They are spontaneous productions of the psyche.” Much of what is intentionally or unintentionally suggested in the film is consistent with the essential function and tradition of mythology and rites of passage.
One has to continually stay within the framework of the movie; understanding the visual is vital to comprehending (or re-learning) the meaning of what has traditionally become known as The Wizard of Oz. In other words, the movie tells us what its about – we need to just look and listen without preconceived notions. We need to see from somewhere else.
In the summer of 1993 issue of Quest magazine John Algeo writes an impressive interpretation of the original story. He says: “It is indeed a philosophical allegory…[that] deals with truths of the human heart that are eternal and have no boundaries.” Baum himself was a member of the American Theosophical Society. This is the only significant similarity between the film and Baum’s original story.
Over the past 20 years, I have read several articles and essays, beliefs and opinions on the film and I have yet to come across anything that has really made the connections. All of what I’ve read has some validity to a greater or lesser degree. One thing is for certain, the filmmakers did not intend the ideas and principles that appear in this writing; many of the insights I mention are derived from the films accidents and changes, not from the script per se. And while I have written and researched this essay, I have yet to come across anyone who has seen the film in the way I have come to understand and appreciate it. So, whereas quotes appear from scholars, writers, philosophers and poets, they appear in support of what I believe to be original insights. I see this film as the single-most important contribution to the world of myth and mythology by 20th Century America.
Elmira Gulch and her infamous bicycle
As the movie opens Dorothy Gale is seen running frantically onto the farm to tell the farm hands of a dilemma she is facing: Ms. Gulch has threatened to take Toto, Dorothy’s dog, away as a public nuisance. They are all too busy. Even Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, who are anxiously counting chicks, haven’t time to listen to her problem. Ms. Gulch comes to the farmhouse with a note from the sheriff giving her permission to remove Toto and take him to be destroyed. Her reason: Toto has bitten her on the leg and continually runs through her garden chasing her cat.
“He doesn’t do it everyday, just once or twice a week, ” reasons Dorothy (simple arithmetic tells us that once or twice a week equals 4 to 8 times a month or 48 to 96 times a year! Maybe Ms. Gulch has point).
But Dorothy is concerned only about herself. One of the farm hands advises her to not go by Ms.Gulch’s house on the way home and then Toto wouldn’t chase the cat and Dorothy wouldn’t get into any trouble. Dismissing his advice, Dorothy’s says that Hunk, the farm hand, just won’t listen. In other words, it’s not a solution she seeks, its sympathy and pity. She has received sound advice to solve her problem and with reason and common sense, maybe she can avoid what seems to be the inevitable demise of her beloved Toto.
Dorothy pleads with Aunt Em, “Oh please don’t let her take Toto away… You can’t you, you mustn’t, no I wont let you take him!” But her protectors prove powerless. Her aunt and uncle are law-abiding citizens and good Christians and they cannot go against the law. They have no choice. Toto must go. Dorothy lashes out in anger to an uncaring Ms. Gulch, “Oh, you go away or I’ll bite you myself! You wicked old witch!”
Dorothy’s angry response
Is Ms. Gulch being unreasonable and cruel? Dorothy would say yes. Granted Dorothy’s best friend is about to taken from her, but she refuses to see the old woman’s side of the story. Dorothy feels put upon and taken advantage of… she feels that she is being treated unfairly. She has no compassion for the old woman. As far as Ms. Gulch is concerned, Toto is exactly what she calls him, “menace to the community.”
Dorothy makes her last attempt to save Toto but to no avail; Toto is taken away. Dorothy is devastated. Was she the victim or the perpetrator? Is Dorothy guilty of anything? Or is she, as she believes, an innocent girl whose dog was unjustly taken from her through no fault of her own?
Dorothy’s needs were not met. The farm hands wouldn’t help her and her aunt and uncle couldn’t intervene. She is hurt and saddened and retires to her bedroom, tearful and frustrated. As she sobs in her room, heart-broken over the loss of Toto, the dog jumps through her bedroom window having just escaped from Ms. Gulch’s little basket.
Toto and Dorothy re-unite
Now safely in Dorothy’s arms, she realizes that it won’t be long before Ms. Gulch and the sheriff will come looking for Toto. “We’ve got to get away. We’ve got to run away!”
It is at this point that Dorothy makes a decision to avoid dealing with a problem that she helped to create. Instead of facing her dilemma she runs; in her present state she is incapable of seeing her own contributions to the trouble she now faces.
Dorothy gathers a few meager possessions in a basket and with Toto by her side leaves the farm without her family’s knowledge. What happens next provides the first visual clue of Dorothy’s imminent obstacles and fears that lay ahead. When stopped on a few particular frames, this scene shows Dorothy in the middle of the composition on a receding dusty dirt road. The road moves away from the picture plane towards the stark horizon. It is made from the arid dirt earth against the textured and foreboding sky; electrical poles pierce the road to either side and tumble
weeds roll in the ominous wind. It seems as though darkness is about to fall. She looks very alone, vulnerable and helpless.
Dorothy’s Flight
There is something skeletal about this scene. The landscape humbles her and it is obvious that she is afraid and unsure of her future. It foreshadows everything she can expect in her attempt to run from her problem with Ms. Gulch. She has, “gone outside of her self” and her surroundings to find a way to ease her pain. Her attempt to avoid confrontation and loss and face up to her responsibilities will prove fruitless unless she experiences some sort of change in her soul. This scene, which takes only a few seconds on the screen, is important and will be revisited.
As she wonders further away from her home she walks into the company of a self-proclaimed, but rather harmless, mystic named Professor Marvel. He sits with Dorothy and begins to read her mind and her thoughts. Having lifted a picture of Aunt Em from her basket he pretends to reveal her secrets to her. What is obvious to him is that she is running away. He begins to impress her with his “uncanny” ability. “They don’t appreciate you at home. They don’t understand you.”
Eagerly she answers, “It’s as if you could read my mind!” She has finally found someone who will listen to her. Professor Marvel continues his mystical reading of Dorothy and her future. “What’s this I see? A house with a picket fence and a barn with a weather vane.”
“That’s our farm.” she exclaims.
Dorothy gets a Free Reading from Professor Marvel
“I see a woman with a polka-dot dress who has been hurt by someone. Someone she cares for very much.” someone, he says “has just about broken her heart.”
“Me?” asks Dorothy with a growing sense of concern.
It is then that she begins to realize that her actions may have caused someone else harm. Professor Marvel knows exactly what to do in this situation and forces Dorothy to come to her own conclusion about her behavior.
“What’s this I see? She’s putting her hand to her heart. She’s dropping to the bed,” he reports as the crystal balls goes dead. “I’ve got to get home right away!” Dorothy realizes her selfishness in running away and it is at that exact moment that the twister begins to stir outside the professor’s tent. The timing is very important.
Watch the scene several times and notice the timing of her realization and the first movement of the storm. Her inner turbulence is reflected in the stirring of the storm. They begin at precisely the same time.
Dorothy isn’t really a bad person as much as she is an immature girl without enough experience to know that as individuals, we can have huge influences on those we love. The moment is one of self-realization. She suddenly sees that she is not, as she believed, separate from everything and everyone. She makes a differences and she must be accountable. It is one several smaller awakenings Dorothy will experience from this point forward.
She returns to the farm amidst the approaching tornado only to find herself alone. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry and all the farm hands have secured themselves in the storm shelter. Dorothy is directly in the twister’s path. She pounds a foot onto the storm cellar door but the violent wind drowns her every attempt to be heard.
Dorothy Attempts to be let in to the Storm Shelter
The wind is strong and it is no longer safe to be outside. So she must return to the small farmhouse or risk certain injury or death exposed to the elements of this powerful tornado. This scene is the first evidence of what was foreshadowed when she left the farm away from her troubles. There she looked vulnerable and exposed, reduced in importance and here, in the path of the mighty twister, she is at the mercy of the situation.
She runs into the house desperate, panicked and confused. She is helpless. The interior of the house, her house, is in disarray; it appears to be coming apart at the seams. Fear and violence permeate this scene. Windows are torn from the house and doors float off into the sky like pieces of cardboard. Dorothy, upon stepping back into the house she left just moments before, steps back into the condition of her soul. It is not a safe place.
She sees the darkness of her internal house, her spiritual home and discovers that it is out of order. She had been wrong, selfish and mean. It wasn’t Ms. Gulch or the fact that her guardians could protect her. Her own actions and decisions caused Toto to be taken from her. Upon seeing what has manifested from her lack of judgment and humility, she is struck unconscious by the airborne window frame. She falls to the bed.
A Flying Window Pane strikes Dorothy
The twister sweeps the house into the air spinning it wildly through the Kansas sky. If we designate this house (or home) as Dorothy’s spiritual center then we see how important its use is as a metaphor in the structure of the story.
Change of practiced behavior is extremely difficult. But as we will discover, the solutions are easier and more accessible than we think. And when something of ourselves is taken away as a liability, it is often replaced with something that was out of reach before. Dorothy herself, experiences loss and gain several times in the film, each time her gain is far more abundant than her loss. It is as if change for the better was blocked by all of her former liabilities. Patience, as you will see, proves to be one of her greatest allies.
Lets look for a moment at this twister form. It is a spiral formation that moves from the outside in. This fact cannot be overstated in its relevance to the spiritual cleansing that Dorothy has unknowingly begun. She has gone outside of her self in an attempt to avoid confrontation and loss, realized this flaw within her (selfishness, ‘I’ve hurt somebody with my actions’) and the twister lifts her house from the earth (the physical plane) and spins it downward through its center – this is the descent into her soul. This is an illustration of the feeling we’ve all experienced of “spiraling downward” or “spiraling out of control.” The twister represents the feeling of everything in our lives being out of control.
As the anxiety grows our judgment is affected and we react in disproportionate ways to people around us. The feeling that things are spiraling downward may compel the one with a willing soul to find a spiritual solution. Our judgments and behaviors change as a result. Consciously or unconsciously we move to find solutions to our personal turbulences. If we choose not to seek a spiritual solution we stay inside the cyclone where our feelings of confusion and utter despair are illustrated side by side with wonder and excitement.
In the middle of the twister Dorothy awakes suddenly. “We must be up inside the cyclone!” she shouts to Toto. He has found shelter beneath Dorothy’s bed, as the idea of mobile homes does not agree with him. The bedroom window displays images of anxiety from Dorothy’s consciousness – Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, the farm hands rowing a boat and Ms. Gulch who, seen riding a bike, transforms into a witch on a broom stick.
The Spiral of the Cyclone
A roosters’ cock-a-doodle doo even provides a signal that this may very well be a wake up call to Dorothy’s authentic self. Suddenly, the house slams into stillness. It is silent. Dorothy walks through the house and curiously opens the door to what she finds outside – the wonder and promise of Munchkin Land. So far, so good for the girl from Kansas.
This must be my stop
Pure color abounds as she makes her first steps into this mysterious landscape – she’s never seen anything like it (until this point in the film, everything in Kansas and within the twister has appeared in black and white with a tint of sepia. This was, in fact, the first film to shoot in both black and white and color). Her face appears filled with wonder. She is overwhelmed at the beauty and serenity she sees before her. She wears on her face as she pans this new and magical environment a truly wonderful expression.
Dorothy’s fascination upon seeing the Land of Oz
Dorothy is fascinated by the contrast of this new world. The sienna environs of Kansas were flat and jagged. Oz. On the other hand, is gentle and inviting. She wanders around a little and it appears she is alone. “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore,” she says to Toto.
Suddenly Dorothy witnesses her first unusual occurrence – the appearance of Glinda the Good Witch of the North. She descends from the sky in what can only be described as a bubble. This floating balloon is pink in color and radiates a soft light – the perfect conveyance for a good witch. Upon landing she asks Dorothy, “Are you a good witch or a bad witch?” Dorothy answers, “I’m not a witch at all. I’m Dorothy Gale from Kansas. Besides witches are old and ugly.” Glinda giggles because she, too, is a witch but far from ugly (by munchkin land standards, that is).
Glinda the Good Witch of the North
Glinda explains that she is a bit muddled because she was sent for by the Munchkins who believed a new witch had just dropped a house on the old bad witch, the Wicked Witch of the East.
“There’s the house and here you are and that’s all that’s left of the Wicked with of the east…” Glinda says pointing her magic wand in the direction of the witch’s feet. The feet protrude from beneath the newly landed small farmhouse. Adorning them are two sparkling Ruby Slippers.
The Unfortunate Circumstances for a certain Witch
“Oh but it was an accident,” exclaims Dorothy quickly. But Glinda is not upset and explains to Dorothy that her unconscious deed has freed the Munchkins from the wicked witch’s captivity.
Here is the second mirrored image, the first being the inward spiral of the twister (which we will revisit shortly). This time it is cause and affect: this cause (the killing of the witch) creates and affect, (the freeing of the Munchkins) and this dynamic happens repeatedly throughout the story. Images and events mirror each other, as if completing numerous cycles, consequently tying their respective meanings together. This becomes more evident as the story unfolds.
So there is a cause and effect dynamic that the reader will see recurs in several ways from beginning to end. Being aware of them brings clarity to the movies ultimate intent. The first, as I mentioned, was the twisters’ spiral and the second being the killing of a witch (accidentally) in order to free something. The witch is killed and the Munchkins are liberated from her control.
So, as Glinda begins to sing of Dorothy’s arrival the Munchkins timidly appear from the surrounding gardens. Blissfully, as only a good witch could sing it, Glinda mellifluously croons the words, “She came very far or haven’t you heard, when she fell out of Kansas a miracle occurred.”
Cause and effect: The Wicked Witch of the East, who symbolizes Dorothy’s own selfishness, is killed and the Munchkins, who live under her tyranny, are released – they are no longer repressed. A spiritual liberation takes place within Dorothy’s consciousness because of this one act of dispensing with the Witch of the East.
The Munchkins symbolize many things; among them are re-birth, liberation, acceptance and joy. But what is more, is what happens when they are freed.
There is a grand celebration at which Dorothy is hailed and a “national heroine.” During the single longest scene in the movie (fifteen minutes) Dorothy is given thanks and praise for making this “a day of independence for all the Munchkins and their descendants!”
“You’re their national heroine.” Glinda says.
So from that day forth, every Munchkin generation will be free thanks to Dorothy’s unintentional act of selflessness. The Lollipop Guild, the Lullaby League, the Mayor of Munchkin Land and all the Munchkins welcome Dorothy with a profound display of gratitude. As you watch this scene you will notice little Munchkins hatching from small eggs into large nest.
The citizens of munchkin land wanted to know if the witch was morally, ethically, spiritually, and physically dead. So the coroner of Munchkin Land appears before the crowd and makes it official
And presents a certificate of death. He studied the deceased and certified that he “thoroughly examined her and she’s not only merely dead, she’s really most sincerely dead.”
Dorothy has killed off an evil part of herself and the result is this re-birth within her soul as symbolized by the events heretofore and hereafter.
She arrived in Munchkin Land the same person she was on the farm – Insistent, selfish and full of self-pity. She was, in other words, a bad witch. However, through this accidental deed of good will to herself and the Munchkins, she has been transformed and glorified as a heroine whose likeness will remain forever in the Munchkin Hall of Fame!
By killing the witch Dorothy rids herself of some corrosive qualities more familiar to her character. Those qualities being anger, selfishness, self-pity and impatience, among others. And in so doing she liberates parts of herself with which she was unfamiliar. We know this to be true by the way Dorothy behaves from this point forward. She is no longer the same person who insisted on getting her way or else. Glinda spoke of this miracle. “Let the joyous news be spread the wicked old witch at last is dead!”
“Let the Joyous News be spread!”
It is important to understand that, although most of this movie is conveyed in a dream sequence, the events and situations should not be taken with less importance.
Although “real life” situations are not depicted, the dream state is used as a conveyance of the central theme of personal transformation. Dream, as Campbell points out, is an integral mythological vehicle. “Dream is the personalized myth, myth the depersonalized dream… In dreams the forms are quirked by the peculiar troubles of the dreamer. Whereas in myth the problems and solutions shown are directly valid for all mankind.” The story then is a portrayal of Dorothy’s consciousness and the state of her spiritual home, her secret place, her “somewhere over the rainbow.” And what she encounters is valid in the larger picture of the human experience.
Every event is an expression of the personalized mythology of Dorothy Gale but the results and solutions have meaning for all of us. Dorothy represents the struggles, failures and obstacles that we as human beings face in our lives. Surely there are no mystics, tornados or falling houses in our day to day. But the states of mind that these images represent are with us all the time. They are integral to our spiritual and mental growth. The validity of this gets clearer as the journey unfolds.
In this first munchkin land scene Dorothy gives birth to trust and re-assurance. When Glinda sings to the Munchkins, “Kansas she says is the name of the star,” the Munchkins repeat her words with such sincerity and trust. They are getting new information in place of the old. A new way of thinking is being revealed to Dorothy. It is a way of seeing with compassion the people around her the way a child might perceive their environment.
Andrew Johnson, in his essay The Spirituality of Oz: The meaning of the Movie, describes the Munchkins as such. “The Munchkins, by their childlike appearance and mannerisms, represent the spiritual ideal.” But what is more, they represent the renewal of the spiritual ideal.
Until now she was incapable of what she is soon to perform – acts of kindness and generosity that were not within her experiences. Back on the farm she laughed at one of the farm hands who was overcome after saving her from the pigpen into which she fell. With his hand on his chest he wipes his brow with sudden exhaustion and, instead of thanking him, Dorothy laughs at his frailty.
She had no compassion or understanding for the trouble that her dog had caused a neighbor. It was as though she had every right to run her dog wherever she well pleased. But when trouble came knocking as a result of her misguided beliefs, she acted as the victim, the one put upon, the one to whom sympathy should be given. But now her selfishness is no more. It has ceased to be the governing compass by which she was lead.
The seeds for an altered, better self are planted in her consciousness by way of the trusting Munchkins.
This long and joyous greeting is suddenly interrupted by the appearance of a second witch – the Wicked Witch of the West. Smoke and fire clear as the witch steps forth to ask, “Who killed my sister? Who killed the Wicked Witch of the East? Was it you?” she says pointing her crooked finger at Dorothy.
“I didn’t mean to kill he anyone,” Dorothy replies, but she makes a point of telling the witch that it was an accident.
The Wicked Witch of the West appears in Munchkin Land.
“I’m afraid she’s worse than the other one!”
Glinda reminds the black clad witch that she has forgotten about the Ruby Slippers. Ah the Ruby Slippers!! The witch goes over to the base of the house out of which her sister lifeless feet protrude. Bur as she reaches for the two slippers they disappear. “They’re gone!” the witch shrieks
“There they are and there they’ll stay,” says Glinda pointing to the feet of the munchkin lands accidental tourist, Dorothy Gale from Kansas. The slippers are a perfect fit. The fact that the slippers fit is further proof that the dead witch was a manifestation of Dorothy.
“Give them back. Give them back. I’m the only one who knows how to use them. They’re of no use to you. Give them back or I’ll…” Glinda gently warns Dorothy to, “stay tight inside them. Their magic must be very powerful or she wouldn’t want them so badly.” The emphasis Glinda place on the Ruby Slippers’ magic must not be overlooked.
The Ruby, for example, is said to posses certain healing powers that “encourage the wearer to follow [their] bliss.” It is said that, “the Ruby will light the darkness of one’s life, giving birth to the body and spirit.” In addition, the stone is “an excellent shielding stone, protecting on all levels and safeguarding one’s consciousness from psychic attack.”
The Beautiful New Footwear
Hence Glinda’s warning to Dorothy to “never let those Ruby Slippers off your feet or you be at the mercy of the wicked with,” takes on new meaning. The Ruby, “the stone of nobility,” manifests here in the form of slippers, is also believed to be an “excellent stone for re-birthing and releasing blockages which restrain one from the spiritual path.” What is more, this precious stone is used to “activate sluggish or dormant conditions on physical and spiritual levels.”
Isn’t it true that the Munchkins have been dormant? The wicked witch had repressed the Munchkins. Held in their fear and bondage, they were finally released from the torment of their existence by the killing of the witch of the east. The Ruby Slippers, now upon Dorothy’s feet, have given birth to the spirit, released blockages and sluggishness. Now they prepare her for her spiritual journey. It is important to pay close attention the role these slippers play as the story develops.
“The hero…” writes Campbell, “moves through a landscape [OZ] of curiously fluid, ambiguous forms, where he [Dorothy] must survive a succession of trials. This is a favorite phase of the mythological adventure… the hero is covertly aided by the advice [stay tight inside the slippers], amulets [the Ruby Slippers] and secret agents [the Tin Man, Scarecrow and Lion] of the supernatural helper [Glinda] who he met before or upon his entrance into this region. Or, it could be that he here discovers for the first time that there is a benign power everywhere supporting him in his super-human passage.” Certainly this description condenses the events of the story so far. Further more, an amulet, by definition, is a “charm often inscribed with a magic incantation or symbol to protect the wearer against evil or to aid” in the journey (italics added). After all, Glinda did say that the slippers’ magic must be very powerful.” The subject of incantations, chanting and the like will resume later in the story. Suffice it to say, this Ruby amulet serves a wonderful and poignant purpose.
Returning to the story, we find Dorothy being hassled by the wicked witch a little more but the ever confident dispels any fears and threatens the witch saying, “Be gone! Before someone drops a house on you!” The witch then retreats promising Dorothy that it isn’t the last she can expect to hear from her. “I’ll get you my pretty and your little dog, too!”
That threat can be seen as a psychic attack against which the Ruby is said to safeguard. Dorothy’s consciousness has been threatened, but not only that, she has been threatened body, mind and soul. What chance does she have against a malevolent force such as the witch of the west?
The witch vanishes in much the same way she came. The Munchkins come out of hiding and all is well – except Dorothy is no closer to Kansas than she was moments before. Dorothy explains to Glinda that she want nothing more than to just return to Kansas so that she can be with her family. But Glinda knows of no way to help her except to direct her to the great and powerful wizard of oz.
