L. Frank Baum’s, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, is a timeless classic that has captivated audiences for over 100 years. It was originally published on May 17, 1900; it has since been reprinted under the name The Wizard of Oz which is the title of the 1902 Broadway musical and the 1939 film. The storyline accounts the adventures of a young girl, Dorothy Gale, trying to make her way back to her Kansas home after she is swept away by a tornado. Throughout the film, the deliberate manipulation of image enforces the author’s message that whenever one seeks his or her heart’s desire, they do not have to look any further than their own back yard. At the beginning of the film, Dorothy is in Kansas. The image of Kansas is portrayed as a bleak and dull …show more content…
Throughout the film, the other characters are searching for something, and they feel that the Wizard can grant them their desires. Dorothy is trying to find a way home, the Scarecrow wants a brain, the Tin Man wants a heart, and the Lion wants courage. The audience recognizes that the Scarecrow is the most intellectual out of everyone, the Tin Man is bursting with kindness, and the Lion is full of courage and dignity, but they do not make this realization. They do not understand that they already possess what it is they think they do not have. Once they arrive in Oz and they speak to the Wizard, he “reveals” these traits to them through deception. In reality, they do not need anyone to “give” them anything; the whole time they had what they needed within them. If they had looked within from the start, they would have been saved a lot of trouble. In addition, the good witch, Glinda, reveals to Dorothy that she was always able to go home with the sparking ruby slippers. She just did not know it. Overall, the film is affirming that the power lies within oneself. Although others can help, in the end, it is up to