“He lives in the Emerald City which is far, far away. Did you bring your broomstick,” she asks of Dorothy. “Well then I guess you’ll just have to walk. Just follow the yellow brick road.”
Confused Dorothy asks, “How do I start for the emerald city?” Glinda answers simply, “It’s always best to start at the beginning.”
It is Glinda’s role, as supernatural helper, to guide Dorothy in the right direction. Becoming fearful, Dorothy turns to Glinda, “But what happens if I…” Glinda interrupts as if to say, hush my child, and simply repeats, “Just follow the yellow brick road.” And off she goes, ascending into the sky in her little bubble mobile.
It is important to stress the simplicity Glinda places of the journey. The only instruction Dorothy is given is to follow the yellow bricks beneath her feet, that is all. Though she doesn’t know it, her immediate future and long-term objective of returning to Kansas will depends on how well she follows simple instruction.
The sun rises in the east and marks the start of a new day. The killing of this first witch, the witch of the east, does, in fact, signal the start of something new for the girl from Kansas. With the Ruby Slippers at her feet, she embarks on her journey, starting where she was told, “at the beginning.”
In her essay, The Spiral of Integrating Power, Kristen Fox tells of the beginning of the journey:
At first I was just following my intuition. Fundamentally, I was stepping into my own power and stepping out of my role as a victim although I didn’t know it when I started…somewhere along the spiral of awakening, I had dropped [old beliefs] so that I could clime with both hands
Dorothy begins her trek along the Yellow Brick Road and at various points along the way she discards aspects of herself that grow increasingly irrelevant to her truer nature. Beginning with her selfishness and self-pity, these other troubling traits become outdated – obsolete within the new and improved Dorothy Gale.
She has killed the witch of the east, freed the Munchkins and acquired the freedom of new thought. The suppression other characteristics was lifted and trust, gratitude and joy are born within her.
As Dorothy “starts at the beginning” of the yellow road, we’re introduced to the second spiral. The road begins from a single point and twists or spirals outward. It is at this single point that Dorothy’s house landed and it is from here that she begins the real work. The road, we see, is the exact opposite of the violent tornado – it is a spiral that radiates from the center (her soul), outward towards her physical reality (Kansas). It suggests an ongoing journey – a journey without end. In other words, the work she must do to “go back to Kansas” will never be done, as it will continue well beyond her return to the familiar. However at this point in the story we’re not sure she will ever return home.
Dorothy has dropped out of what is familiar and into her unfamiliar spiritual self. It is there that she must address the problems of her selfish soul and remove the obstacles to her happiness. From this point she begins the journey outward back to Kansas, her physical self, to meet the conditions in her life – come what may. (For more in depth examination of the role the spiral can play in the spiritual journey, please refer to Jill Purces wonderful book, The Mystic Spiral).
When Dorothy left the farm to run away from the conditions she could not control, the landscape foretold of the consequences. As she leaves Munchkin Land you will notice her in the same composition on the screen. Only this time the landscape tells of another set of possibilities: There is color where there was none before. The road is yellow. There are flowers and rolling hills to either side of the road. The sky is blue with soft white clouds floating against the brilliant blue horizon.
When we saw her walking away from the farm, she was moving away from the picture plane, alone, timid and vulnerable. But as she prepares to leave Munchkin Land she is not alone. She is supported and encouraged by the happy Munchkins who have walked her to the border of their little village. They are waving and singing, “Follow the Yellow Brick Road, follow the Yellow Brick Road… follow, follow, follow… Follow the Yellow Brick Road.”
This is Dorothy’s leap of faith. Glinda, who represents the divine presence within her giver her two directives: to never let the Ruby Slippers off her feet and follow the Yellow Brick Road. But Glinda makes no guarantees or promises. Dorothy must go on faith that what she is told is better information than was she knows herself
The landscape in this scene represents hope for Dorothy ultimate goal. Leaving Kansas foretold of little hope because of the reasons for her flight. But as she leaves Munchkin Land her chances look favorable.
Yogi Berra, former Yankee catcher and current Hall of Famer, once said, “When you come to a fork in the road… take it.” We all come to cross roads in our lives – areas where decisions must made as to the direction of our future. It is here where we must consider many things in making our choices. On whose behalf are our decisions made and what are our true motives? These periods are rarely trouble free and can stir great turbulence in our soul and mind. But there may be an easier way. This is clearly illustrated in the meeting of the Scarecrow.
Dorothy comes upon a fork in the road and the yellow brick separates into 2-3 different directions. “Follow the Yellow Brick Road? Which way do we go now Toto?”
She is met with indecision. What does she do? Does she sit down and worry about which way is the right way? Does her self- pity arise? No. She does just the opposite and thinks of someone else
The Scarecrow, who has been stuck on a pole at these crossroads, is in need of help to be freed from his perch. “Well can’t you get down?” asks Dorothy.
“Well no I can’t… of course I haven’t got a brain, but maybe if you bend the nail down in the back, then maybe I’ll slide off.” Dorothy bends the nail and off he slides. As he is freed he explains to her that because he hasn’t got a brain, the crows come from miles around to eat in his fields and laugh in his face. That was his lot in life – to be perched in a cornfield with an inability to
The Scarecrow believes there is nothing he can do and that is exactly what manifests in his reality – nothing. A crow comes and lands on the stuffed ones shoulder, “Boo…Scat…Shoo…” he says with little passion. The crow is unimpressed. “Oh you see, ” he whines,” I’m a failure because I haven’t got a brain.” This is the state of low self-esteem and confidence. High self-doubt and negativity permeates his actions and everything is seen through the eyeglass of inevitable failure.
He begins to sing a well-disguised song of self-pity, “If I only had a brain… ‘Then I’d do this and that.’” In what becomes his personal theme song he sings about what if’s and if only’s. The Scarecrow is stuck on the pole of his own spiritual stagnation. It is a self-created dilemma. But, he is freed from his dormant condition through the help and generosity of Dorothy’s effort to free him. He allows himself to be help. The Munchkins, the Scarecrow remained idle and ineffectual within Dorothy.
Everything he is reflects an aspect of her soul and personality. But she recognizes his condition because it is familiar to her and offers to help him instead of shun him and think only of herself. As long as the Scarecrow believes he is without a brain, his condition is bound to stay the same. This condition is another characteristic of Dorothy’s personality that we will see is slowly shed as she leaves her old self behind.
“Do you think the Wizard would give me some brains?”
“I don’t see why not.” Says Dorothy. “And even if he didn’t you’d be no worse off than you are now.” She really has changed as she offers this very insightful truth.
“”Won’t you take me with you?” asks the Scarecrow.
“Oh of course I will…To Oz?” she asks of her new traveling companion. “To Oz,” he answers as the two join arms and begin to skin and sing down the Yellow Brick Road. But when Dorothy arrived at this crossroad there was a decision to be made. Which was the right way to go once the road separated?
Instead of thinking of her own needs at that point, she thought only of the Scarecrow. She wasn’t the selfish one experienced earlier because the witch of the east was killed and these newer, more generous aspects of her personality have been allowed to grow. And as she acquires this new friend she matures even more. These qualities of charitableness, selflessness and kindness along with the ability to think of someone else first, were the things lacking in her character before. But with the witch dead, the Munchkins freed and hope restored, the girl from Kansas hasn’t any need for the selfishness, anger and self-pity that characterized her personality back on the farm. Those qualities no longer apply to this re-born Dorothy Gale.
“We must start without delay in the painful, steep, humiliating path of undoing our busy, deliberately deluded selves… I must start with myself and stay with myself until some intention appears in my actions, some consistency between what I say and do.”
- Gerald Heard
As Dorothy and her new found friend skip and sing along the Yellow Brick Road they stay true to Glinda’s advice. However, they come upon an apple orchard and Dorothy is overcome with excitement at the sight of all the delicious apples. It is here when Dorothy gets off the road and she does so to feed her only desire, her hunger. What happens? She picks an apple and is met instantly with a rebuke from the old and knarled tree. A good slap on the wrist gets Dorothy’s attention. She is taken aback at the tree’s aggression. One of the trees remarks, “How would you like it if someone came along and picked something off of you?” Dorothy, “I guess I wouldn’t like it.”
Take That!
Still without an apple, the Scarecrow has a plan – he makes face and criticizes the quality of the trees’ apples. Angered, they begin throwing several apples at the two as the Scarecrow scurries to collect them all for eating later on. Meanwhile, Dorothy is doing her share to gather a few apples she is led to a small area of the woods, just across the road from the orchard where she finds something amazing. Right next to the apple she was about to pick up, is the tin foot of the tin woodsman or, as he is more commonly referred to, the Tin Man
“Help me, Help me..,” pleads the Tin Man through his rusted jaw. They find him with an axe in one hand raised as though he were about to chop something. He is frozen and has been that way for years. Dorothy and the Scarecrow use a near by oil can and begin to oil each joint of the frozen ax wielder.
The Tin Man explains, “one day I was out chopping wood and is started to rain and right in the middle of a chop, I froze solid and have been this way ever since. Like the Scarecrow when Dorothy met him, the Tin Man has been stagnant, unable to move or change his surroundings. In his case, it seems, he was overcome by fear, as he was about to finish something. Fear of completion or fear of taking the next action in life has arrested his body in a permanent state of indecision. Fear of not making the right decision when confronted by the fork in the road is the state of mind of this new character in Dorothy’s journey. Whatever the reason, the Tin Man was in the middle of doing something when he was terrified by the fear of what might happen if the action is completed. He is consumed by the thought that his action might result in failure. He is the great procrastinator, the one frozen by the fear of success and failure. He is the person who could’ve been a contender.
When Dorothy offers to take him along to meet the Wizard and ask him for a heart, what does he say? “Well suppose the Wizard wouldn’t give me one when we got there?” He is, I tell you, the procrastinator extraordinaire. He is afraid to go for fear of rejection, failure or success – it wouldn’t matter the outcome. His state of mind would not change even if he were assured to get a heart. At this stage, he lacks the same self-confidence and esteems the Scarecrow experienced in the cornfield. Neither character was doing anything. They were at the mercy of their surroundings. The conditions of their lives dictated to them. They felt as no they had no choice but to accept themselves and their conditions as they had manifested. More due to their own inability rather than their environment, they grew to be unfulfilled.
Thomas Merton once wrote, “Do not be one of those, who rather than risk failure, never attempts to do anything.” When Dorothy finds the Tin Man and Scarecrow, they are both in the state of doing nothing.
The Tin Man, like the Scarecrow, claims to be missing something. He claims to have no heart yet from the moment he appears, he is the most compassionate, caring and sentimental character in the movie. He cries at every sign of distress or loss. He is the romantic. And, like the Scarecrow, he sings the song of self-pity – I would do this and I would do that, “If I only had a heart….” Devotion, love and romance would be his if only he was given a heart when the tinsmith made him. But alas, he is without – or so he thinks.
Before moving on, lets take a moment to review what just happened: Dorothy comes off the road in an attempt to satisfy her hunger and she meets with confrontation. However, when she came off the side of the road where her help was needed and found the Tin Man, she was able to exercise the same kindness and compassion she showed the Scarecrow. And, in doing so, she acquires the quality represented by the Tin Man… compassion, self-love, caring and all of the other things associated with the human heart. It is interesting to note that the apple she was so excited to have found is never eaten. She has grown prodigiously.
She has discarded her anger, selfishness, greed and self-pity and gained in their place wisdom, compassion, charity and above all, a working faith that tells her she is heading in the right direction. She is no longer self-consumed. There is beginning to be a consistency between Dorothy’s actions and words. She treats her two companions much the same way she could’ve treated Ms.Gulch, but she simply did not have these same tools at her disposal. All of this was foreign to her. She couldn’t access these parts of her soul. Her journey had not yet taken place.
As we step along, we re-integrate those parts of ourselves we’ve been struggling against…We create in physical reality what we are – sometimes it just takes us awhile to remember what [or who] that is. – Kristen Fox
The turmoil she hoped to avoid was the very thing that propelled her into action. And although these characteristics are new, they are still just seminal features in her newly formed consciousness. The journey she is on is a long and arduous one. Difficulties lie ahead, of that we can be certain. But this better-equipped Dorothy is sure to be able to cope with whatever transpires.
Furthermore, as the three start down the Yellow Brick Road, they have a brief but frightening encounter with the wicked witch. It was she, after all, who had supplied the temptation of the apples in the hopes that Dorothy would eat one (and maybe fall into a spell?). She appears on the roof of a small house tucked in the woods just off the road. It so happens the house is on the same side of the road as the orchard.
She shrieks and threatens Dorothy and her new friends. “I’ll get you my pretty…and your little dog, too!” she warns, cackling in her signature high-pitched laughter.
“And here’s a little something for you Scarecrow!”
she says throwing a ball of fire in his direction. Fire, after all, is the one thing of which he is afraid. Dorothy and the Tin Man leap on the frightened and vulnerable straw man and stamp out the treacherous flame.
The witch has appeared on the roof a small house. The house has been designated as a symbol of the spiritual condition and here; it is used to remind us that Dorothy’s soul is yet to resolve her trouble. She is still unsettled and disturbed by this other witch. Remember, Glinda told Dorothy that the second witch was more evil than her sister, the witch of the east and that it was important to stay within the Ruby Slippers. Well it seems that no real harm has come to her during this chance meeting with the witch of the west. The Ruby Slippers have supplied the much-needed safeguard from this attack on her psyche. Dorothy’s psyche and spirit were weak; but she is gaining strength is able to fend of the poisons that once burdened her soul.
“We’re off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz… we hear is a wonderful Wiz, if ever a Wiz there was…”
The three companions (and Toto, too!) start again towards the Emerald City and a little further down the road the encounter a dark forest. They become immediately fearful of their surrounding and begin to panic. Nothing has happened; it has only gotten a little dark yet they are all distraught with negative projection.
“Lions and Tigers and bears, Oh my…” they repeat repeatedly until suddenly, a huge lion leaps from the woods. It is their worst possible fear – enter the Cowardly Lion.
He jumps in front of the trembling travelers and roars a mighty roar. All three are shaking.
“Go away and let us alone… we haven’t done anything to you.” But the lion is undeterred. However this lion has the cart before the horse. He thinks courage and strength are best exemplified by his intimidation and posturing. It is courageous, he thinks, to scare and bully those weaker than he. And how does he prove it? He picks on the smallest of them by chasing after Toto.
Toto runs around a little in what is more a game of cat and mouse. Toto then runs to Dorothy and she raises her hand and slaps the lion upon the snout as he approaches. The lion begins to sob. Dorothy is taken aback at his tearful display and says, “Well you’re nothing but an old coward.” The Lion agrees.
Mind Your Manners!
He is so painfully fearful that he even scares himself. He hasn’t slept in weeks and counting sheep is out of the question because… he afraid of them. His fear has made an insomniac out of him. He bags dark circles under his eyes and has no peace of mind whatsoever. The toll that his fears have taken on him is apparent.
But instead of rejecting the lion, they accept and welcome him to join them. The newly acquired compassion guides the situation. Dorothy accepts him because she sees something of herself in him. Or maybe she sees what is divine in him… maybe she has come to a place where she sees beyond the “person” and is able to see the spirit within. If this is so, then what she sees is not unlike the broken spirit she possessed back in Kansas.
“But wouldn’t you be embarrassed to be seen in the company of a Cowardly Lion?” asks the lion still.” with self-pity. “Of course not,” she says reassuring him that he is welcome to join them.
When Dorothy and the Scarecrow met up with the Tin Man, she said to the two of them, “you know I feel like I have known you all the time. But I couldn’t have could I?” She indeed, had these abilities within her but the oppression of the witch of the east; the dormant state of the munchkins and the lack of charitableness left her in a state not unlike her three companions.
“Well I know you now and that’s what matters. Out of this new space blooms the ability to think of others, have compassion and now, with a little bravery, she may very well achieve great things. Before the group continues to the Emerald City, the lion must join the self -pity choir…”My life has been simply unbearable, I just have to tell you how I feel.” (A little confession is good for the soul). He then picks up where the others left off by singing his version of the smash hit song of if only had a [fill in the blank].
The states in which we find each of these characters represent a phenomenon experienced by everyone at some point in their lives – it is a lack of self-confidence. Out of this corrupt soil in our souls can grow a host of others conditions – self-pity, low self esteem, fatigue, isolation worry, doubt, fear and procrastination. We could add to the list but suffice it to say, this torpid state of mind will not improve without examining our motives, past and present, particularly as they relate to other people.
Are we selfish and self seeking? Do we help other people without seeking something in return? Or do we feel so different that we stay to ourselves never letting the world know who we are and all that we can contribute. No matter how low a person’s spirit has plunged, there is always someone who has sunk even lower and to him/her, your condition looks like the penthouse. And as you feel better, less self concerned, hope grows in them and what a wonderful gift you’ve given to the both of you.
American psychoanalysis Karen Horney writes, “Emotional isolation [which is what these characters represent] is hard for anyone to endure; it becomes a calamity, however, if it coincides with apprehensions and uncertainties about one’s self.”
The Tin Man’s fear and apprehension of finishing the swing of his axe is a reflection of his indecision and doubt. He lacks confidence in his own abilities. He cannot see that he was ‘put on this earth’ to do exactly what it is we find him doing. Only he has succumbed to self-doubt and isolation.
The Lion’s fears and uncertainties are apparent in insomnia and jittery disposition. He has willed himself to live in the dark, damp forest and it has certainly become hard for him to endure. Thanks to Dorothy and her journey these three essential elements, have been retrieved from the recesses of the soul to fight the battle. Dorothy will still face doubt, fear and loss, but she is better prepared for these situations, which at one time, brought out the bad witch in her. The timely arrival of Dorothy into the lives of the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion has saved them from obscurity and eventually, death. What is more, she has asked nothing in return. They leave the dark forest behind and head off towards the Emerald City and the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz. We’re off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of oz. We hear is a Wiz of a Wiz if ever a Wiz there was…
They have traveled a long way and finally come through the forest. There before them, across a field of poppies, they can spot the Emerald City. It is beautiful, breathtaking.
Dorothy calls out, “oh he must be a wonderful Wizard to live in a city like that!” She is judging the book by the cover. The polish of the Emerald City has Dorothy believing that the person who resides there can live up to her expectations of him. She has based her whole journey back to Kansas on the belief that another person can take her. She needs to return to the farmhouse and repair all the damage she has left behind. Her soul was empty and devoid of warmth for anyone, including herself. She stepped into that farmhouse during the storm in her soul and said, ‘I am falling part. I am damaged, hurt and afraid.’ This is Dorothy’s spiritual house cleaning. She is as they say, ‘getting her house in order.
Having come through the woods and seen the Emerald City, Dorothy and her companions for get one very important piece of advice – follow the Yellow Brick Road.
A filed of poppies lies between the gates to the city and where they stand. But in their excitement they dart out across the fields. Their anticipation of this moment carries their every step as they run through the colorful patch of flowers. Had she remembered Glinda advice she may have waited before sprinting into the field. But she is so close that she races across the field forgetting what got her there. She has followed directions up until this point but has now abandoned that for instant gratification. Her patience has taken flight. They race into the field, one more excited than the other. “Hurry, hurry…” the Scarecrow beckons as he leads the others towards the Magical City of Emerald.
The Wicked Witch of the West promised Dorothy that she would cause trouble for her and she proves to be a witch of her word. As the foursome getting deeper into the field of poppies, they are all slowly overcome by a mysterious sensation of sleep. Sudden fatigue grips them as they all come to rest. The lion is asleep, the Tin Man has rusted once again and Dorothy and Toto are both fast asleep. The witch has cast a spell in the form of a field of poppies. “This is a spell that’s what this is!” says the Scarecrow. No one else is able to resist the spell except the Scarecrow because he knows what is the matter. The fact that he knows allows him to care for the others. When Dorothy met the Scarecrow, he promised that he would eat too much and that he wouldn’t try to manage things because he hasn’t got a brain. Well, it is he who takes control.
He tries to encourage Dorothy to stay on her feet and attempts to wake the others, but he cannot. “We’ re almost there. We can’t stop now,” he implores. But as suddenly as the spell was cast, it is lifted. The Scarecrow, realizing he is powerless to wake the others, begins to ask for help. “Help! Help!” he shouts into the air. Dorothy’s wisdom comes to her rescue and unknowingly summons the assistance of the Good Witch of the North, the benign, supernatural power.
Glinda Lifts the Spell
“Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened up to you.”
Glinda appears overhead and with a wave of her wand, lifts the spell. Dorothy begins to stir. “Dorothy, you’re waking up!” remarks the Scarecrow. Indeed, she is. She is waking to the ‘Emerald City’ deep within her metamorphosing soul. Once again, another transformation.
Dorothy Awakes
occurs and it happen right before our eyes. This process of remaking ones soul is an exhaustive undertaking – one that will need a period of convalescence. It is represented here by Dorothy’s brief respite in the field of poppies (having Dorothy pass out for the days or even weeks that this period of psychological recuperation can sometimes takes makes for a rather long movie – suffice it to say, rest, reorganization and awakening has taken place). Dorothy is an awakened individual.
She has laid faith in the words of her supernatural helper Glinda and the protective qualities of the Ruby Slippers have made sure of her safety until this point. The few encounters with the wicked witch so far have proven distracting at best. Surely the witch had a little more in mind when she warned Dorothy that, “this isn’t the last you’ll see of me… I’ll get you my pretty…and your little dog, too!” Larger challenges await Dorothy.
It is everywhere apparent thus far that this is truly a story of self-discovery. Although she is still not aware of the real purpose of her journey, she has experienced an incomplete, yet profound overhaul of her character and way of thinking. In The Choice… we read the following: “The process of finding and following the [spiritual] way is arduous and long, because it requires a basic reorientation of the entire personality, in both its know and unknown, its conscious and unconscious aspects. It requires patience and perseverance and a great and steady openness to whatever comes,” our way. Dorothy and her new companions have no doubt come a long way and her perseverance has them poised to enter the city of emerald. They overcame a few trials – the fireball hurled from the witch, the anxiety of the dark forest in which she found the lion and the spell cast amongst the filed of poppies.
For her the journey has been especially long. Her reorientation that began with the cyclonic fall from her darker self was just a beginning. Having gained the support of the Munchkins, Glinda, the Lion, Scarecrow and Tin Man, she’s become a more complete human being. But her spiritual makeover still requires that she face other demons – namely the Wicked Witch of the West who menacingly looms in her future. But there are even more subtle challenges to the terrain of her character that will have to be negotiated, too. The ‘what’ and ‘how’ of accomplishing these tasks remains to be seen.
Until this Dorothy and her companions have been skipping down the Yellow Brick Road singing the song, “We’re off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of oz. We hear he is a wonderful wiz…” but as the group emerges from the poppies, the song has changes, and for good reason.
“You’re out of the woods, you’re out of the dark, step into the light. March up to the gate and it will open.” In other words, the efforts she’s made thus far have qualified her for entry into the Emerald City – she doesn’t know it yet but she will. The angelic chorus doesn’t sing the words, “march up to the gate and open it.” Dorothy must have faith that the gates of the Emerald City will open for her and the answers she seeks will somehow be found. The self-will she demonstrated on the farm is of no use to her. Opening the door is self-will and letting it open is an act of faith… “March up to the gate and it will open.”
“Ding dong!”
“Who rang that bell?” asks the gatekeeper.
“We did,” they respond.
“State your business.”
“We want to see the Wizard.”
“No body can see the great Oz. Nobody’s ever seen the great Oz. Not even I’ve seen the great Oz.” He says.
“Well then how do you know there isn’t one?” (Good question).
The gatekeeper attempts to answer but can only stutter a few abbreviated sentences and sounds of frustration.
“Prove it!” The gatekeeper demands.
“She’s wearing the Ruby Slippers she [Glinda} gave her!"
"Well she is... why didn't you say that in the first place? Come on in!" he says heartily.
How is it that Dorothy is allowed entry into the Emerald City? She said the Good Witch of the North sent her and when she shows the man her Ruby Slippers she is immediately let in. Dorothy is the one on the spiritual path; she is on the path of goodness. The Ruby Slippers prove her worthiness and her entry in to the Emerald City is inevitable. Could it be that gatekeeper is one of the spiritual agents Campbell referred to?
March up to the gate and it will open.
Once in the city, the companions are given much needed freshening up by the city residents (this is where the Lion gets his red ribbon). They are given a tour of the city by its citizens and then are met, once again, by another obstacle - another gate (and gatekeeper).
"We're here to see the Wizard."
"No body's ever seen the great wizard. Not no body, not no how!"
"But she's the witches Dorothy!"
"The witches Dorothy?" well that makes a difference. I'll announce you at once." After a brief absence away from his post the gatekeeper returns and tells them tat the wizard said to go away.
Dorothy is crushed and begins to weep. As this is happening the gatekeepers appears through the porthole in the gate and watches Dorothy cry as the others console her.
If you watch the gatekeepers' face as he open the porthole, you will notice a certain compassion for Dorothy - almost as though he knows he must let her feel the disappointment and loss. He is a spiritual agent in full support of Dorothy and her journey but he must still let her figure things out on her own. What will she do with the news of not being able to see the Wizard? Will she become angry and think only of herself? Will she call them man names and become self-absorbed and self-pitying?
Her thoughts turn to her aunt and uncle and of how worried they must be for her safety. She is concerned for them. She is feeling the remorse for leaving the farm. The gatekeeper know he must let her have this moment so that she can really feel the full scope of what her actions have done.
But soon after, the gatekeeper shifts gears and plays along, crying with the others. "I'll get you in to see the Wizard." He says and again, the gate id opened.
Finally, they are to meet the great and powerful wizard of oz. Dorothy and her three friends approach the Wizard one by one, each offering nervous salutations to the big head suspended in smoke and fire. The Wizard treats each with disdain. They are very intimidated in his presence.
The Wizard admits that he intends to grant each their wishes but that in order to do so, they will have to bring him the wicked witch of the west's broomstick. "But if we do we'll have to kill her," says the Tin Man hesitantly. "Go away!" orders the Wizard. They have their work cut out for them. This is certainly a deed of self worth.
When Dorothy approached the Wizard she says something very interesting and quite unlike her former self: "I am Dorothy the small and meek."
I cannot help but be reminded of the beatitude, "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth."
The Meeting with the Great and Powerful
Emmett Fox refers to meekness as a "combination of open-mindedness, faith in God and the realization that the will of God for us is always something better that anything we could think for ourselves." He explains that this rare quality is a mental attitude out of which our true purpose is realized and fulfilled. Dorothy's purpose from the beginning was to return to Kansas - that is her will. However a long the way, the Ruby Slippers, Glinda and her multiplying faith have brought her to quite another outcome this far. Certainly she had no plans to meet the Scarecrow, Lion and Tin Man. Things came to her quite unexpectedly. Although she remains unconscious to the process taking place, she has developed an open-mindedness to whatever she encountered.
When is Munchkin Land she could not have guessed that her journey would come down to the deliberate act of killing the wicked witch? Weren't the slippers supposed to protect her? Why then would she have to kill the witch? Because this is gods will for her.
When Dorothy refers to her self as meek, there is a pause in her voice. Her voice is gentle and sincere. She is humbled by her experiences.
"Meekness... as described by an unknown fourteenth century English mystic, is "in itself naught else, but a true knowing and feeling of a [person] as [that person] really is.” Dorothy does not embellish who she is; she simply states what she is, small and meek. Surely the reader will agree that this represents a pointed and definite change in her awareness of self. She isn’t the ‘me, me, me’ Dorothy Gale of Kansas that opened the story on the farm. But this changed hasn’t come about instantly either. She has persevered.
Before I return to the story, further explanation of the second part of the beatitude is needed. It says, “The meek shall inherit the earth.” Once again, Fox writes, “the word earth [in Biblical times did] not mean the terrestrial globe. It really means manifestation or expression is the result of a cause… that all causation is mental and that [our] body and all of our affairs… are but manifestations of our own mental states.”
Dorothy’s conflict with Ms. Gulch is a direct result of her unwillingness to take Toto a different route on the way home. Everything that happens is a reflection or manifestation of her stubbornness. In addition, she was ill equipped to admit her faults to Ms. Gulch or ask for help, humbly, in resolving the situation. All of this was a manifestation of her mental state, which we saw when she went back into the house to come in from the storm.
Using Fox’s definition as a yardstick, Dorothy’s ‘earth” then, is the whole of her outer experience. The problems she could not solve and those from which she ran are reflections of an unsettled and discomforted soul. “To inherit the earth means to have dominion over [the] outer experience… to have [the] power to bring your conditions of life into harmony.” This is at the crux of this long journey.
Returning to the story, we find our four characters (Toto, too) in the Haunted Forest searching for the wicked witch (where else would you go to find a wicked witch?). But the witch is safe in her castle. She and her flying monkeys peer into a crystal ball to see the four searching for her. She commands the monkeys to “Fly! Fly! Fly!” to capture Dorothy and that little dog.
“Do what you want with the others. But be careful with those shoes… I want them most of al!!… Now fly, fly!!” she orders. The monkeys fly down into the forest and sweep Dorothy and Toto into the air kicking and screaming. The dark textured sky shows the silhouette of Dorothy and her abductors flying back to the witch’s castle.
Dorothy is carried away by the Flying Monkeys
Back in the castle Dorothy and her nemesis meet for the second time. This time, there is no Glinda to shoo the witch away. She will have to deal with the witch herself.
The first wicked witch represented selfishness, which we know by every selfless act Dorothy’s performed once that witch was killed. Here in the castle of the wicked witch she comes face to face with a second evil manifestation of her soul.
When the scene opens we see the witch petting Toto very insensitively, almost jealously. If the first witch represented selfishness, what does the second witch symbolize? The witch opens the scene by saying the following: “it’s so kind of you to visit me in my loneliness.”
“What an unexpected pleasure.”
By her own admission, the character representing Dorothy’s last spiritual impediment, is not wicked, but she is lonely!! She defines herself not as wicked or evil, but lonely. Dorothy is now confronted with the root cause of her problems – her dark and agonizing loneliness. Now the wicked witch assumes new history altering proportion.
The witch then threatens to drown Toto and Dorothy reacts by saying the witch can have the shoes if she spares Toto. Once again Toto is threatened. Only this time Dorothy offers something of her self. She knows Glinda advice of not being harmed as long as she has the slippers on. But she is willing to sacrifice herself for the safety of her dog.
The witch reaches for the slippers and a yellow, electrical sparks, zaps her knarled, green fingers. “Fool that I am, I should have remembered. Those shoes will never come off as long as you’re alive.
“Curses! I should’ve remembered”!
She grabs a large hourglass, turns it over and says to Dorothy, “You see that? That’s how long you have to be alive… and it isn’t long my pretty.” She exists, leaving Dorothy alone in a locked room of the upper floor of the castle
What has just taken place? Dorothy has just been threatened with death; once the hourglass runs out Dorothy will have ceased to live and everything she has accomplished thus far will be for naught. She will not have rid herself of this last and most destructive witch. She will be spiritually dead and her loneliness would have triumphed over every other effort.
She has just encountered what Carl Jung refers to as the “shadow self.” That is the self that lurks always just beneath the surface of our public identities. That ever-whispering presence which says we are something more sinister. In this case, the loneliness of Dorothy’s character has threatened her with spiritual demise.
Alone again
Now Dorothy is by herself for the first time since she cried alone in her room back in Kansas. Toto was gone then, he is gone now. Her companions who have assisted her in her journey are nowhere to be seen. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are light years away. She is utterly alone. This time she cannot escape yet she is right back where she began – alone. Here is where Dorothy makes a confession, her first. “I’m frightened… I’m frightened.” She says as she begins to weep. This scene has become my favorite part of the movie. Dorothy is alone and hopeless.
Everything she has known is now lost. Her family has forgotten about her. The familiar landscape of her Kansas environs has been replaced by the jagged hill on which the witch’s castle sits. Toto is not at her side. And in the face of this new reality she breaks down in fear. Watch her cry – she is terrified. The very structure of her being is collapsing. She clutches her handkerchief, wringing it desperately for security. She’d do anything to be anywhere other than where she sits (if she was asked, she’d probably choose to have her problem with Ms. Gulch rather than face was she is confronted with now). There is indecision and doubt and there is no guarantee that she comes out of this unscathed let alone better for the experience. She cannot think that far ahead.
Unlike the bedroom scene she cannot run – she’s trapped and forced to sit with her feeling and they all come knocking at the same time.
The tears she cries now are not the same ones shed on the farm – manufactured tears for the purpose of getting her needs met. These tears are genuine, evoke from a moment of great fear and anxiety. But as we know, this is not the same Dorothy Gale. She now has the tools and character to deal with the situation in which she finds herself.
She has met he darkest part of her soul, the root of all her troubles and the flaw that manifested itself in ways that seemed out of her control. But as Emmett Fox pointed out, her outside reality merely reflected that which was out of order within her spiritual reality. Although she may not know it she is equipped for this crisis. She has come face to face with the darkest part of her soul and may even live to tell about it.
Affliction is a treasure, and scarce any man hath enough of it. No man hath affliction enough that it not matured, and ripened by it and made fit for God by it. – John Donne
Meanwhile the ever-resourceful Toto has found the others and guides them back to the witch’s castle. Three things Dorothy acquired since beginning her journey now come to her rescue. Outside the castle they make their way up the jagged rock face of the hill leading to the castle gates. Of the three, who’s leading the way? The so-called Cowardly Lion. He is leading the others as they hold his tale…”I hope my strength holds out,” says the Lion. They Scarecrow is following the others to make sure no one falls behind.
To the rescue
They come to the top of the rocky cliff and peer down over the side to see the castle gates. The guards are marching in formation through the enormous gates. The gate of the emerald city was relatively easy to enter – these gates, however may prove to be a little more difficult. The gates look impenetrable. I’ve got an idea on how to get us in there.” Says the Scarecrow pointing to the Lion. “And you’re going to lead the way.”
“Ok,” says the Lion, “I’ll do it for Dorothy! I may not come out of there alive but I’m going in.” Here the Lion exercises bravery and selflessness… now the qualities are interchangeable and one depends on the other. The Lion exhibits the real definition of courage: “The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face dear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence and bravery.” The one who seeks it most is the one most unable to perceive it. The Lion carries on nonetheless.
There are appropriate responses to fear and irrational responses. When we first encountered the Lion his fear had driven him deep into a dark forest of isolation. There was no sunlight and no warmth. It was cold and damp. The Lion was so governed by his fear that life outside his dark and lonely surroundings was inconceivable. In fact, he performs his first act of courage when he changed his environment. He, too, takes a leap of faith.
American psychiatrist Fritz Kinkel, wrote, “Fear of failure, frustration, defeat and at least, even fear of death has to be faced, explored and lived through, in vivid imagination. Gradually, all the perils of the soul, all the catastrophes of life, lose their terrifying aspects, though certain serious results from them may remain. They become parts of the human life and we learn to think of them without anxiety…” He continues, “The more we realize this is true, the less we are a afraid of making mistakes and the more we are able to make creative decisions. Then our courage and confidence increase through favorable experiences. Our readiness to take risk and responsibility grows. Life becomes fuller, richer, and more successful and our confidence increases.”
The lions confidence has surely grown as his fear of the unknown decreases. He has, through certain favorable experiences, learned that there is more to living than just the preoccupation with one’s own problems, fears, apprehensions and anxieties. He is no longer in a state of doing nothing and he is prepared to risk.
Upon viewing the darkness of the castle the Tin Man laments, “Oh I just hate to think of Dorothy in there all by herself. We’ve got to get her out of there.” This is a show of compassion – he has a heart. The main flaw with all of these characters, including Dorothy, is that they all fail to recognize their own god given attributes. They see only their flaws. They have been so consumed with their own problems that they’ve shut themselves off from the rest of the world. They have each created a reality that feeds their self-perception of failure and unworthiness. But Dorothy rescued them from their ineffectual conditions and now it is their turn to come to her rescue. At this stage in the journey, they are all quite effective and very useful. As they prepare to attempt Dorothy’s rescue, their lives have taken on meaning and purpose. And while Dorothy sits anxiously in the witch’s castle all hope seems lost. But just as soon as they hourglass appear empty, the three heroes chop through the door and free Dorothy.
They run from the room and are immediately trapped by the witch, her guards and the flying monkeys. As the witch taunts them, the Scarecrow looks up and sees that a rope attached to the wall near by holds the huge chandelier that hovers just over their would-be captors heads. “Seize them! Seize them!!” the witch orders.
The Scarecrow grabs the Tin Man’s ax severs the rope and the chandelier falls. They run along the outside story of the castle, only to be turned around by an oncoming second group of guards. Behind them are the others guards who were delayed by the falling light fixture. They are trapped.
“Seize them! Seize them!”
The wicked witch enters and says, “The last to go will see the first three go before her… how about a little fire Scarecrow?” From a nearby candles flame, the witch lights the dry straw of her broom and holds it to the vulnerable shivering Scarecrow. Instinctively, Dorothy grabs a conveniently place bucket of water and douses the flames with one hurried pour. As she does, she inadvertently splashes water on the witch who stands just beyond the burning Scarecrow.
“Don’t throw that water!” screams the witch, but it’s too late. The baptismal liquid cleanses Dorothy of her final evil – her loneliness and isolation. In this scene, the witch is seen “melting, melting, melting,” in the middle of the frame. The witch’s protectors surround her with their spears all drawn. They are standing on the edge of the composition. As the witch slowly melts away, the spears the guards are holding each descend to the ground. This all happens in unison with the disappearing witch.
As the witch is completely “liquidated” the spears that once defended her simultaneously touch the ground the moment she has evaporated.
Now when the first witch was killed something happened. There was a result springing from her demise. When the first witch is killed, the Munchkins are freed and here again, the same dynamic occurs – the witch of loneliness is killed and something is again freed.
The Wicked Witch of the West’s’ last stand
One of the Castle Guards turns to Dorothy and says, “You’ve killed her.” A delighted monkey picks at the witch’s remains and looks up with a smile on his face. He’s clapping his hands. “Hail to Dorothy the wicked with is dead!!” Aren’t these the same castle guards who were trying to capture and kill Dorothy just moments before? Isn’t this the same expression of gratitude the Munchkins gave her when she crushed the witch of the east? “I didn’t mean to kill her, ” it was an accident… the first witch was also killed accidentally.
The complimentary aspects between the freeing of the Munchkins and the emancipation of the monkeys and Castle Guards is so spiritually relevant (and overlooked) that to excluded it from any serious evaluation of the movie is a profound error in judgment and perception. It is the theory of cause and effect and it happens here in the most philosophical of ways. Once the witch of loneliness is killed the forces that used to defend her are eradicated, too. The witch was not so much evil or wicked as she was lonely and isolated. She isn’t a hateful witch; she’s a frightened one.
And notice what happens. What is the effect of her loneliness on her? It causes her to covet the Ruby Slippers. It may be a reflection of envy, jealously or deprivation. The point is: it is in response to her intense condition of loneliness.
“If only” she had those Ruby Slippers then maybe she’d feel happy, complete or different in some way. Her wants are no different than the other three when they are found in the cornfield and woods.
The scene ends with one of the Castle Guards lifting the broom and handing it to Dorothy to take back to the Wizard. What is amazing is the complete 180-degree turn the guards and monkeys have taken. When loneliness is in control, one’s one benevolence can sometimes be made dormant or overshadowed. Isolation and loneliness are two incredibly dominant deterrents to emotional growth.
The Emerald City is a place inside Dorothy. It is the reorganized home. It is the small farmhouse that was once in disarray and confusion. It is her spirit transformed. She is no longer the frightened, lonely and selfish person who demanded the attention of those around her. Having come this far in her journey she has successfully, but not yet entirely, ‘cleaned house.’ Now she must return to the Emerald City and the Wizard to claim her right of passage back to her physical self, back to Kansas.
“Your majesty. We’ve brought you the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West just as you asked. Now we’d like you to keep your promise,” says Dorothy humbly.
“Go away and come back tomorrow! The Wizard responds.
Tomorrow? Haven’t they done what the Wizard asked? What more can be done? Why must they return after completing everything that was required of them? Is it that the Wizard isn’t really a Wizard “who will serve?”
Exposed!
Remember the scene in the forest when the cowardly Lion was exposed for the coward that he was? He was chasing Toto when Dorothy slapped him on the nose. Well it is Toto again, who is once again the initiator of yet another important revelation. Toto rambles over to the left of where everyone is standing. There is a curtain with movement behind it. Toto grabs the bottom of the curtain with his teeth and pulls the covering back to expose the Wizard as a fraud.
“Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!” shouts the voice nervously. But it is too late. The Wizard is no magical force. The Wizard is and old and uncertain man hiding behind the mask of the great and powerful identity of The Wizard of Oz. What now? Dorothy has invested all of her hope in returning to Kansas in a man who is nothing more than and illusion. All of his magical abilities are as limited to that of a human being. He is no better, no more mystical than Dorothy.
“You’re a very bad man!” says Dorothy angrily.
“No dear… I’m a very good man. I’m just a bad Wizard.” Therein lies one of the great lessons of this story – no human power can change us or make us who we are meant to be by the forces of creativity, nature, the universe, or, if you like, God. If we seek this quality in other human beings we are sure to be disappointed and discouraged. More importantly, we are wasting out time.
‘The Wizard’ in this case is a man, mortal in every way and incapable, as much as he may like, of giving Dorothy what she seeks. He does not have the power to fix the condition of her soul. This must be achieved by self-sacrifice and perseverance through one’s own journey through the dark forests of their soul.
The dependence Dorothy must seek is the true dependence on god and the wisdom that comes from this all loving force. This is the kind of dependence that exceeds all reliance on material needs.
What results from her efforts is more than any other human being can provide. What Dorothy was seeking is still unrealized. Once again all hope for returning to Kansas seems lost.
After he is found out, the Wizard hands out what is nothing more than consolation prizes. They are mere tokens of everything the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion sought. He tells the three that everything they are seeking he cannot give, but that he can give them symbols – which is what he does.
Each believes they are being handed the brain, heart and courage they came for, but what they receive are symbols. Before now they believed in their own inferiority and ineffectiveness and that was their reality. Now they believe they have been given great gifts and they think differently about themselves and their abilities. Their perceptions of themselves have changed, but that is all.
The Scarecrow rattles off a complicated formula moments after receiving a diploma,” The square root of any two sides of an isosceles triangle is equal to the sum of the square root of any of the remaining two sides.” (Or something like that).
Anyway, everyone was given something except for Dorothy. “I don’t suppose there is anything in that bag for me?” she asks the Wizard.
The Wizard goes on to say that he is an old Kansas man himself and that one day wondered into oz while flying in a hot air balloon. The wind, he says, shifted and down he came into the Land of Oz. The Emerald City occupants took him for a Wizard who fell from the sky and thus he became, The Wizard of Oz.
“Times being what they were I took the job.” He remarks.
So off they go to a makeshift launch pad where everyone is waiting to see the Wizard and Dorothy leave in the vehicle that brought him to them. He makes a little speech in which he leaves all authority over to the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion. And now the time has come, Dorothy will finally return to Kansas, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. This is what she has always wanted.
But just as the balloon is about to be released into the air, Toto sees a cat in the crowd and leaps from Dorothy’s arms and chases the cat (this is the second time that Dorothy is compelled to act as the result of Toto chasing after a cat. What comes next defines the entire journey).
As everyone is distracted the balloon is let go with only the Wizard aboard. “Come back, come back.” Dorothy pleads.
“I can’t come back. I don’t know how it works! Good bye!” he shouts as the balloon ascends into the sky. Dorothy’s dream is surely crushed by the Wizards’ unexpected departure. Enter the floating bubble.
That’s right Glinda descends from the sky just as she did in Munchkin Land, and just in time. “Look! Here’s someone who can help you.” The Scarecrow says pointing to the descending spherical conveyance. The Good Witch of the North arrives and says you Dorothy, “You don’t need to be helped any longer. You’ve always had the power to go back to Kansas…”
“I have!” remarks a surprised Dorothy.
“You just had to learn it for yourself.” Says a smiling Glinda.
What exactly did she have to learn for herself? Could she, at any moment over the duration of her journey, have simply returned to Kansas? Surely if this were the case, since it was her primary desire, then she would have called a taxi or bought a map at the local tourist information booth to return to Kansas, right? So if she always had the power, how and why is her return to Kansas so delayed? Let us review what she has done:
In Munchkin Land she kills the with of the east whose Ruby Slippers she acquires. She’s told to keep them on her feet or else she would be at the mercy of the second witch, the witch of the west who, as Glinda stated, is worst than her sister. She is also told to follow the Yellow Brick Road to the wizards where she will ask for help in returning home. Along the way she encounters three curious and emotionally distorted characters with which she identifies and subsequently helps out of their stagnant conditions.
She meets the Wizard who says that she must bring him the Wicked Witch of the West’s’ broomstick before he will grant any of them their wishes. The task is accomplished and they return only to discover that the Wizard is a fake and their journey was in vain.
But as the Scarecrow, Lion and Tin Man are appointed rulers of oz in the Wizards absence, Dorothy is offered a ride back to Kansas in his hot air balloon (notice how the balloon and the Wizard are filled with the same substance). The balloon is prematurely released and the Wizard floats away without its second passenger – Dorothy (and Toto, too!).
Which brings us to this moment outside the Emerald City. Is Dorothy to return to Kansas and what is all this about her always having the power to return? And if this is true why wasn’t she told this much earlier in the journey – it would have saved everyone a lot of trouble, don’t you think?
When I watch this scene I get the feeling that the Scarecrow, Lion and Tin Man are each aware of what is going on. After all, they are the assigned secret agents, are they not? They know this is the climax of her quest.
The Tin Man asks, “what did you learn Dorothy?” He asks her as though he were the parent bird gently nudging an infant from the nest. Dorothy pauses for a moment and one can see the epiphany come over her – she does not struggle to answer the question. “That if I ever went searching for my hearts desire, I won’t have to look any farther than my own back yard because if it isn’t there, then I never really lost it to begin with. Is that it?” she asks Glinda hoping for her approval.
The Moment of Truth
“That’s all it is.” Says Glinda.
The good witch confirms what Joseph Campbell puts forward, “It appears that the perilous journey was a labor not of attainment but of re-attainment, not of discovery but of re=discovery. The Godly powers sought and dangerously won are revealed to have been within the hero all the time.” Remember when Dorothy said to the Scarecrow and Tin Man, that she felt as though she had known them all the time “but I couldn’t have could I?” It is plain that what she realizes is more of a rediscovery and re- attainment than anything else. She did not acquire anything new but it was out of the purview of her past experience. The compassion, courage and wisdom were all elements in her emotional make up but were almost entirely overshadowed by the extreme loneliness, isolation and self-centeredness.
Remember the opening farm scene when Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are too busy to help her because they are counting the sick baby chickens? Dorothy holds one of them to her cheek and says compassionately, “Poor little things.” She possessed only a modicum of compassion and concern for others. But if she had it to the extent that she has now, she would have helped count the chicks instead of seeking pity from the farm hands about her situation with Ms. Gulch.
Dorothy’s answer to Glinda is not a tight or wrong answer; it is based on her experiences down the Yellow Brick Road – to the center of her soul and back. Who is going to tell her that what she learns from that process is not what she was suppose to learn. No one can take a lived experience away from her. Her response in an intuitive not forced or coerced. I am reminded of Mathew, chapter 10 verse 19 and 20 which reads: “When they deliver you up, take no thought of how or what you shall speak, for it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak. For it is not you who speaketh but the spirit of your heavenly father which speaketh in you.”
She has been delivered to this moment and the moment is seized and understood. She now knows what the journey was about and for whom it was taken. She says, “I guess it wasn’t enough for me to want to see aunt Em and Uncle Henry again.” In the beginning, Dorothy started back from professor marvels because she thought her aunt was dying because Dorothy’s disappearance and the whole journey back was fueled by the fear that she may never see her family again. But now Dorothy realizes that it was she who was lost (You do some sad, sad things baby when it’s you you’re trying to lose).
This person is, by all accounts, a different individual. She is fully awakened and her soul is at ease. There is no turmoil. No discontent and no want. She has accepted the place to which she has arrived. The place, however, is not a physical one – it is of a spiritual nature entirely.
She knows that if ever there is conflict in her life, that she can face and solve her problem with humility. The outcome may not be what she expects, but she will accept whatever the outcome happens to be – favorable or unfavorable.
When she left the farm she went looking for acceptance and for some one who would listen to her. She wanted to be acknowledged but for all the wrong reason. But fleeing from her problems was in opposition to solving them because they don’t go away, they just get bigger and more difficult to reconcile. He absence means her non-participation on her own behalf. She believes that if she ignores the problem, the problem will go away.
Now she knows that the problem she faced was a problem of character. The solution, she learns, was always in the backyard of her own spiritual home. She encountered great challenges, harassed and distracted from her quest and even threatened with death. But she persevered and triumphed over seemingly insurmountable odds.
I discovered that there is all the difference in the world between knowing something intellectually and knowing something as a lived experience. – Joanna Field
Returning to the ceremony outside the Emerald City. Glinda tells Dorothy that all she has to do is click her heels together three timer and think to herself, “There’s no place like home.” The internal spiritual home, once cleansed, is the only place where the truth (the Emerald City) can be found.
(As I stated earlier, the Ruby Slippers were not the shoes of choice in the original story. In that tale Dorothy wore Silver Shoes. The change was made, I believe, because of the more appealing contrast between the red of the Ruby and the yellow of the brick road. In the original story, the only mention made of the Ruby, was in the form of a throne and it was of no great consequence to the story).
Dorothy taps her heels
So lets return to the aforementioned amulet and its magical incantation. Incantation, words chanted in magic spells or rites, are heard from Dorothy in the form of, “There’s no place like home.” When the phrase is repeated, or chanted, three times with the tapping of the heels of the Ruby Slippers, the magic, which Glinda said must be very powerful, is induced. Dorothy is given these shoes, they take the identity of the amulet received by the hero as described by Joseph Campbell and they are imbued with a magic that is to be realized during ritual (or rights of passage). They are, as we have learned, inscribed with and magical incantation. Now, considering the healing powers of the Ruby and the fact that they were never suppose to be in the movie, makes their presence all the more incredible.
There’s no place like home
It gets even more interesting. Martin Buber writes the following in Khassechscher Bucher:
“There once was a pious rabbi, Eisik or Krakow, capital of Poland, who had a dream in which a voice told him to go to far off Prague, where, under the great bridge to the royal castle he would discover a hidden treasure. The same commanding dream was repeated twice. He finally decided to go – making the long journey by foot. On arriving in Prague he found the bridge; but as there were sentinels posted there day and night, he did not venture to dig. However, day after day, he returned and loitered around unostentatiously trying to study the situation. Finally, he attracted the attention of one of the guards. ‘Have you lost something my good man?’ The Rabbi told him of his dream. The officer laughed and exclaimed, ‘You poor man – to have worn out a pair of shoes traveling all this way only because of a dream! Why I had a dream once. A voice commanded me to go to Krakow and search for the home of rabbi Eisik, son of Jekel, where I would find a great treasure buried in a dirty corner behind the stove. Imagine believing in such a dream, ” and he laughed again. Rabbi Eisik bowing politely, bid farewell and returned to Krakow. There he dug in the neglected corner behind the stove and found the treasure – thus putting an end to his poverty (italics added).” Sound familiar?
In commenting of this tale Heinrich Zimmer noted: “Now the real treasure, to end our misery and trial, is never really far away; it is not to besought in any distant region; it lies buried in the innermost recess of our own home, that is to say, our own being. And it lies behind the stove, the life and warmth-giving center of the structure of our existence, our heart of hearts – if we could only dig. But there seems and odd and persistent fact that it is only after a faithful journey to a distant region, a foreign country, a strange land, that the meaning of the inner voice that is to guide our quest, can be revealed (italics added).” Hmm?
It has always been the primary function of myth and rite to supply the symbols that carry the human spirit forward. – Joseph Campbell
In this story there have been several mirror-type images and sequences – the road scene where Dorothy is leaving the farm echoed by here departure from Munchkin Land, the spiral of the Kansas tornado and the spiral of the beginning of the Yellow Brick Road, the killing of both witches by accident and the freeing of both the Munchkins and the Castle Guards. There are more, but suffice it to say, this is a major dynamic in the film.
Lets look at the second precious stone – the emerald. It is believed the emerald “represents the potential divinity not yet manifested [within us] and enhances deeper spiritual insight.” Moreover is the belief that “this gem was not meant to act a purifier… as its work begins only after other gems have prepared the readiness for its benefits.” The Ruby Slippers act as the gem that has prepared Dorothy and made her ready for all the benefits of deeper spiritual insight. If the movie doesn’t contain the element of the Ruby, the emerald is ineffective, null and void, and meaningless. But is it the Ruby slipper element, and not silver shoes, that keep Dorothy safe, prepared and ready for her decisive moment in the Emerald City ceremony.
None of this happens overnight or over the course of an afternoon. What the movie illustrates is a life long process. It empowers the viewer to utilize the messages repeatedly in the various situations that require spiritual attention, clarity of mind and emotion. It suggests in many ways, that personal accountability to both our own spiritual condition and the out conditions of our life are our own responsibility. It also makes clear that the way to remove the spiritual debris is to stay focused of the needs of others whereby our own concerns are remedied in the process.
“Numerous schemes have been designed…” writes Emmett Fox, “to bring about happiness by making changes of some sort in man’s external conditions while leaving the quality of his mentality untouched; and always the result is the same – failure. It is only by a change of consciousness that our outer conditions can really be altered [for] a change of one’s consciousness is in truth the only thing that is worth doing at all.”
Back in Kansas
So when Dorothy leaves the Land of Oz she makes a point of saying to her three friends that she will miss them all. But she isn’t really leaving anything behind she has earned the spiritual rewards of what these characters represent. Each has become a part of her being and moral fiber. She has spent her entire journey unlearning the corrosive parts of her personality and beliefs. The qualities she has acquired are ways of doing things and relating to others that build of ones character, not destroy it. She is a re-made person.
Campbell remarks on the journey like this. “The first work of the hero is to retreat from the world scene of secondary affects to those zones of the psyche where the difficulties really reside and there to clarify the difficulties, eradicate them in his case and break through the archetypal images scattered through the journey. Attain their meaning and utilize them. Fit them into the way of doing things.”
The utilization of these principles is second nature to her. The house she ran into for safety when she ran from the twister provided nothing to her quality of life. It was in shambles. The phrase, “there’s no place like home,” takes on an entirely new dimension in the light of what has been revealed. It is seen now as a spiritual affirmation linked to many great mythological tenets. The movie ceases to be relegated to the category of children’s fairytale – its appeal is much broader and influential than that. It is, beyond a doubt, one of the great mythological tales ever to be told. There is scarcely a movie made in the 20th century that has approached the spiritual significance of The Wizard of Oz. “Hail to Dorothy. The Wicked Witches are dead!”
Afterwards
I have thought for many years of the role Toto plays in this story. His character, if you will, is the most complex of all the others – even that of his owner, Dorothy Gale.
There are at least three escapes Toto makes: 1) his flight from the basket of Ms. Gulch, 2) the running away from the witches castle and 3) the spirited leap from Dorothy’s arms to chase the cat during the ceremony out side the Emerald City. Each of these escapes resulted in one thing – they compel Dorothy to act. Toto is the catalyst of Dorothy’s spiritual growth.
As Ms. Gulch peddles away from the farm with Toto in her basket, the quick-thinking pup pops his head from the basket, makes sure the coast is clear, then leaps back onto the dirt road and scampers back to the farm. When he is safely back in Dorothy’s arms, for his sake and hers, she decides to take a series of actions that begin this panoramic journey through the human soul. Each action builds momentum into the next – the meeting of professor marvel, the realization of self-centeredness and the initiation of the cyclone all transpire because of Toto’s escape from Ms. Gulch.
Secondly, Toto is once again stuffed into a basket while in the witches’ castle after having been captured. He escapes again and runs off to find the others so that they could be brought to Dorothy’s rescue. Dorothy is compelled, not so much to act as she is to not act (or to act a sitting still). It is here that she is forced to look at her self, feel her feelings and not run. Rather than catapult herself into another unmanageable situation, she remains a waits in fear of what may become of her. Remember, she has seen the darkest part of her soul and yet she remains in the castle of isolation and loneliness.
Also, remember the lions posturing upon meeting the three travelers in the forest? Well once again, Toto escapes his clutches and when he does it is Dorothy who slaps the lion on the snout, exposing him as the coward that he was. Before Toto’s actions Dorothy was inactive and afraid.
And lastly, outside the Emerald city Toto chases a cat in the crowd of onlookers. Dorothy tries to retrieve him and in doing so, misses her ride in the hot air balloon. She is stranded, dejected and discouraged. But it is because of Toto’s curiosity and mischiefness that Dorothy is there to greet the Good Witch of the North. And it is through this final gathering with her, that she learns the meaning of her flight from and eventual passage back to, Kansas. Had she been on the flight back with the former head of the Land of Oz, she would not have learned this all-important truth about herself, her life and her mission.
Toto is then responsible for everything that happens to Dorothy – his actions propel Dorothy forward in each instance where spontaneous action occurs. There is no thought to what Dorothy does in reacting to Toto’s movements. She acts intuitively and with concern only for Toto. Without Toto, she is the Scarecrow in the field, the Lion cowering in the woods and the Tin Man suspended in time in the forest. Toto is everything to Dorothy. Which brings me to a few interesting linguistic coincidences about the word Toto… T-o-t-o.
* The Spanish word for the total of everything, or all encompassing, is Todos.
* In French, a similar words is used to define the same thing, Toute pronounced, toot.
* In Portugues the word for all is tudo or todo.
* The itlaian word for total is tutta. The word for all is tuuti.
* In Japanese the word for all is to-taru.
I swahili the word for all is ote.
Though not every language has simliar pronuciation or spelling the comparisons are remarkable. Suffice it to say, the word, the Toto character and the impetus he creates are crucial and moving elements in the story. He may symbolize the God presence in Dorothy, the force within that seeks the true nature of her being. Toto is a metephor for many things. He is religious, spiritual, psychological, emotional and mental. He represents everything that is not physical in Dorothy’s world. He is the symbol of an intuitive human energy that does not hesitate to bring about a vital conversion of the soul. If one looks for what Toto does and what comes as a result of his actions, there is little doubt that nothing of any significance happens in the film without his involvement.
When seen in this light, is there any wonder why the Wicked Witch of the West always made sure to include Dorothy’s “little dog, too!”?
The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz:
A Journey of Practical Spirituality
An essay by Charles McGill, 1994
myth n
1. a traditional story about heroes or supernatural beings, often explaining the origins of natural phenomena or aspects of human behavior
2. myths considered as a group or a type of story
3. a character, story, theme, or object that embodies a particular idea or aspect of a culture
4. somebody or something whose existence is or was widely believed in, but who is fictitious
5. a story that has a hidden meaning, especially one that is meant to teach a lesson
my·thol·o·gy n
1. a group of myths that belong to a particular people or culture and tell about their ancestors, heroes, gods and other supernatural beings, and history
2. a body of stories, ideas, or beliefs that are not necessarily true about a particular place or individual
3. myths considered as a group
4. the study of myths, or the branch of knowledge that deals with myths
Encarta(r) World English Dictionary (c) 1999 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
“I went down into the desert city
trying so hard to shed my skin
I crawled deep into some kind of darkness
lookin’ to burn out every trace of who I’d been
You do some sad, sad things baby
when it’s you you’re trying to lose.”
-Bruce Springsteen from the song, “Living Proof.”
In L. Frank Baum‘s original story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the main character, Dorothy Gale, wore silver shoes. But as we know the more famous footwear of choice are the Ruby Slippers. Why the change in what Dorothy wore on her feet? Does the change have any effect on the story’s ultimate message or is it just a matter of costume bias? Why is the Emerald City emerald? Could the city in which the Great and Powerful Oz resides have been the Ruby City while Dorothy made her way along the Yellow Brick Road in Emerald Slippers? Were the names arbitrary or is there some other significance to their labels? What differences does it make anyway? We’re only talking about a children’s fairly tale, right? Or are we? There must be a reason for some of the very peculiar images and incidents in this film favorite.
For instance, is there any good reason for Toto’s two escapes to be from baskets? What is Toto’s role in the film? What part does the dog really play? Is Toto just Dorothy’s traveling companion to Oz and back or does he represent a more substantive part of Dorothy’s spirit? What, if any, is his connection to intuition?
What do the Wicked Witch of the East and her death by falling house represent? Is it significant that the two times Dorothy is lifted from the earth she is brought to meet a witch? Is the spiral that begins the Yellow Brick Road relevant to the spiral form of the violent Kansas cyclone? Certainly there must be some parallel. Is the Wicked Witch of the West indeed wicked? Or, might she suffer from a more subtle form of soul sickness? Can we have sympathy for her? Why does she continually threaten Dorothy “and your little dog, too!”?
What does Dorothy mean when she says, “There’s no place like home…?” Why does she repeat this phrase over and over while tapping the heels of her Ruby Slippers together? Is it significant that she says it more than once? And what, if any, is the relationship between the Wicked Witch’s Castle Guards and the Munchkins from Munchkin Land?
After many years of watching this film, there is little doubt that it is a deep part of the American psyche. The film has been passed down from parent to child for nearly four generations. But can a children’s fairytale really hold the interest of children and adults the way The Wizard of Oz has for as long as it has? There are other popular children’s stories but none have had the same influence. A few that come to mind are Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh. Entertaining as these stories are, they cannot approach the awesomely inspirational ability of Dorothy’s mystical journey.
Is there something more to this great film, a higher meaning perhaps? There is also little doubt that The Wizard of Oz does represent something more than just what we find on its surface. Or, have we celebrated this fairytale for all these years simply because we’re still children at heart? Maybe that’s it. Maybe we haven’t really grown up and that is why we’re still so fascinated by the film’s magical tale.
Can the memories we have associated with the Flying Monkeys, the twister and the Wicked Witch be so sentimental and dear to us that we must see these images again and again? Why are we enthralled with seeing this movie over the years? Why the enchantment with it? What is so interesting about The Wizard of Oz? Specifically what are we drawn to? Ultimately the answers to all these questions lie in the answer to yet another question – Is Dorothy Gale of Kansas a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?
These and many other questions set in motion many years of looking closer into what I thought was the true meaning of this great American film. The resulting conclusions, some of which are continually evolving, appear in the following pages. I hope the reader finds sufficient answers to these and other more personal questions. Most of us feel we’ve seen the Wizard of Oz enough to deduce for ourselves its meaning and relevancy to “real life.” But like most things in life, a closer examination often reveals something far more interesting and challenging to the soul. The Wizard of Oz is just such an opportunity. If we’re able to set aside things we’ve taken for granted about the movie then we will discover the treasure that lay at our feet. We will see that our destination on the journey through life is always where our feet are planted.
Oh yes, there is more to this film… much, much more.
It is my hope that when we have completed these pages, the reader will have shed an old skin of beliefs that no longer apply to what is true, real and in front of us at this very moment.
The Wizard of Oz has enriched and entertained generations of viewers since it premiered in 1939. I’ve watched it with fascination since I was a child. The phrase, “There’s no place like home, ” is certainly one of my earliest childhood recollections. The Wicked Witch of the West, her flying monkeys and the ominous image of the tornado ripping across the dry Kansas soil are wandering permanently about the back most corridors of my memory. It seemed that every time I watched it the mystery of Dorothy’s journey unfurled anew.
Would she ever return to Kansas? Would the Wizard give the Scarecrow a brain, the Tin Man a heart and the Cowardly Lion his courage? Was Dorothy to be trapped in the witch’s castle forever or would she be saved? And what about Toto? Would he, time after time, jump from Ms. Gulch’s bicycle basket and return to Dorothy through her bedroom window? I hoped so. The suspense and intensity of this story were always there, always fresh as if they continued to happen for the first time. The flying monkeys are as creepy to me now as they were as a child. Dorothy never aged. Aunt Em never died.
Why do we, as a society stay tuned year after year, for over seventy years, to await Dorothy’s return to Kansas? If the story told were simply about a girl and her dog who run away only to discover that there is no place quite like the place they left, then one would think to watch the movie a few times would satisfy anyone’s interest. There is obviously something more. What other reason would we have to be so affected by these sentimental and sometimes overly-painted, characters and scenes? Our hearts are captured year to year. The suspense of Dorothy’s encounters with the Wicked Witch of the West never seem to lessen in intensity.
By the movie’s end we are misty-eyed and elated as Dorothy and her companions’ triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds. One would be hard pressed to find a single American citizen who has not seen the Wizard of Oz at least once either as a child or an adult. On some level, one could say that this movie has governed how we think and act in our society. Of course we couldn’t put our finger directly on why this is so, but suffice it to say, that its characters, costumes, dialogue and story have been ubiquitously absorbed into our culture.
There are constant references made to it in the commercial and print media. Countless songs have been sung which have alluded to the movie images and characters. Several books can claim the same. It is, in short, an integral part of the fabric of America’s cultural history. Do children’s fairy tales really have the power to influence popular culture to such a degree? The movie’s impact on American ethos has been profound. Could it be that The Wizard of Oz deserves to be elevated to the level of great and notable mythology? It is, after all, the typical mythological plot of the voyage of the hero and the return to bestow treasure upon the community or society as a whole.
A celebrated film like this lends itself to many interpretations and this is no exception. For example, some among the gay community believe that the movie is a rallying call to all closet homosexuals to, “come out, come out, wherever you are…” The effeminate gestures of the Cowardly Lion as he sings his song for courage and his remark about being born a sissy are seen as grounds for this viewpoint. Even the Tin Man possesses what could be construed as typically gay characteristics and mannerisms.
Another adapted aspect of the film is the rainbow and the spectrum of colors that now symbolize the diversity of the gay community. Gay pride events and marches are splashed with rainbow banners and flags. One might even see a subtle, thin, sticky banner on the back of a car of a gay occupant – I see these all the time. The rainbow image, of course, is taken from the films signature song, “Somewhere over the Rainbow.”
And lastly, the red ribbon, which has come to symbolize AIDS awareness, was taken from the curly locks of the Cowardly Lion’s mane (look for it to appear in his hair after the group is given a make-over upon their arrival into the Emerald City). (From Wikipedia: The Red Ribbon Project was created by the New York-based Visual AIDS Artists Caucus in 1991. The artists who formed the Visual AIDS Artists Caucus wished to create a visual symbol to demonstrate compassion for people living with AIDS and their caregivers. Inspired by the yellow ribbons honoring American soldiers serving in the Gulf war, the color red was chosen for its, “connection to blood and the idea of passion — not only anger, but love, like a valentine.”)
Other insights suggest the story is one of independence from and rebellion against a repressive parental system. In this assertion, made by Salman Rushdie in his book The Wizard of Oz, published by the British Film Institute, is the claim that the “driving force” of the movie is the “inadequacy of adults, ” in which the “weakness of grown ups forces children to take control of their own destinies.”
The book tends to be overly intellectual, gets bogged down in theory and does not take note of the practical nature of the movie. It makes too much out of irrelevant matter, sees things that are not there by forcing opinions and in the end, comes across as pompous. Although an enthusiasm for the subject matter is obvious, his insights fall short.
Drugs, opium in particular, by way of the field of poppies, have been mention as elements to the films deeper significance; that the movie is really one long acid trip out of which Dorothy awakes surrounded by her concerned friends and relatives. Some have said it represents agriculture and the Dust Bowl generation of the mid-west in the 1930′s (Kansas, The Scarecrow), versus industry and the urban civilizations of Chicago, New York and Los Angeles (the Tin Man, Oz and The Emerald City).
The film has even been adapted on Broadway in The Wiz, a play that holds true to the film’s intention but with an emphasis on gospel interpretations of the music. The film features Diana Ross as Dorothy and Michael Jackson as a convincing Scarecrow, Nipsie Russell as the Tin Man and Richard Pryor as a befuddled Wizard. Essentially, the movie’s themes are maintained but this version does not approach the level of profound mythological proportions that the original version accomplishes.
And within the last 10-20 years someone, somewhere, insisted that Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon was conceived as a sound track to the movie. In fact, if you push play just as the MGM lion roars before the opening credits, the music does seem to accompany the images in a most peculiar way (with the film’s sound turned down). But interviews with Pink Floyd band members reveal nothing more than their surprise that anyone would make such a connection. The album, they say, has nothing to do with The Wizard of Oz. (A quick search on the Internet reveals at least 3,300 sites that discuss the DSM and WOZ synchronization theory. I’ve watch the two together and yes, it is interesting, but beyond the coincidence there is little interest. In my opinion one will get the optimal affect with a drug-induced state, which I’m sure is where the inspiration originally occurred. That is the only way I could see anyone wanting to sit through this “experiment.” One’s patience wanes after a few sober minutes of watching what is pure coincidence.)
All of these interpretations and insights hardly take into account the film’s truly spiritual efforts. It is a mistake to ignore or dismiss the movie as merely a fairy tale. A closer look reveals a series of standard mythological and spiritual images and characters, events and situations that support the spiritual premise to such a degree as to be indisputable. The references, direct and indirect, intentional and unintentional, are so pervasive along Dorothy’s journey that to ignore them would be to neglect the truly spiritual power of the film. If we watch and listen to what the movie says and does, the meaning is clear. And what is more, the movie was made in America and speaks to us as Americans. Any child easily understands all of the themes and points of view. Furthermore, there are several dilemmas and occurrences that continue to challenge the adult sensibilities. I think our humanness makes us to relate to every circumstance portrayed.
The Wizard of Oz offers us a panoramic solution to our problems that, as it suggests, are spiritual rather than physical or material; the problems of the day are the results of our soiled and lost souls. As we get caught up in the chase for what is fleeting and unreal, we lose something of ourselves. We hang on to old beliefs and selfish means and in the end, are miserable. What results are recurring dilemmas (tornados) – issues of great importance that need our spiritual attention. The coveting of material possessions, the yearning to be somewhere or someone else and the inability to help other people are all human failings we share in common with Dorothy. But we also share the solutions. And the best thing is: all that is lost or never possessed can be found or acquired, as we shall soon see.
It is my belief that we watch this film because we yearn for the freedom Dorothy achieves, the freedom from the prison of her false and deluded self. In the pages of the great book, The Choice Always Ours (Author), it is explained that, “deep in the psyche of every individual is an urge for the kind of fulfillment which yields understanding and meaning… Men and women consciously or unconsciously, desire to obtain the insight whereby they can resolve their personal turbulences.” In brief, Dorothy’s journey to the Emerald City is a subconscious attempt to resolve her personal turbulences. There is a conscious effort to get home to Kansas, but an even stronger subconscious desire to obtain insight, fulfillment and resolve.
Moreover, while the movie is based on the book of the same name, one has to completely divorce the film from L. Frank Baum’s original children’s story. Nearly forty years separate the two; there were at least seven different screenplay writers and four directors (Victor Fleming gets the final credit but even he left early to begin filming of Gone with the Wind). In addition, there were a myriad of cast changes, accidents on the set, numerous and unforeseen filming challenges, not to mention the major differences in theme, story telling, costume and character. (Shirley Temple was supposed to play Dorothy – imagine for a moment how different the movie would have been with this dramatic change in cast? The focus would have been solely on Shirley Temple and much less on Dorothy Gale). And in the original, Dorothy is a mere 6 years old, but in the film is transformed into a young adolescent teen of 13 or thereabouts. This was a substantial change.
In other words, the original story was dramatically altered so that it would be visually and thematically appealing to a wide audience. For example, imagine the visual impact of the silver shoes (worn by Dorothy in the original book) on a Yellow Brick Road as opposed to the ruby red of Dorothy’s slippers in the film. The contrast in color is made greater red to yellow rather than silver to yellow.
Having undergone this and several other changes, the story transformed into something unintended by anyone involved in its making. This collaborative effort, where no one really seemed to be in charge, resulted in creating a direct channel to a great spiritual intuition that is rarely seen on this scale. This intuitive aspect of the making of this film has raised The Wizard of Oz to the height of traditional mythology.
In his book, Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell writes, “The symbols of mythology are not manufactured; they cannot be ordered, invented or permanently suppressed. They are spontaneous productions of the psyche.” Much of what is intentionally or unintentionally suggested in the film is consistent with the essential function and tradition of mythology and rites of passage.
One has to continually stay within the framework of the movie; understanding the visual is vital to comprehending (or re-learning) the meaning of what has traditionally become known as The Wizard of Oz. In other words, the movie tells us what its about – we need to just look and listen without preconceived notions. We need to see from somewhere else.
In the summer of 1993 issue of Quest magazine John Algeo writes an impressive interpretation of the original story. He says: “It is indeed a philosophical allegory…[that] deals with truths of the human heart that are eternal and have no boundaries.” Baum himself was a member of the American Theosophical Society. This is the only significant similarity between the film and Baum’s original story.
Over the past 20 years, I have read several articles and essays, beliefs and opinions on the film and I have yet to come across anything that has really made the connections. All of what I’ve read has some validity to a greater or lesser degree. One thing is for certain, the filmmakers did not intend the ideas and principles that appear in this writing; many of the insights I mention are derived from the films accidents and changes, not from the script per se. And while I have written and researched this essay, I have yet to come across anyone who has seen the film in the way I have come to understand and appreciate it. So, whereas quotes appear from scholars, writers, philosophers and poets, they appear in support of what I believe to be original insights. I see this film as the single-most important contribution to the world of myth and mythology by 20th Century America.
Elmira Gulch and her infamous bicycle
As the movie opens Dorothy Gale is seen running frantically onto the farm to tell the farm hands of a dilemma she is facing: Ms. Gulch has threatened to take Toto, Dorothy’s dog, away as a public nuisance. They are all too busy. Even Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, who are anxiously counting chicks, haven’t time to listen to her problem. Ms. Gulch comes to the farmhouse with a note from the sheriff giving her permission to remove Toto and take him to be destroyed. Her reason: Toto has bitten her on the leg and continually runs through her garden chasing her cat.
“He doesn’t do it everyday, just once or twice a week, ” reasons Dorothy (simple arithmetic tells us that once or twice a week equals 4 to 8 times a month or 48 to 96 times a year! Maybe Ms. Gulch has point).
But Dorothy is concerned only about herself. One of the farm hands advises her to not go by Ms.Gulch’s house on the way home and then Toto wouldn’t chase the cat and Dorothy wouldn’t get into any trouble. Dismissing his advice, Dorothy’s says that Hunk, the farm hand, just won’t listen. In other words, it’s not a solution she seeks, its sympathy and pity. She has received sound advice to solve her problem and with reason and common sense, maybe she can avoid what seems to be the inevitable demise of her beloved Toto.
Dorothy pleads with Aunt Em, “Oh please don’t let her take Toto away… You can’t you, you mustn’t, no I wont let you take him!” But her protectors prove powerless. Her aunt and uncle are law-abiding citizens and good Christians and they cannot go against the law. They have no choice. Toto must go. Dorothy lashes out in anger to an uncaring Ms. Gulch, “Oh, you go away or I’ll bite you myself! You wicked old witch!”
Dorothy’s angry response
Is Ms. Gulch being unreasonable and cruel? Dorothy would say yes. Granted Dorothy’s best friend is about to taken from her, but she refuses to see the old woman’s side of the story. Dorothy feels put upon and taken advantage of… she feels that she is being treated unfairly. She has no compassion for the old woman. As far as Ms. Gulch is concerned, Toto is exactly what she calls him, “menace to the community.”
Dorothy makes her last attempt to save Toto but to no avail; Toto is taken away. Dorothy is devastated. Was she the victim or the perpetrator? Is Dorothy guilty of anything? Or is she, as she believes, an innocent girl whose dog was unjustly taken from her through no fault of her own?
Dorothy’s needs were not met. The farm hands wouldn’t help her and her aunt and uncle couldn’t intervene. She is hurt and saddened and retires to her bedroom, tearful and frustrated. As she sobs in her room, heart-broken over the loss of Toto, the dog jumps through her bedroom window having just escaped from Ms. Gulch’s little basket.
Toto and Dorothy re-unite
Now safely in Dorothy’s arms, she realizes that it won’t be long before Ms. Gulch and the sheriff will come looking for Toto. “We’ve got to get away. We’ve got to run away!”
It is at this point that Dorothy makes a decision to avoid dealing with a problem that she helped to create. Instead of facing her dilemma she runs; in her present state she is incapable of seeing her own contributions to the trouble she now faces.
Dorothy gathers a few meager possessions in a basket and with Toto by her side leaves the farm without her family’s knowledge. What happens next provides the first visual clue of Dorothy’s imminent obstacles and fears that lay ahead. When stopped on a few particular frames, this scene shows Dorothy in the middle of the composition on a receding dusty dirt road. The road moves away from the picture plane towards the stark horizon. It is made from the arid dirt earth against the textured and foreboding sky; electrical poles pierce the road to either side and tumble
weeds roll in the ominous wind. It seems as though darkness is about to fall. She looks very alone, vulnerable and helpless.
There is something skeletal about this scene. The landscape humbles her and it is obvious that she is afraid and unsure of her future. It foreshadows everything she can expect in her attempt to run from her problem with Ms. Gulch. She has, “gone outside of her self” and her surroundings to find a way to ease her pain. Her attempt to avoid confrontation and loss and face up to her responsibilities will prove fruitless unless she experiences some sort of change in her soul. This scene, which takes only a few seconds on the screen, is important and will be revisited.
As she wonders further away from her home she walks into the company of a self-proclaimed, but rather harmless, mystic named Professor Marvel. He sits with Dorothy and begins to read her mind and her thoughts. Having lifted a picture of Aunt Em from her basket he pretends to reveal her secrets to her. What is obvious to him is that she is running away. He begins to impress her with his “uncanny” ability. “They don’t appreciate you at home. They don’t understand you.”
Eagerly she answers, “It’s as if you could read my mind!” She has finally found someone who will listen to her. Professor Marvel continues his mystical reading of Dorothy and her future. “What’s this I see? A house with a picket fence and a barn with a weather vane.”
“That’s our farm.” she exclaims.
Dorothy gets a Free Reading from Professor Marvel
“I see a woman with a polka-dot dress who has been hurt by someone. Someone she cares for very much.” someone, he says “has just about broken her heart.”
“Me?” asks Dorothy with a growing sense of concern.
It is then that she begins to realize that her actions may have caused someone else harm. Professor Marvel knows exactly what to do in this situation and forces Dorothy to come to her own conclusion about her behavior.
“What’s this I see? She’s putting her hand to her heart. She’s dropping to the bed,” he reports as the crystal balls goes dead. “I’ve got to get home right away!” Dorothy realizes her selfishness in running away and it is at that exact moment that the twister begins to stir outside the professor’s tent. The timing is very important.
Watch the scene several times and notice the timing of her realization and the first movement of the storm. Her inner turbulence is reflected in the stirring of the storm. They begin at precisely the same time.
Dorothy isn’t really a bad person as much as she is an immature girl without enough experience to know that as individuals, we can have huge influences on those we love. The moment is one of self-realization. She suddenly sees that she is not, as she believed, separate from everything and everyone. She makes a differences and she must be accountable. It is one several smaller awakenings Dorothy will experience from this point forward.
She returns to the farm amidst the approaching tornado only to find herself alone. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry and all the farm hands have secured themselves in the storm shelter. Dorothy is directly in the twister’s path. She pounds a foot onto the storm cellar door but the violent wind drowns her every attempt to be heard.
Dorothy Attempts to be let in to the Storm Shelter
The wind is strong and it is no longer safe to be outside. So she must return to the small farmhouse or risk certain injury or death exposed to the elements of this powerful tornado. This scene is the first evidence of what was foreshadowed when she left the farm away from her troubles. There she looked vulnerable and exposed, reduced in importance and here, in the path of the mighty twister, she is at the mercy of the situation.
She runs into the house desperate, panicked and confused. She is helpless. The interior of the house, her house, is in disarray; it appears to be coming apart at the seams. Fear and violence permeate this scene. Windows are torn from the house and doors float off into the sky like pieces of cardboard. Dorothy, upon stepping back into the house she left just moments before, steps back into the condition of her soul. It is not a safe place.
She sees the darkness of her internal house, her spiritual home and discovers that it is out of order. She had been wrong, selfish and mean. It wasn’t Ms. Gulch or the fact that her guardians could protect her. Her own actions and decisions caused Toto to be taken from her. Upon seeing what has manifested from her lack of judgment and humility, she is struck unconscious by the airborne window frame. She falls to the bed.
The twister sweeps the house into the air spinning it wildly through the Kansas sky. If we designate this house (or home) as Dorothy’s spiritual center then we see how important its use is as a metaphor in the structure of the story.
Change of practiced behavior is extremely difficult. But as we will discover, the solutions are easier and more accessible than we think. And when something of ourselves is taken away as a liability, it is often replaced with something that was out of reach before. Dorothy herself, experiences loss and gain several times in the film, each time her gain is far more abundant than her loss. It is as if change for the better was blocked by all of her former liabilities. Patience, as you will see, proves to be one of her greatest allies.
Lets look for a moment at this twister form. It is a spiral formation that moves from the outside in. This fact cannot be overstated in its relevance to the spiritual cleansing that Dorothy has unknowingly begun. She has gone outside of her self in an attempt to avoid confrontation and loss, realized this flaw within her (selfishness, ‘I’ve hurt somebody with my actions’) and the twister lifts her house from the earth (the physical plane) and spins it downward through its center – this is the descent into her soul. This is an illustration of the feeling we’ve all experienced of “spiraling downward” or “spiraling out of control.” The twister represents the feeling of everything in our lives being out of control.
As the anxiety grows our judgment is affected and we react in disproportionate ways to people around us. The feeling that things are spiraling downward may compel the one with a willing soul to find a spiritual solution. Our judgments and behaviors change as a result. Consciously or unconsciously we move to find solutions to our personal turbulences. If we choose not to seek a spiritual solution we stay inside the cyclone where our feelings of confusion and utter despair are illustrated side by side with wonder and excitement.
In the middle of the twister Dorothy awakes suddenly. “We must be up inside the cyclone!” she shouts to Toto. He has found shelter beneath Dorothy’s bed, as the idea of mobile homes does not agree with him. The bedroom window displays images of anxiety from Dorothy’s consciousness – Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, the farm hands rowing a boat and Ms. Gulch who, seen riding a bike, transforms into a witch on a broom stick.
The Spiral of the Cyclone
A roosters’ cock-a-doodle doo even provides a signal that this may very well be a wake up call to Dorothy’s authentic self. Suddenly, the house slams into stillness. It is silent. Dorothy walks through the house and curiously opens the door to what she finds outside – the wonder and promise of Munchkin Land. So far, so good for the girl from Kansas.
This must be my stop
Pure color abounds as she makes her first steps into this mysterious landscape – she’s never seen anything like it (until this point in the film, everything in Kansas and within the twister has appeared in black and white with a tint of sepia. This was, in fact, the first film to shoot in both black and white and color). Her face appears filled with wonder. She is overwhelmed at the beauty and serenity she sees before her. She wears on her face as she pans this new and magical environment a truly wonderful expression.
Dorothy’s fascination upon seeing the Land of Oz
Dorothy is fascinated by the contrast of this new world. The sienna environs of Kansas were flat and jagged. Oz. On the other hand, is gentle and inviting. She wanders around a little and it appears she is alone. “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore,” she says to Toto.
Suddenly Dorothy witnesses her first unusual occurrence – the appearance of Glinda the Good Witch of the North. She descends from the sky in what can only be described as a bubble. This floating balloon is pink in color and radiates a soft light – the perfect conveyance for a good witch. Upon landing she asks Dorothy, “Are you a good witch or a bad witch?” Dorothy answers, “I’m not a witch at all. I’m Dorothy Gale from Kansas. Besides witches are old and ugly.” Glinda giggles because she, too, is a witch but far from ugly (by munchkin land standards, that is).
Glinda explains that she is a bit muddled because she was sent for by the Munchkins who believed a new witch had just dropped a house on the old bad witch, the Wicked Witch of the East.
“There’s the house and here you are and that’s all that’s left of the Wicked with of the east…” Glinda says pointing her magic wand in the direction of the witch’s feet. The feet protrude from beneath the newly landed small farmhouse. Adorning them are two sparkling Ruby Slippers.
The Unfortunate Circumstances for a certain Witch
“Oh but it was an accident,” exclaims Dorothy quickly. But Glinda is not upset and explains to Dorothy that her unconscious deed has freed the Munchkins from the wicked witch’s captivity.
Here is the second mirrored image, the first being the inward spiral of the twister (which we will revisit shortly). This time it is cause and affect: this cause (the killing of the witch) creates and affect, (the freeing of the Munchkins) and this dynamic happens repeatedly throughout the story. Images and events mirror each other, as if completing numerous cycles, consequently tying their respective meanings together. This becomes more evident as the story unfolds.
So there is a cause and effect dynamic that the reader will see recurs in several ways from beginning to end. Being aware of them brings clarity to the movies ultimate intent. The first, as I mentioned, was the twisters’ spiral and the second being the killing of a witch (accidentally) in order to free something. The witch is killed and the Munchkins are liberated from her control.
So, as Glinda begins to sing of Dorothy’s arrival the Munchkins timidly appear from the surrounding gardens. Blissfully, as only a good witch could sing it, Glinda mellifluously croons the words, “She came very far or haven’t you heard, when she fell out of Kansas a miracle occurred.”
Cause and effect: The Wicked Witch of the East, who symbolizes Dorothy’s own selfishness, is killed and the Munchkins, who live under her tyranny, are released – they are no longer repressed. A spiritual liberation takes place within Dorothy’s consciousness because of this one act of dispensing with the Witch of the East.
The Munchkins symbolize many things; among them are re-birth, liberation, acceptance and joy. But what is more, is what happens when they are freed.
There is a grand celebration at which Dorothy is hailed and a “national heroine.” During the single longest scene in the movie (fifteen minutes) Dorothy is given thanks and praise for making this “a day of independence for all the Munchkins and their descendants!”
“You’re their national heroine.” Glinda says.
So from that day forth, every Munchkin generation will be free thanks to Dorothy’s unintentional act of selflessness. The Lollipop Guild, the Lullaby League, the Mayor of Munchkin Land and all the Munchkins welcome Dorothy with a profound display of gratitude. As you watch this scene you will notice little Munchkins hatching from small eggs into large nest.
The citizens of munchkin land wanted to know if the witch was morally, ethically, spiritually, and physically dead. So the coroner of Munchkin Land appears before the crowd and makes it official
And presents a certificate of death. He studied the deceased and certified that he “thoroughly examined her and she’s not only merely dead, she’s really most sincerely dead.”
Dorothy has killed off an evil part of herself and the result is this re-birth within her soul as symbolized by the events heretofore and hereafter.
She arrived in Munchkin Land the same person she was on the farm – Insistent, selfish and full of self-pity. She was, in other words, a bad witch. However, through this accidental deed of good will to herself and the Munchkins, she has been transformed and glorified as a heroine whose likeness will remain forever in the Munchkin Hall of Fame!
By killing the witch Dorothy rids herself of some corrosive qualities more familiar to her character. Those qualities being anger, selfishness, self-pity and impatience, among others. And in so doing she liberates parts of herself with which she was unfamiliar. We know this to be true by the way Dorothy behaves from this point forward. She is no longer the same person who insisted on getting her way or else. Glinda spoke of this miracle. “Let the joyous news be spread the wicked old witch at last is dead!”
“Let the Joyous News be spread!”
It is important to understand that, although most of this movie is conveyed in a dream sequence, the events and situations should not be taken with less importance.
Although “real life” situations are not depicted, the dream state is used as a conveyance of the central theme of personal transformation. Dream, as Campbell points out, is an integral mythological vehicle. “Dream is the personalized myth, myth the depersonalized dream… In dreams the forms are quirked by the peculiar troubles of the dreamer. Whereas in myth the problems and solutions shown are directly valid for all mankind.” The story then is a portrayal of Dorothy’s consciousness and the state of her spiritual home, her secret place, her “somewhere over the rainbow.” And what she encounters is valid in the larger picture of the human experience.
Every event is an expression of the personalized mythology of Dorothy Gale but the results and solutions have meaning for all of us. Dorothy represents the struggles, failures and obstacles that we as human beings face in our lives. Surely there are no mystics, tornados or falling houses in our day to day. But the states of mind that these images represent are with us all the time. They are integral to our spiritual and mental growth. The validity of this gets clearer as the journey unfolds.
In this first munchkin land scene Dorothy gives birth to trust and re-assurance. When Glinda sings to the Munchkins, “Kansas she says is the name of the star,” the Munchkins repeat her words with such sincerity and trust. They are getting new information in place of the old. A new way of thinking is being revealed to Dorothy. It is a way of seeing with compassion the people around her the way a child might perceive their environment.
Andrew Johnson, in his essay The Spirituality of Oz: The meaning of the Movie, describes the Munchkins as such. “The Munchkins, by their childlike appearance and mannerisms, represent the spiritual ideal.” But what is more, they represent the renewal of the spiritual ideal.
Until now she was incapable of what she is soon to perform – acts of kindness and generosity that were not within her experiences. Back on the farm she laughed at one of the farm hands who was overcome after saving her from the pigpen into which she fell. With his hand on his chest he wipes his brow with sudden exhaustion and, instead of thanking him, Dorothy laughs at his frailty.
She had no compassion or understanding for the trouble that her dog had caused a neighbor. It was as though she had every right to run her dog wherever she well pleased. But when trouble came knocking as a result of her misguided beliefs, she acted as the victim, the one put upon, the one to whom sympathy should be given. But now her selfishness is no more. It has ceased to be the governing compass by which she was lead.
The seeds for an altered, better self are planted in her consciousness by way of the trusting Munchkins.
This long and joyous greeting is suddenly interrupted by the appearance of a second witch – the Wicked Witch of the West. Smoke and fire clear as the witch steps forth to ask, “Who killed my sister? Who killed the Wicked Witch of the East? Was it you?” she says pointing her crooked finger at Dorothy.
“I didn’t mean to kill he anyone,” Dorothy replies, but she makes a point of telling the witch that it was an accident.
The Wicked Witch of the West appears in Munchkin Land.
“I’m afraid she’s worse than the other one!”
Glinda reminds the black clad witch that she has forgotten about the Ruby Slippers. Ah the Ruby Slippers!! The witch goes over to the base of the house out of which her sister lifeless feet protrude. Bur as she reaches for the two slippers they disappear. “They’re gone!” the witch shrieks
“There they are and there they’ll stay,” says Glinda pointing to the feet of the munchkin lands accidental tourist, Dorothy Gale from Kansas. The slippers are a perfect fit. The fact that the slippers fit is further proof that the dead witch was a manifestation of Dorothy.
“Give them back. Give them back. I’m the only one who knows how to use them. They’re of no use to you. Give them back or I’ll…” Glinda gently warns Dorothy to, “stay tight inside them. Their magic must be very powerful or she wouldn’t want them so badly.” The emphasis Glinda place on the Ruby Slippers’ magic must not be overlooked.
The Ruby, for example, is said to posses certain healing powers that “encourage the wearer to follow [their] bliss.” It is said that, “the Ruby will light the darkness of one’s life, giving birth to the body and spirit.” In addition, the stone is “an excellent shielding stone, protecting on all levels and safeguarding one’s consciousness from psychic attack.”
The Beautiful New Footwear
Hence Glinda’s warning to Dorothy to “never let those Ruby Slippers off your feet or you be at the mercy of the wicked with,” takes on new meaning. The Ruby, “the stone of nobility,” manifests here in the form of slippers, is also believed to be an “excellent stone for re-birthing and releasing blockages which restrain one from the spiritual path.” What is more, this precious stone is used to “activate sluggish or dormant conditions on physical and spiritual levels.”
Isn’t it true that the Munchkins have been dormant? The wicked witch had repressed the Munchkins. Held in their fear and bondage, they were finally released from the torment of their existence by the killing of the witch of the east. The Ruby Slippers, now upon Dorothy’s feet, have given birth to the spirit, released blockages and sluggishness. Now they prepare her for her spiritual journey. It is important to pay close attention the role these slippers play as the story develops.
“The hero…” writes Campbell, “moves through a landscape [OZ] of curiously fluid, ambiguous forms, where he [Dorothy] must survive a succession of trials. This is a favorite phase of the mythological adventure… the hero is covertly aided by the advice [stay tight inside the slippers], amulets [the Ruby Slippers] and secret agents [the Tin Man, Scarecrow and Lion] of the supernatural helper [Glinda] who he met before or upon his entrance into this region. Or, it could be that he here discovers for the first time that there is a benign power everywhere supporting him in his super-human passage.” Certainly this description condenses the events of the story so far. Further more, an amulet, by definition, is a “charm often inscribed with a magic incantation or symbol to protect the wearer against evil or to aid” in the journey (italics added). After all, Glinda did say that the slippers’ magic must be very powerful.” The subject of incantations, chanting and the like will resume later in the story. Suffice it to say, this Ruby amulet serves a wonderful and poignant purpose.
Returning to the story, we find Dorothy being hassled by the wicked witch a little more but the ever confident dispels any fears and threatens the witch saying, “Be gone! Before someone drops a house on you!” The witch then retreats promising Dorothy that it isn’t the last she can expect to hear from her. “I’ll get you my pretty and your little dog, too!”
That threat can be seen as a psychic attack against which the Ruby is said to safeguard. Dorothy’s consciousness has been threatened, but not only that, she has been threatened body, mind and soul. What chance does she have against a malevolent force such as the witch of the west?
The witch vanishes in much the same way she came. The Munchkins come out of hiding and all is well – except Dorothy is no closer to Kansas than she was moments before. Dorothy explains to Glinda that she want nothing more than to just return to Kansas so that she can be with her family. But Glinda knows of no way to help her except to direct her to the great and powerful wizard of oz.
“He lives in the Emerald City which is far, far away. Did you bring your broomstick,” she asks of Dorothy. “Well then I guess you’ll just have to walk. Just follow the yellow brick road.”
Confused Dorothy asks, “How do I start for the emerald city?” Glinda answers simply, “It’s always best to start at the beginning.”
It is Glinda’s role, as supernatural helper, to guide Dorothy in the right direction. Becoming fearful, Dorothy turns to Glinda, “But what happens if I…” Glinda interrupts as if to say, hush my child, and simply repeats, “Just follow the yellow brick road.” And off she goes, ascending into the sky in her little bubble mobile.
It is important to stress the simplicity Glinda places of the journey. The only instruction Dorothy is given is to follow the yellow bricks beneath her feet, that is all. Though she doesn’t know it, her immediate future and long-term objective of returning to Kansas will depends on how well she follows simple instruction.
The sun rises in the east and marks the start of a new day. The killing of this first witch, the witch of the east, does, in fact, signal the start of something new for the girl from Kansas. With the Ruby Slippers at her feet, she embarks on her journey, starting where she was told, “at the beginning.”
In her essay, The Spiral of Integrating Power, Kristen Fox tells of the beginning of the journey:
At first I was just following my intuition. Fundamentally, I was stepping into my own power and stepping out of my role as a victim although I didn’t know it when I started…somewhere along the spiral of awakening, I had dropped [old beliefs] so that I could clime with both hands
Dorothy begins her trek along the Yellow Brick Road and at various points along the way she discards aspects of herself that grow increasingly irrelevant to her truer nature. Beginning with her selfishness and self-pity, these other troubling traits become outdated – obsolete within the new and improved Dorothy Gale.
She has killed the witch of the east, freed the Munchkins and acquired the freedom of new thought. The suppression other characteristics was lifted and trust, gratitude and joy are born within her.
As Dorothy “starts at the beginning” of the yellow road, we’re introduced to the second spiral. The road begins from a single point and twists or spirals outward. It is at this single point that Dorothy’s house landed and it is from here that she begins the real work. The road, we see, is the exact opposite of the violent tornado – it is a spiral that radiates from the center (her soul), outward towards her physical reality (Kansas). It suggests an ongoing journey – a journey without end. In other words, the work she must do to “go back to Kansas” will never be done, as it will continue well beyond her return to the familiar. However at this point in the story we’re not sure she will ever return home.
Dorothy has dropped out of what is familiar and into her unfamiliar spiritual self. It is there that she must address the problems of her selfish soul and remove the obstacles to her happiness. From this point she begins the journey outward back to Kansas, her physical self, to meet the conditions in her life – come what may. (For more in depth examination of the role the spiral can play in the spiritual journey, please refer to Jill Purces wonderful book, The Mystic Spiral).
When Dorothy left the farm to run away from the conditions she could not control, the landscape foretold of the consequences. As she leaves Munchkin Land you will notice her in the same composition on the screen. Only this time the landscape tells of another set of possibilities: There is color where there was none before. The road is yellow. There are flowers and rolling hills to either side of the road. The sky is blue with soft white clouds floating against the brilliant blue horizon.
When we saw her walking away from the farm, she was moving away from the picture plane, alone, timid and vulnerable. But as she prepares to leave Munchkin Land she is not alone. She is supported and encouraged by the happy Munchkins who have walked her to the border of their little village. They are waving and singing, “Follow the Yellow Brick Road, follow the Yellow Brick Road… follow, follow, follow… Follow the Yellow Brick Road.”
This is Dorothy’s leap of faith. Glinda, who represents the divine presence within her giver her two directives: to never let the Ruby Slippers off her feet and follow the Yellow Brick Road. But Glinda makes no guarantees or promises. Dorothy must go on faith that what she is told is better information than was she knows herself
The landscape in this scene represents hope for Dorothy ultimate goal. Leaving Kansas foretold of little hope because of the reasons for her flight. But as she leaves Munchkin Land her chances look favorable.
Yogi Berra, former Yankee catcher and current Hall of Famer, once said, “When you come to a fork in the road… take it.” We all come to cross roads in our lives – areas where decisions must made as to the direction of our future. It is here where we must consider many things in making our choices. On whose behalf are our decisions made and what are our true motives? These periods are rarely trouble free and can stir great turbulence in our soul and mind. But there may be an easier way. This is clearly illustrated in the meeting of the Scarecrow.
Dorothy comes upon a fork in the road and the yellow brick separates into 2-3 different directions. “Follow the Yellow Brick Road? Which way do we go now Toto?”
She is met with indecision. What does she do? Does she sit down and worry about which way is the right way? Does her self- pity arise? No. She does just the opposite and thinks of someone else
The Scarecrow, who has been stuck on a pole at these crossroads, is in need of help to be freed from his perch. “Well can’t you get down?” asks Dorothy.
“Well no I can’t… of course I haven’t got a brain, but maybe if you bend the nail down in the back, then maybe I’ll slide off.” Dorothy bends the nail and off he slides. As he is freed he explains to her that because he hasn’t got a brain, the crows come from miles around to eat in his fields and laugh in his face. That was his lot in life – to be perched in a cornfield with an inability to
The Scarecrow believes there is nothing he can do and that is exactly what manifests in his reality – nothing. A crow comes and lands on the stuffed ones shoulder, “Boo…Scat…Shoo…” he says with little passion. The crow is unimpressed. “Oh you see, ” he whines,” I’m a failure because I haven’t got a brain.” This is the state of low self-esteem and confidence. High self-doubt and negativity permeates his actions and everything is seen through the eyeglass of inevitable failure.
He begins to sing a well-disguised song of self-pity, “If I only had a brain… ‘Then I’d do this and that.’” In what becomes his personal theme song he sings about what if’s and if only’s. The Scarecrow is stuck on the pole of his own spiritual stagnation. It is a self-created dilemma. But, he is freed from his dormant condition through the help and generosity of Dorothy’s effort to free him. He allows himself to be help. The Munchkins, the Scarecrow remained idle and ineffectual within Dorothy.
Everything he is reflects an aspect of her soul and personality. But she recognizes his condition because it is familiar to her and offers to help him instead of shun him and think only of herself. As long as the Scarecrow believes he is without a brain, his condition is bound to stay the same. This condition is another characteristic of Dorothy’s personality that we will see is slowly shed as she leaves her old self behind.
“Do you think the Wizard would give me some brains?”
“I don’t see why not.” Says Dorothy. “And even if he didn’t you’d be no worse off than you are now.” She really has changed as she offers this very insightful truth.
“”Won’t you take me with you?” asks the Scarecrow.
“Oh of course I will…To Oz?” she asks of her new traveling companion. “To Oz,” he answers as the two join arms and begin to skin and sing down the Yellow Brick Road. But when Dorothy arrived at this crossroad there was a decision to be made. Which was the right way to go once the road separated?
Instead of thinking of her own needs at that point, she thought only of the Scarecrow. She wasn’t the selfish one experienced earlier because the witch of the east was killed and these newer, more generous aspects of her personality have been allowed to grow. And as she acquires this new friend she matures even more. These qualities of charitableness, selflessness and kindness along with the ability to think of someone else first, were the things lacking in her character before. But with the witch dead, the Munchkins freed and hope restored, the girl from Kansas hasn’t any need for the selfishness, anger and self-pity that characterized her personality back on the farm. Those qualities no longer apply to this re-born Dorothy Gale.
“We must start without delay in the painful, steep, humiliating path of undoing our busy, deliberately deluded selves… I must start with myself and stay with myself until some intention appears in my actions, some consistency between what I say and do.”
- Gerald Heard
As Dorothy and her new found friend skip and sing along the Yellow Brick Road they stay true to Glinda’s advice. However, they come upon an apple orchard and Dorothy is overcome with excitement at the sight of all the delicious apples. It is here when Dorothy gets off the road and she does so to feed her only desire, her hunger. What happens? She picks an apple and is met instantly with a rebuke from the old and knarled tree. A good slap on the wrist gets Dorothy’s attention. She is taken aback at the tree’s aggression. One of the trees remarks, “How would you like it if someone came along and picked something off of you?” Dorothy, “I guess I wouldn’t like it.”
Take That!
Still without an apple, the Scarecrow has a plan – he makes face and criticizes the quality of the trees’ apples. Angered, they begin throwing several apples at the two as the Scarecrow scurries to collect them all for eating later on. Meanwhile, Dorothy is doing her share to gather a few apples she is led to a small area of the woods, just across the road from the orchard where she finds something amazing. Right next to the apple she was about to pick up, is the tin foot of the tin woodsman or, as he is more commonly referred to, the Tin Man
“Help me, Help me..,” pleads the Tin Man through his rusted jaw. They find him with an axe in one hand raised as though he were about to chop something. He is frozen and has been that way for years. Dorothy and the Scarecrow use a near by oil can and begin to oil each joint of the frozen ax wielder.
The Tin Man explains, “one day I was out chopping wood and is started to rain and right in the middle of a chop, I froze solid and have been this way ever since. Like the Scarecrow when Dorothy met him, the Tin Man has been stagnant, unable to move or change his surroundings. In his case, it seems, he was overcome by fear, as he was about to finish something. Fear of completion or fear of taking the next action in life has arrested his body in a permanent state of indecision. Fear of not making the right decision when confronted by the fork in the road is the state of mind of this new character in Dorothy’s journey. Whatever the reason, the Tin Man was in the middle of doing something when he was terrified by the fear of what might happen if the action is completed. He is consumed by the thought that his action might result in failure. He is the great procrastinator, the one frozen by the fear of success and failure. He is the person who could’ve been a contender.
When Dorothy offers to take him along to meet the Wizard and ask him for a heart, what does he say? “Well suppose the Wizard wouldn’t give me one when we got there?” He is, I tell you, the procrastinator extraordinaire. He is afraid to go for fear of rejection, failure or success – it wouldn’t matter the outcome. His state of mind would not change even if he were assured to get a heart. At this stage, he lacks the same self-confidence and esteems the Scarecrow experienced in the cornfield. Neither character was doing anything. They were at the mercy of their surroundings. The conditions of their lives dictated to them. They felt as no they had no choice but to accept themselves and their conditions as they had manifested. More due to their own inability rather than their environment, they grew to be unfulfilled.
Thomas Merton once wrote, “Do not be one of those, who rather than risk failure, never attempts to do anything.” When Dorothy finds the Tin Man and Scarecrow, they are both in the state of doing nothing.
The Tin Man, like the Scarecrow, claims to be missing something. He claims to have no heart yet from the moment he appears, he is the most compassionate, caring and sentimental character in the movie. He cries at every sign of distress or loss. He is the romantic. And, like the Scarecrow, he sings the song of self-pity – I would do this and I would do that, “If I only had a heart….” Devotion, love and romance would be his if only he was given a heart when the tinsmith made him. But alas, he is without – or so he thinks.
Before moving on, lets take a moment to review what just happened: Dorothy comes off the road in an attempt to satisfy her hunger and she meets with confrontation. However, when she came off the side of the road where her help was needed and found the Tin Man, she was able to exercise the same kindness and compassion she showed the Scarecrow. And, in doing so, she acquires the quality represented by the Tin Man… compassion, self-love, caring and all of the other things associated with the human heart. It is interesting to note that the apple she was so excited to have found is never eaten. She has grown prodigiously.
She has discarded her anger, selfishness, greed and self-pity and gained in their place wisdom, compassion, charity and above all, a working faith that tells her she is heading in the right direction. She is no longer self-consumed. There is beginning to be a consistency between Dorothy’s actions and words. She treats her two companions much the same way she could’ve treated Ms.Gulch, but she simply did not have these same tools at her disposal. All of this was foreign to her. She couldn’t access these parts of her soul. Her journey had not yet taken place.
As we step along, we re-integrate those parts of ourselves we’ve been struggling against…We create in physical reality what we are – sometimes it just takes us awhile to remember what [or who] that is. – Kristen Fox
The turmoil she hoped to avoid was the very thing that propelled her into action. And although these characteristics are new, they are still just seminal features in her newly formed consciousness. The journey she is on is a long and arduous one. Difficulties lie ahead, of that we can be certain. But this better-equipped Dorothy is sure to be able to cope with whatever transpires.
Furthermore, as the three start down the Yellow Brick Road, they have a brief but frightening encounter with the wicked witch. It was she, after all, who had supplied the temptation of the apples in the hopes that Dorothy would eat one (and maybe fall into a spell?). She appears on the roof of a small house tucked in the woods just off the road. It so happens the house is on the same side of the road as the orchard.
She shrieks and threatens Dorothy and her new friends. “I’ll get you my pretty…and your little dog, too!” she warns, cackling in her signature high-pitched laughter.
“And here’s a little something for you Scarecrow!”
she says throwing a ball of fire in his direction. Fire, after all, is the one thing of which he is afraid. Dorothy and the Tin Man leap on the frightened and vulnerable straw man and stamp out the treacherous flame.
The witch has appeared on the roof a small house. The house has been designated as a symbol of the spiritual condition and here; it is used to remind us that Dorothy’s soul is yet to resolve her trouble. She is still unsettled and disturbed by this other witch. Remember, Glinda told Dorothy that the second witch was more evil than her sister, the witch of the east and that it was important to stay within the Ruby Slippers. Well it seems that no real harm has come to her during this chance meeting with the witch of the west. The Ruby Slippers have supplied the much-needed safeguard from this attack on her psyche. Dorothy’s psyche and spirit were weak; but she is gaining strength is able to fend of the poisons that once burdened her soul.
“We’re off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz… we hear is a wonderful Wiz, if ever a Wiz there was…”
The three companions (and Toto, too!) start again towards the Emerald City and a little further down the road the encounter a dark forest. They become immediately fearful of their surrounding and begin to panic. Nothing has happened; it has only gotten a little dark yet they are all distraught with negative projection.
“Lions and Tigers and bears, Oh my…” they repeat repeatedly until suddenly, a huge lion leaps from the woods. It is their worst possible fear – enter the Cowardly Lion.
He jumps in front of the trembling travelers and roars a mighty roar. All three are shaking.
“Go away and let us alone… we haven’t done anything to you.” But the lion is undeterred. However this lion has the cart before the horse. He thinks courage and strength are best exemplified by his intimidation and posturing. It is courageous, he thinks, to scare and bully those weaker than he. And how does he prove it? He picks on the smallest of them by chasing after Toto.
Toto runs around a little in what is more a game of cat and mouse. Toto then runs to Dorothy and she raises her hand and slaps the lion upon the snout as he approaches. The lion begins to sob. Dorothy is taken aback at his tearful display and says, “Well you’re nothing but an old coward.” The Lion agrees.
Mind Your Manners!
He is so painfully fearful that he even scares himself. He hasn’t slept in weeks and counting sheep is out of the question because… he afraid of them. His fear has made an insomniac out of him. He bags dark circles under his eyes and has no peace of mind whatsoever. The toll that his fears have taken on him is apparent.
But instead of rejecting the lion, they accept and welcome him to join them. The newly acquired compassion guides the situation. Dorothy accepts him because she sees something of herself in him. Or maybe she sees what is divine in him… maybe she has come to a place where she sees beyond the “person” and is able to see the spirit within. If this is so, then what she sees is not unlike the broken spirit she possessed back in Kansas.
“But wouldn’t you be embarrassed to be seen in the company of a Cowardly Lion?” asks the lion still.” with self-pity. “Of course not,” she says reassuring him that he is welcome to join them.
When Dorothy and the Scarecrow met up with the Tin Man, she said to the two of them, “you know I feel like I have known you all the time. But I couldn’t have could I?” She indeed, had these abilities within her but the oppression of the witch of the east; the dormant state of the munchkins and the lack of charitableness left her in a state not unlike her three companions.
“Well I know you now and that’s what matters. Out of this new space blooms the ability to think of others, have compassion and now, with a little bravery, she may very well achieve great things. Before the group continues to the Emerald City, the lion must join the self -pity choir…”My life has been simply unbearable, I just have to tell you how I feel.” (A little confession is good for the soul). He then picks up where the others left off by singing his version of the smash hit song of if only had a [fill in the blank].
The states in which we find each of these characters represent a phenomenon experienced by everyone at some point in their lives – it is a lack of self-confidence. Out of this corrupt soil in our souls can grow a host of others conditions – self-pity, low self esteem, fatigue, isolation worry, doubt, fear and procrastination. We could add to the list but suffice it to say, this torpid state of mind will not improve without examining our motives, past and present, particularly as they relate to other people.
Are we selfish and self seeking? Do we help other people without seeking something in return? Or do we feel so different that we stay to ourselves never letting the world know who we are and all that we can contribute. No matter how low a person’s spirit has plunged, there is always someone who has sunk even lower and to him/her, your condition looks like the penthouse. And as you feel better, less self concerned, hope grows in them and what a wonderful gift you’ve given to the both of you.
American psychoanalysis Karen Horney writes, “Emotional isolation [which is what these characters represent] is hard for anyone to endure; it becomes a calamity, however, if it coincides with apprehensions and uncertainties about one’s self.”
The Tin Man’s fear and apprehension of finishing the swing of his axe is a reflection of his indecision and doubt. He lacks confidence in his own abilities. He cannot see that he was ‘put on this earth’ to do exactly what it is we find him doing. Only he has succumbed to self-doubt and isolation.
The Lion’s fears and uncertainties are apparent in insomnia and jittery disposition. He has willed himself to live in the dark, damp forest and it has certainly become hard for him to endure. Thanks to Dorothy and her journey these three essential elements, have been retrieved from the recesses of the soul to fight the battle. Dorothy will still face doubt, fear and loss, but she is better prepared for these situations, which at one time, brought out the bad witch in her. The timely arrival of Dorothy into the lives of the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion has saved them from obscurity and eventually, death. What is more, she has asked nothing in return. They leave the dark forest behind and head off towards the Emerald City and the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz. We’re off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of oz. We hear is a Wiz of a Wiz if ever a Wiz there was…
They have traveled a long way and finally come through the forest. There before them, across a field of poppies, they can spot the Emerald City. It is beautiful, breathtaking.
Dorothy calls out, “oh he must be a wonderful Wizard to live in a city like that!” She is judging the book by the cover. The polish of the Emerald City has Dorothy believing that the person who resides there can live up to her expectations of him. She has based her whole journey back to Kansas on the belief that another person can take her. She needs to return to the farmhouse and repair all the damage she has left behind. Her soul was empty and devoid of warmth for anyone, including herself. She stepped into that farmhouse during the storm in her soul and said, ‘I am falling part. I am damaged, hurt and afraid.’ This is Dorothy’s spiritual house cleaning. She is as they say, ‘getting her house in order.
Having come through the woods and seen the Emerald City, Dorothy and her companions for get one very important piece of advice – follow the Yellow Brick Road.
A filed of poppies lies between the gates to the city and where they stand. But in their excitement they dart out across the fields. Their anticipation of this moment carries their every step as they run through the colorful patch of flowers. Had she remembered Glinda advice she may have waited before sprinting into the field. But she is so close that she races across the field forgetting what got her there. She has followed directions up until this point but has now abandoned that for instant gratification. Her patience has taken flight. They race into the field, one more excited than the other. “Hurry, hurry…” the Scarecrow beckons as he leads the others towards the Magical City of Emerald.
The Wicked Witch of the West promised Dorothy that she would cause trouble for her and she proves to be a witch of her word. As the foursome getting deeper into the field of poppies, they are all slowly overcome by a mysterious sensation of sleep. Sudden fatigue grips them as they all come to rest. The lion is asleep, the Tin Man has rusted once again and Dorothy and Toto are both fast asleep. The witch has cast a spell in the form of a field of poppies. “This is a spell that’s what this is!” says the Scarecrow. No one else is able to resist the spell except the Scarecrow because he knows what is the matter. The fact that he knows allows him to care for the others. When Dorothy met the Scarecrow, he promised that he would eat too much and that he wouldn’t try to manage things because he hasn’t got a brain. Well, it is he who takes control.
He tries to encourage Dorothy to stay on her feet and attempts to wake the others, but he cannot. “We’ re almost there. We can’t stop now,” he implores. But as suddenly as the spell was cast, it is lifted. The Scarecrow, realizing he is powerless to wake the others, begins to ask for help. “Help! Help!” he shouts into the air. Dorothy’s wisdom comes to her rescue and unknowingly summons the assistance of the Good Witch of the North, the benign, supernatural power.
Glinda Lifts the Spell
“Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened up to you.”
Glinda appears overhead and with a wave of her wand, lifts the spell. Dorothy begins to stir. “Dorothy, you’re waking up!” remarks the Scarecrow. Indeed, she is. She is waking to the ‘Emerald City’ deep within her metamorphosing soul. Once again, another transformation.
Dorothy Awakes
occurs and it happen right before our eyes. This process of remaking ones soul is an exhaustive undertaking – one that will need a period of convalescence. It is represented here by Dorothy’s brief respite in the field of poppies (having Dorothy pass out for the days or even weeks that this period of psychological recuperation can sometimes takes makes for a rather long movie – suffice it to say, rest, reorganization and awakening has taken place). Dorothy is an awakened individual.
She has laid faith in the words of her supernatural helper Glinda and the protective qualities of the Ruby Slippers have made sure of her safety until this point. The few encounters with the wicked witch so far have proven distracting at best. Surely the witch had a little more in mind when she warned Dorothy that, “this isn’t the last you’ll see of me… I’ll get you my pretty…and your little dog, too!” Larger challenges await Dorothy.
It is everywhere apparent thus far that this is truly a story of self-discovery. Although she is still not aware of the real purpose of her journey, she has experienced an incomplete, yet profound overhaul of her character and way of thinking. In The Choice… we read the following: “The process of finding and following the [spiritual] way is arduous and long, because it requires a basic reorientation of the entire personality, in both its know and unknown, its conscious and unconscious aspects. It requires patience and perseverance and a great and steady openness to whatever comes,” our way. Dorothy and her new companions have no doubt come a long way and her perseverance has them poised to enter the city of emerald. They overcame a few trials – the fireball hurled from the witch, the anxiety of the dark forest in which she found the lion and the spell cast amongst the filed of poppies.
For her the journey has been especially long. Her reorientation that began with the cyclonic fall from her darker self was just a beginning. Having gained the support of the Munchkins, Glinda, the Lion, Scarecrow and Tin Man, she’s become a more complete human being. But her spiritual makeover still requires that she face other demons – namely the Wicked Witch of the West who menacingly looms in her future. But there are even more subtle challenges to the terrain of her character that will have to be negotiated, too. The ‘what’ and ‘how’ of accomplishing these tasks remains to be seen.
Until this Dorothy and her companions have been skipping down the Yellow Brick Road singing the song, “We’re off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of oz. We hear he is a wonderful wiz…” but as the group emerges from the poppies, the song has changes, and for good reason.
“You’re out of the woods, you’re out of the dark, step into the light. March up to the gate and it will open.” In other words, the efforts she’s made thus far have qualified her for entry into the Emerald City – she doesn’t know it yet but she will. The angelic chorus doesn’t sing the words, “march up to the gate and open it.” Dorothy must have faith that the gates of the Emerald City will open for her and the answers she seeks will somehow be found. The self-will she demonstrated on the farm is of no use to her. Opening the door is self-will and letting it open is an act of faith… “March up to the gate and it will open.”
“Ding dong!”
“Who rang that bell?” asks the gatekeeper.
“We did,” they respond.
“State your business.”
“We want to see the Wizard.”
“No body can see the great Oz. Nobody’s ever seen the great Oz. Not even I’ve seen the great Oz.” He says.
“Well then how do you know there isn’t one?” (Good question).
The gatekeeper attempts to answer but can only stutter a few abbreviated sentences and sounds of frustration.
“Prove it!” The gatekeeper demands.
“She’s wearing the Ruby Slippers she [Glinda} gave her!"
"Well she is... why didn't you say that in the first place? Come on in!" he says heartily.
How is it that Dorothy is allowed entry into the Emerald City? She said the Good Witch of the North sent her and when she shows the man her Ruby Slippers she is immediately let in. Dorothy is the one on the spiritual path; she is on the path of goodness. The Ruby Slippers prove her worthiness and her entry in to the Emerald City is inevitable. Could it be that gatekeeper is one of the spiritual agents Campbell referred to?
March up to the gate and it will open.
Once in the city, the companions are given much needed freshening up by the city residents (this is where the Lion gets his red ribbon). They are given a tour of the city by its citizens and then are met, once again, by another obstacle - another gate (and gatekeeper).
"We're here to see the Wizard."
"No body's ever seen the great wizard. Not no body, not no how!"
"But she's the witches Dorothy!"
"The witches Dorothy?" well that makes a difference. I'll announce you at once." After a brief absence away from his post the gatekeeper returns and tells them tat the wizard said to go away.
Dorothy is crushed and begins to weep. As this is happening the gatekeepers appears through the porthole in the gate and watches Dorothy cry as the others console her.
If you watch the gatekeepers' face as he open the porthole, you will notice a certain compassion for Dorothy - almost as though he knows he must let her feel the disappointment and loss. He is a spiritual agent in full support of Dorothy and her journey but he must still let her figure things out on her own. What will she do with the news of not being able to see the Wizard? Will she become angry and think only of herself? Will she call them man names and become self-absorbed and self-pitying?
Her thoughts turn to her aunt and uncle and of how worried they must be for her safety. She is concerned for them. She is feeling the remorse for leaving the farm. The gatekeeper know he must let her have this moment so that she can really feel the full scope of what her actions have done.
But soon after, the gatekeeper shifts gears and plays along, crying with the others. "I'll get you in to see the Wizard." He says and again, the gate id opened.
Finally, they are to meet the great and powerful wizard of oz. Dorothy and her three friends approach the Wizard one by one, each offering nervous salutations to the big head suspended in smoke and fire. The Wizard treats each with disdain. They are very intimidated in his presence.
The Wizard admits that he intends to grant each their wishes but that in order to do so, they will have to bring him the wicked witch of the west's broomstick. "But if we do we'll have to kill her," says the Tin Man hesitantly. "Go away!" orders the Wizard. They have their work cut out for them. This is certainly a deed of self worth.
When Dorothy approached the Wizard she says something very interesting and quite unlike her former self: "I am Dorothy the small and meek."
I cannot help but be reminded of the beatitude, "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth."
The Meeting with the Great and Powerful
Emmett Fox refers to meekness as a "combination of open-mindedness, faith in God and the realization that the will of God for us is always something better that anything we could think for ourselves." He explains that this rare quality is a mental attitude out of which our true purpose is realized and fulfilled. Dorothy's purpose from the beginning was to return to Kansas - that is her will. However a long the way, the Ruby Slippers, Glinda and her multiplying faith have brought her to quite another outcome this far. Certainly she had no plans to meet the Scarecrow, Lion and Tin Man. Things came to her quite unexpectedly. Although she remains unconscious to the process taking place, she has developed an open-mindedness to whatever she encountered.
When is Munchkin Land she could not have guessed that her journey would come down to the deliberate act of killing the wicked witch? Weren't the slippers supposed to protect her? Why then would she have to kill the witch? Because this is gods will for her.
When Dorothy refers to her self as meek, there is a pause in her voice. Her voice is gentle and sincere. She is humbled by her experiences.
"Meekness... as described by an unknown fourteenth century English mystic, is "in itself naught else, but a true knowing and feeling of a [person] as [that person] really is.” Dorothy does not embellish who she is; she simply states what she is, small and meek. Surely the reader will agree that this represents a pointed and definite change in her awareness of self. She isn’t the ‘me, me, me’ Dorothy Gale of Kansas that opened the story on the farm. But this changed hasn’t come about instantly either. She has persevered.
Before I return to the story, further explanation of the second part of the beatitude is needed. It says, “The meek shall inherit the earth.” Once again, Fox writes, “the word earth [in Biblical times did] not mean the terrestrial globe. It really means manifestation or expression is the result of a cause… that all causation is mental and that [our] body and all of our affairs… are but manifestations of our own mental states.”
Dorothy’s conflict with Ms. Gulch is a direct result of her unwillingness to take Toto a different route on the way home. Everything that happens is a reflection or manifestation of her stubbornness. In addition, she was ill equipped to admit her faults to Ms. Gulch or ask for help, humbly, in resolving the situation. All of this was a manifestation of her mental state, which we saw when she went back into the house to come in from the storm.
Using Fox’s definition as a yardstick, Dorothy’s ‘earth” then, is the whole of her outer experience. The problems she could not solve and those from which she ran are reflections of an unsettled and discomforted soul. “To inherit the earth means to have dominion over [the] outer experience… to have [the] power to bring your conditions of life into harmony.” This is at the crux of this long journey.
Returning to the story, we find our four characters (Toto, too) in the Haunted Forest searching for the wicked witch (where else would you go to find a wicked witch?). But the witch is safe in her castle. She and her flying monkeys peer into a crystal ball to see the four searching for her. She commands the monkeys to “Fly! Fly! Fly!” to capture Dorothy and that little dog.
“Do what you want with the others. But be careful with those shoes… I want them most of al!!… Now fly, fly!!” she orders. The monkeys fly down into the forest and sweep Dorothy and Toto into the air kicking and screaming. The dark textured sky shows the silhouette of Dorothy and her abductors flying back to the witch’s castle.
Dorothy is carried away by the Flying Monkeys
Back in the castle Dorothy and her nemesis meet for the second time. This time, there is no Glinda to shoo the witch away. She will have to deal with the witch herself.
The first wicked witch represented selfishness, which we know by every selfless act Dorothy’s performed once that witch was killed. Here in the castle of the wicked witch she comes face to face with a second evil manifestation of her soul.
When the scene opens we see the witch petting Toto very insensitively, almost jealously. If the first witch represented selfishness, what does the second witch symbolize? The witch opens the scene by saying the following: “it’s so kind of you to visit me in my loneliness.”
“What an unexpected pleasure.”
By her own admission, the character representing Dorothy’s last spiritual impediment, is not wicked, but she is lonely!! She defines herself not as wicked or evil, but lonely. Dorothy is now confronted with the root cause of her problems – her dark and agonizing loneliness. Now the wicked witch assumes new history altering proportion.
The witch then threatens to drown Toto and Dorothy reacts by saying the witch can have the shoes if she spares Toto. Once again Toto is threatened. Only this time Dorothy offers something of her self. She knows Glinda advice of not being harmed as long as she has the slippers on. But she is willing to sacrifice herself for the safety of her dog.
The witch reaches for the slippers and a yellow, electrical sparks, zaps her knarled, green fingers. “Fool that I am, I should have remembered. Those shoes will never come off as long as you’re alive.
“Curses! I should’ve remembered”!
She grabs a large hourglass, turns it over and says to Dorothy, “You see that? That’s how long you have to be alive… and it isn’t long my pretty.” She exists, leaving Dorothy alone in a locked room of the upper floor of the castle
What has just taken place? Dorothy has just been threatened with death; once the hourglass runs out Dorothy will have ceased to live and everything she has accomplished thus far will be for naught. She will not have rid herself of this last and most destructive witch. She will be spiritually dead and her loneliness would have triumphed over every other effort.
She has just encountered what Carl Jung refers to as the “shadow self.” That is the self that lurks always just beneath the surface of our public identities. That ever-whispering presence which says we are something more sinister. In this case, the loneliness of Dorothy’s character has threatened her with spiritual demise.
Alone again
Now Dorothy is by herself for the first time since she cried alone in her room back in Kansas. Toto was gone then, he is gone now. Her companions who have assisted her in her journey are nowhere to be seen. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are light years away. She is utterly alone. This time she cannot escape yet she is right back where she began – alone. Here is where Dorothy makes a confession, her first. “I’m frightened… I’m frightened.” She says as she begins to weep. This scene has become my favorite part of the movie. Dorothy is alone and hopeless.
Everything she has known is now lost. Her family has forgotten about her. The familiar landscape of her Kansas environs has been replaced by the jagged hill on which the witch’s castle sits. Toto is not at her side. And in the face of this new reality she breaks down in fear. Watch her cry – she is terrified. The very structure of her being is collapsing. She clutches her handkerchief, wringing it desperately for security. She’d do anything to be anywhere other than where she sits (if she was asked, she’d probably choose to have her problem with Ms. Gulch rather than face was she is confronted with now). There is indecision and doubt and there is no guarantee that she comes out of this unscathed let alone better for the experience. She cannot think that far ahead.
Unlike the bedroom scene she cannot run – she’s trapped and forced to sit with her feeling and they all come knocking at the same time.
The tears she cries now are not the same ones shed on the farm – manufactured tears for the purpose of getting her needs met. These tears are genuine, evoke from a moment of great fear and anxiety. But as we know, this is not the same Dorothy Gale. She now has the tools and character to deal with the situation in which she finds herself.
She has met he darkest part of her soul, the root of all her troubles and the flaw that manifested itself in ways that seemed out of her control. But as Emmett Fox pointed out, her outside reality merely reflected that which was out of order within her spiritual reality. Although she may not know it she is equipped for this crisis. She has come face to face with the darkest part of her soul and may even live to tell about it.
Affliction is a treasure, and scarce any man hath enough of it. No man hath affliction enough that it not matured, and ripened by it and made fit for God by it. – John Donne
Meanwhile the ever-resourceful Toto has found the others and guides them back to the witch’s castle. Three things Dorothy acquired since beginning her journey now come to her rescue. Outside the castle they make their way up the jagged rock face of the hill leading to the castle gates. Of the three, who’s leading the way? The so-called Cowardly Lion. He is leading the others as they hold his tale…”I hope my strength holds out,” says the Lion. They Scarecrow is following the others to make sure no one falls behind.
To the rescue
They come to the top of the rocky cliff and peer down over the side to see the castle gates. The guards are marching in formation through the enormous gates. The gate of the emerald city was relatively easy to enter – these gates, however may prove to be a little more difficult. The gates look impenetrable. I’ve got an idea on how to get us in there.” Says the Scarecrow pointing to the Lion. “And you’re going to lead the way.”
“Ok,” says the Lion, “I’ll do it for Dorothy! I may not come out of there alive but I’m going in.” Here the Lion exercises bravery and selflessness… now the qualities are interchangeable and one depends on the other. The Lion exhibits the real definition of courage: “The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face dear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence and bravery.” The one who seeks it most is the one most unable to perceive it. The Lion carries on nonetheless.
There are appropriate responses to fear and irrational responses. When we first encountered the Lion his fear had driven him deep into a dark forest of isolation. There was no sunlight and no warmth. It was cold and damp. The Lion was so governed by his fear that life outside his dark and lonely surroundings was inconceivable. In fact, he performs his first act of courage when he changed his environment. He, too, takes a leap of faith.
American psychiatrist Fritz Kinkel, wrote, “Fear of failure, frustration, defeat and at least, even fear of death has to be faced, explored and lived through, in vivid imagination. Gradually, all the perils of the soul, all the catastrophes of life, lose their terrifying aspects, though certain serious results from them may remain. They become parts of the human life and we learn to think of them without anxiety…” He continues, “The more we realize this is true, the less we are a afraid of making mistakes and the more we are able to make creative decisions. Then our courage and confidence increase through favorable experiences. Our readiness to take risk and responsibility grows. Life becomes fuller, richer, and more successful and our confidence increases.”
The lions confidence has surely grown as his fear of the unknown decreases. He has, through certain favorable experiences, learned that there is more to living than just the preoccupation with one’s own problems, fears, apprehensions and anxieties. He is no longer in a state of doing nothing and he is prepared to risk.
Upon viewing the darkness of the castle the Tin Man laments, “Oh I just hate to think of Dorothy in there all by herself. We’ve got to get her out of there.” This is a show of compassion – he has a heart. The main flaw with all of these characters, including Dorothy, is that they all fail to recognize their own god given attributes. They see only their flaws. They have been so consumed with their own problems that they’ve shut themselves off from the rest of the world. They have each created a reality that feeds their self-perception of failure and unworthiness. But Dorothy rescued them from their ineffectual conditions and now it is their turn to come to her rescue. At this stage in the journey, they are all quite effective and very useful. As they prepare to attempt Dorothy’s rescue, their lives have taken on meaning and purpose. And while Dorothy sits anxiously in the witch’s castle all hope seems lost. But just as soon as they hourglass appear empty, the three heroes chop through the door and free Dorothy.
They run from the room and are immediately trapped by the witch, her guards and the flying monkeys. As the witch taunts them, the Scarecrow looks up and sees that a rope attached to the wall near by holds the huge chandelier that hovers just over their would-be captors heads. “Seize them! Seize them!!” the witch orders.
The Scarecrow grabs the Tin Man’s ax severs the rope and the chandelier falls. They run along the outside story of the castle, only to be turned around by an oncoming second group of guards. Behind them are the others guards who were delayed by the falling light fixture. They are trapped.
“Seize them! Seize them!”
The wicked witch enters and says, “The last to go will see the first three go before her… how about a little fire Scarecrow?” From a nearby candles flame, the witch lights the dry straw of her broom and holds it to the vulnerable shivering Scarecrow. Instinctively, Dorothy grabs a conveniently place bucket of water and douses the flames with one hurried pour. As she does, she inadvertently splashes water on the witch who stands just beyond the burning Scarecrow.
“Don’t throw that water!” screams the witch, but it’s too late. The baptismal liquid cleanses Dorothy of her final evil – her loneliness and isolation. In this scene, the witch is seen “melting, melting, melting,” in the middle of the frame. The witch’s protectors surround her with their spears all drawn. They are standing on the edge of the composition. As the witch slowly melts away, the spears the guards are holding each descend to the ground. This all happens in unison with the disappearing witch.
As the witch is completely “liquidated” the spears that once defended her simultaneously touch the ground the moment she has evaporated.
Now when the first witch was killed something happened. There was a result springing from her demise. When the first witch is killed, the Munchkins are freed and here again, the same dynamic occurs – the witch of loneliness is killed and something is again freed.
The Wicked Witch of the West’s’ last stand
One of the Castle Guards turns to Dorothy and says, “You’ve killed her.” A delighted monkey picks at the witch’s remains and looks up with a smile on his face. He’s clapping his hands. “Hail to Dorothy the wicked with is dead!!” Aren’t these the same castle guards who were trying to capture and kill Dorothy just moments before? Isn’t this the same expression of gratitude the Munchkins gave her when she crushed the witch of the east? “I didn’t mean to kill her, ” it was an accident… the first witch was also killed accidentally.
The complimentary aspects between the freeing of the Munchkins and the emancipation of the monkeys and Castle Guards is so spiritually relevant (and overlooked) that to excluded it from any serious evaluation of the movie is a profound error in judgment and perception. It is the theory of cause and effect and it happens here in the most philosophical of ways. Once the witch of loneliness is killed the forces that used to defend her are eradicated, too. The witch was not so much evil or wicked as she was lonely and isolated. She isn’t a hateful witch; she’s a frightened one.
And notice what happens. What is the effect of her loneliness on her? It causes her to covet the Ruby Slippers. It may be a reflection of envy, jealously or deprivation. The point is: it is in response to her intense condition of loneliness.
“If only” she had those Ruby Slippers then maybe she’d feel happy, complete or different in some way. Her wants are no different than the other three when they are found in the cornfield and woods.
The scene ends with one of the Castle Guards lifting the broom and handing it to Dorothy to take back to the Wizard. What is amazing is the complete 180-degree turn the guards and monkeys have taken. When loneliness is in control, one’s one benevolence can sometimes be made dormant or overshadowed. Isolation and loneliness are two incredibly dominant deterrents to emotional growth.
The Emerald City is a place inside Dorothy. It is the reorganized home. It is the small farmhouse that was once in disarray and confusion. It is her spirit transformed. She is no longer the frightened, lonely and selfish person who demanded the attention of those around her. Having come this far in her journey she has successfully, but not yet entirely, ‘cleaned house.’ Now she must return to the Emerald City and the Wizard to claim her right of passage back to her physical self, back to Kansas.
“Your majesty. We’ve brought you the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West just as you asked. Now we’d like you to keep your promise,” says Dorothy humbly.
“Go away and come back tomorrow! The Wizard responds.
Tomorrow? Haven’t they done what the Wizard asked? What more can be done? Why must they return after completing everything that was required of them? Is it that the Wizard isn’t really a Wizard “who will serve?”
Exposed!
Remember the scene in the forest when the cowardly Lion was exposed for the coward that he was? He was chasing Toto when Dorothy slapped him on the nose. Well it is Toto again, who is once again the initiator of yet another important revelation. Toto rambles over to the left of where everyone is standing. There is a curtain with movement behind it. Toto grabs the bottom of the curtain with his teeth and pulls the covering back to expose the Wizard as a fraud.
“Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!” shouts the voice nervously. But it is too late. The Wizard is no magical force. The Wizard is and old and uncertain man hiding behind the mask of the great and powerful identity of The Wizard of Oz. What now? Dorothy has invested all of her hope in returning to Kansas in a man who is nothing more than and illusion. All of his magical abilities are as limited to that of a human being. He is no better, no more mystical than Dorothy.
“You’re a very bad man!” says Dorothy angrily.
“No dear… I’m a very good man. I’m just a bad Wizard.” Therein lies one of the great lessons of this story – no human power can change us or make us who we are meant to be by the forces of creativity, nature, the universe, or, if you like, God. If we seek this quality in other human beings we are sure to be disappointed and discouraged. More importantly, we are wasting out time.
‘The Wizard’ in this case is a man, mortal in every way and incapable, as much as he may like, of giving Dorothy what she seeks. He does not have the power to fix the condition of her soul. This must be achieved by self-sacrifice and perseverance through one’s own journey through the dark forests of their soul.
The dependence Dorothy must seek is the true dependence on god and the wisdom that comes from this all loving force. This is the kind of dependence that exceeds all reliance on material needs.
What results from her efforts is more than any other human being can provide. What Dorothy was seeking is still unrealized. Once again all hope for returning to Kansas seems lost.
After he is found out, the Wizard hands out what is nothing more than consolation prizes. They are mere tokens of everything the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion sought. He tells the three that everything they are seeking he cannot give, but that he can give them symbols – which is what he does.
Each believes they are being handed the brain, heart and courage they came for, but what they receive are symbols. Before now they believed in their own inferiority and ineffectiveness and that was their reality. Now they believe they have been given great gifts and they think differently about themselves and their abilities. Their perceptions of themselves have changed, but that is all.
The Scarecrow rattles off a complicated formula moments after receiving a diploma,” The square root of any two sides of an isosceles triangle is equal to the sum of the square root of any of the remaining two sides.” (Or something like that).
Anyway, everyone was given something except for Dorothy. “I don’t suppose there is anything in that bag for me?” she asks the Wizard.
The Wizard goes on to say that he is an old Kansas man himself and that one day wondered into oz while flying in a hot air balloon. The wind, he says, shifted and down he came into the Land of Oz. The Emerald City occupants took him for a Wizard who fell from the sky and thus he became, The Wizard of Oz.
“Times being what they were I took the job.” He remarks.
So off they go to a makeshift launch pad where everyone is waiting to see the Wizard and Dorothy leave in the vehicle that brought him to them. He makes a little speech in which he leaves all authority over to the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion. And now the time has come, Dorothy will finally return to Kansas, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. This is what she has always wanted.
But just as the balloon is about to be released into the air, Toto sees a cat in the crowd and leaps from Dorothy’s arms and chases the cat (this is the second time that Dorothy is compelled to act as the result of Toto chasing after a cat. What comes next defines the entire journey).
As everyone is distracted the balloon is let go with only the Wizard aboard. “Come back, come back.” Dorothy pleads.
“I can’t come back. I don’t know how it works! Good bye!” he shouts as the balloon ascends into the sky. Dorothy’s dream is surely crushed by the Wizards’ unexpected departure. Enter the floating bubble.
That’s right Glinda descends from the sky just as she did in Munchkin Land, and just in time. “Look! Here’s someone who can help you.” The Scarecrow says pointing to the descending spherical conveyance. The Good Witch of the North arrives and says you Dorothy, “You don’t need to be helped any longer. You’ve always had the power to go back to Kansas…”
“I have!” remarks a surprised Dorothy.
“You just had to learn it for yourself.” Says a smiling Glinda.
What exactly did she have to learn for herself? Could she, at any moment over the duration of her journey, have simply returned to Kansas? Surely if this were the case, since it was her primary desire, then she would have called a taxi or bought a map at the local tourist information booth to return to Kansas, right? So if she always had the power, how and why is her return to Kansas so delayed? Let us review what she has done:
In Munchkin Land she kills the with of the east whose Ruby Slippers she acquires. She’s told to keep them on her feet or else she would be at the mercy of the second witch, the witch of the west who, as Glinda stated, is worst than her sister. She is also told to follow the Yellow Brick Road to the wizards where she will ask for help in returning home. Along the way she encounters three curious and emotionally distorted characters with which she identifies and subsequently helps out of their stagnant conditions.
She meets the Wizard who says that she must bring him the Wicked Witch of the West’s’ broomstick before he will grant any of them their wishes. The task is accomplished and they return only to discover that the Wizard is a fake and their journey was in vain.
But as the Scarecrow, Lion and Tin Man are appointed rulers of oz in the Wizards absence, Dorothy is offered a ride back to Kansas in his hot air balloon (notice how the balloon and the Wizard are filled with the same substance). The balloon is prematurely released and the Wizard floats away without its second passenger – Dorothy (and Toto, too!).
Which brings us to this moment outside the Emerald City. Is Dorothy to return to Kansas and what is all this about her always having the power to return? And if this is true why wasn’t she told this much earlier in the journey – it would have saved everyone a lot of trouble, don’t you think?
When I watch this scene I get the feeling that the Scarecrow, Lion and Tin Man are each aware of what is going on. After all, they are the assigned secret agents, are they not? They know this is the climax of her quest.
The Tin Man asks, “what did you learn Dorothy?” He asks her as though he were the parent bird gently nudging an infant from the nest. Dorothy pauses for a moment and one can see the epiphany come over her – she does not struggle to answer the question. “That if I ever went searching for my hearts desire, I won’t have to look any farther than my own back yard because if it isn’t there, then I never really lost it to begin with. Is that it?” she asks Glinda hoping for her approval.
The Moment of Truth
“That’s all it is.” Says Glinda.
The good witch confirms what Joseph Campbell puts forward, “It appears that the perilous journey was a labor not of attainment but of re-attainment, not of discovery but of re=discovery. The Godly powers sought and dangerously won are revealed to have been within the hero all the time.” Remember when Dorothy said to the Scarecrow and Tin Man, that she felt as though she had known them all the time “but I couldn’t have could I?” It is plain that what she realizes is more of a rediscovery and re- attainment than anything else. She did not acquire anything new but it was out of the purview of her past experience. The compassion, courage and wisdom were all elements in her emotional make up but were almost entirely overshadowed by the extreme loneliness, isolation and self-centeredness.
Remember the opening farm scene when Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are too busy to help her because they are counting the sick baby chickens? Dorothy holds one of them to her cheek and says compassionately, “Poor little things.” She possessed only a modicum of compassion and concern for others. But if she had it to the extent that she has now, she would have helped count the chicks instead of seeking pity from the farm hands about her situation with Ms. Gulch.
Dorothy’s answer to Glinda is not a tight or wrong answer; it is based on her experiences down the Yellow Brick Road – to the center of her soul and back. Who is going to tell her that what she learns from that process is not what she was suppose to learn. No one can take a lived experience away from her. Her response in an intuitive not forced or coerced. I am reminded of Mathew, chapter 10 verse 19 and 20 which reads: “When they deliver you up, take no thought of how or what you shall speak, for it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak. For it is not you who speaketh but the spirit of your heavenly father which speaketh in you.”
She has been delivered to this moment and the moment is seized and understood. She now knows what the journey was about and for whom it was taken. She says, “I guess it wasn’t enough for me to want to see aunt Em and Uncle Henry again.” In the beginning, Dorothy started back from professor marvels because she thought her aunt was dying because Dorothy’s disappearance and the whole journey back was fueled by the fear that she may never see her family again. But now Dorothy realizes that it was she who was lost (You do some sad, sad things baby when it’s you you’re trying to lose).
This person is, by all accounts, a different individual. She is fully awakened and her soul is at ease. There is no turmoil. No discontent and no want. She has accepted the place to which she has arrived. The place, however, is not a physical one – it is of a spiritual nature entirely.
She knows that if ever there is conflict in her life, that she can face and solve her problem with humility. The outcome may not be what she expects, but she will accept whatever the outcome happens to be – favorable or unfavorable.
When she left the farm she went looking for acceptance and for some one who would listen to her. She wanted to be acknowledged but for all the wrong reason. But fleeing from her problems was in opposition to solving them because they don’t go away, they just get bigger and more difficult to reconcile. He absence means her non-participation on her own behalf. She believes that if she ignores the problem, the problem will go away.
Now she knows that the problem she faced was a problem of character. The solution, she learns, was always in the backyard of her own spiritual home. She encountered great challenges, harassed and distracted from her quest and even threatened with death. But she persevered and triumphed over seemingly insurmountable odds.
I discovered that there is all the difference in the world between knowing something intellectually and knowing something as a lived experience. – Joanna Field
Returning to the ceremony outside the Emerald City. Glinda tells Dorothy that all she has to do is click her heels together three timer and think to herself, “There’s no place like home.” The internal spiritual home, once cleansed, is the only place where the truth (the Emerald City) can be found.
(As I stated earlier, the Ruby Slippers were not the shoes of choice in the original story. In that tale Dorothy wore Silver Shoes. The change was made, I believe, because of the more appealing contrast between the red of the Ruby and the yellow of the brick road. In the original story, the only mention made of the Ruby, was in the form of a throne and it was of no great consequence to the story).
Dorothy taps her heels
So lets return to the aforementioned amulet and its magical incantation. Incantation, words chanted in magic spells or rites, are heard from Dorothy in the form of, “There’s no place like home.” When the phrase is repeated, or chanted, three times with the tapping of the heels of the Ruby Slippers, the magic, which Glinda said must be very powerful, is induced. Dorothy is given these shoes, they take the identity of the amulet received by the hero as described by Joseph Campbell and they are imbued with a magic that is to be realized during ritual (or rights of passage). They are, as we have learned, inscribed with and magical incantation. Now, considering the healing powers of the Ruby and the fact that they were never suppose to be in the movie, makes their presence all the more incredible.
There’s no place like home
It gets even more interesting. Martin Buber writes the following in Khassechscher Bucher:
“There once was a pious rabbi, Eisik or Krakow, capital of Poland, who had a dream in which a voice told him to go to far off Prague, where, under the great bridge to the royal castle he would discover a hidden treasure. The same commanding dream was repeated twice. He finally decided to go – making the long journey by foot. On arriving in Prague he found the bridge; but as there were sentinels posted there day and night, he did not venture to dig. However, day after day, he returned and loitered around unostentatiously trying to study the situation. Finally, he attracted the attention of one of the guards. ‘Have you lost something my good man?’ The Rabbi told him of his dream. The officer laughed and exclaimed, ‘You poor man – to have worn out a pair of shoes traveling all this way only because of a dream! Why I had a dream once. A voice commanded me to go to Krakow and search for the home of rabbi Eisik, son of Jekel, where I would find a great treasure buried in a dirty corner behind the stove. Imagine believing in such a dream, ” and he laughed again. Rabbi Eisik bowing politely, bid farewell and returned to Krakow. There he dug in the neglected corner behind the stove and found the treasure – thus putting an end to his poverty (italics added).” Sound familiar?
In commenting of this tale Heinrich Zimmer noted: “Now the real treasure, to end our misery and trial, is never really far away; it is not to besought in any distant region; it lies buried in the innermost recess of our own home, that is to say, our own being. And it lies behind the stove, the life and warmth-giving center of the structure of our existence, our heart of hearts – if we could only dig. But there seems and odd and persistent fact that it is only after a faithful journey to a distant region, a foreign country, a strange land, that the meaning of the inner voice that is to guide our quest, can be revealed (italics added).” Hmm?
It has always been the primary function of myth and rite to supply the symbols that carry the human spirit forward. – Joseph Campbell
In this story there have been several mirror-type images and sequences – the road scene where Dorothy is leaving the farm echoed by here departure from Munchkin Land, the spiral of the Kansas tornado and the spiral of the beginning of the Yellow Brick Road, the killing of both witches by accident and the freeing of both the Munchkins and the Castle Guards. There are more, but suffice it to say, this is a major dynamic in the film.
Lets look at the second precious stone – the emerald. It is believed the emerald “represents the potential divinity not yet manifested [within us] and enhances deeper spiritual insight.” Moreover is the belief that “this gem was not meant to act a purifier… as its work begins only after other gems have prepared the readiness for its benefits.” The Ruby Slippers act as the gem that has prepared Dorothy and made her ready for all the benefits of deeper spiritual insight. If the movie doesn’t contain the element of the Ruby, the emerald is ineffective, null and void, and meaningless. But is it the Ruby slipper element, and not silver shoes, that keep Dorothy safe, prepared and ready for her decisive moment in the Emerald City ceremony.
None of this happens overnight or over the course of an afternoon. What the movie illustrates is a life long process. It empowers the viewer to utilize the messages repeatedly in the various situations that require spiritual attention, clarity of mind and emotion. It suggests in many ways, that personal accountability to both our own spiritual condition and the out conditions of our life are our own responsibility. It also makes clear that the way to remove the spiritual debris is to stay focused of the needs of others whereby our own concerns are remedied in the process.
“Numerous schemes have been designed…” writes Emmett Fox, “to bring about happiness by making changes of some sort in man’s external conditions while leaving the quality of his mentality untouched; and always the result is the same – failure. It is only by a change of consciousness that our outer conditions can really be altered [for] a change of one’s consciousness is in truth the only thing that is worth doing at all.”
Back in Kansas
So when Dorothy leaves the Land of Oz she makes a point of saying to her three friends that she will miss them all. But she isn’t really leaving anything behind she has earned the spiritual rewards of what these characters represent. Each has become a part of her being and moral fiber. She has spent her entire journey unlearning the corrosive parts of her personality and beliefs. The qualities she has acquired are ways of doing things and relating to others that build of ones character, not destroy it. She is a re-made person.
Campbell remarks on the journey like this. “The first work of the hero is to retreat from the world scene of secondary affects to those zones of the psyche where the difficulties really reside and there to clarify the difficulties, eradicate them in his case and break through the archetypal images scattered through the journey. Attain their meaning and utilize them. Fit them into the way of doing things.”
The utilization of these principles is second nature to her. The house she ran into for safety when she ran from the twister provided nothing to her quality of life. It was in shambles. The phrase, “there’s no place like home,” takes on an entirely new dimension in the light of what has been revealed. It is seen now as a spiritual affirmation linked to many great mythological tenets. The movie ceases to be relegated to the category of children’s fairytale – its appeal is much broader and influential than that. It is, beyond a doubt, one of the great mythological tales ever to be told. There is scarcely a movie made in the 20th century that has approached the spiritual significance of The Wizard of Oz. “Hail to Dorothy. The Wicked Witches are dead!”
Afterwards
I have thought for many years of the role Toto plays in this story. His character, if you will, is the most complex of all the others – even that of his owner, Dorothy Gale.
There are at least three escapes Toto makes: 1) his flight from the basket of Ms. Gulch, 2) the running away from the witches castle and 3) the spirited leap from Dorothy’s arms to chase the cat during the ceremony out side the Emerald City. Each of these escapes resulted in one thing – they compel Dorothy to act. Toto is the catalyst of Dorothy’s spiritual growth.
As Ms. Gulch peddles away from the farm with Toto in her basket, the quick-thinking pup pops his head from the basket, makes sure the coast is clear, then leaps back onto the dirt road and scampers back to the farm. When he is safely back in Dorothy’s arms, for his sake and hers, she decides to take a series of actions that begin this panoramic journey through the human soul. Each action builds momentum into the next – the meeting of professor marvel, the realization of self-centeredness and the initiation of the cyclone all transpire because of Toto’s escape from Ms. Gulch.
Secondly, Toto is once again stuffed into a basket while in the witches’ castle after having been captured. He escapes again and runs off to find the others so that they could be brought to Dorothy’s rescue. Dorothy is compelled, not so much to act as she is to not act (or to act a sitting still). It is here that she is forced to look at her self, feel her feelings and not run. Rather than catapult herself into another unmanageable situation, she remains a waits in fear of what may become of her. Remember, she has seen the darkest part of her soul and yet she remains in the castle of isolation and loneliness.
Also, remember the lions posturing upon meeting the three travelers in the forest? Well once again, Toto escapes his clutches and when he does it is Dorothy who slaps the lion on the snout, exposing him as the coward that he was. Before Toto’s actions Dorothy was inactive and afraid.
And lastly, outside the Emerald city Toto chases a cat in the crowd of onlookers. Dorothy tries to retrieve him and in doing so, misses her ride in the hot air balloon. She is stranded, dejected and discouraged. But it is because of Toto’s curiosity and mischiefness that Dorothy is there to greet the Good Witch of the North. And it is through this final gathering with her, that she learns the meaning of her flight from and eventual passage back to, Kansas. Had she been on the flight back with the former head of the Land of Oz, she would not have learned this all-important truth about herself, her life and her mission.
Toto is then responsible for everything that happens to Dorothy – his actions propel Dorothy forward in each instance where spontaneous action occurs. There is no thought to what Dorothy does in reacting to Toto’s movements. She acts intuitively and with concern only for Toto. Without Toto, she is the Scarecrow in the field, the Lion cowering in the woods and the Tin Man suspended in time in the forest. Toto is everything to Dorothy. Which brings me to a few interesting linguistic coincidences about the word Toto… T-o-t-o.
* The Spanish word for the total of everything, or all encompassing, is Todos.
* In French, a similar words is used to define the same thing, Toute pronounced, toot.
* In Portugues the word for all is tudo or todo.
* The itlaian word for total is tutta. The word for all is tuuti.
* In Japanese the word for all is to-taru.
I swahili the word for all is ote.
Though not every language has simliar pronuciation or spelling the comparisons are remarkable. Suffice it to say, the word, the Toto character and the impetus he creates are crucial and moving elements in the story. He may symbolize the God presence in Dorothy, the force within that seeks the true nature of her being. Toto is a metephor for many things. He is religious, spiritual, psychological, emotional and mental. He represents everything that is not physical in Dorothy’s world. He is the symbol of an intuitive human energy that does not hesitate to bring about a vital conversion of the soul. If one looks for what Toto does and what comes as a result of his actions, there is little doubt that nothing of any significance happens in the film without his involvement.
When seen in this light, is there any wonder why the Wicked Witch of the West always made sure to include Dorothy’s “little dog, too!”?