Wizard of Oz Cindy Le Dr.Friedman US History-Block 6 10/13/2014 In the novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum, Baum expresses a very traditional and raw writing style creating a very idealistic theme. The tale of a sprightly Kansas farm girl, exposes a sense of youth and citizenship. Yet in the movie “The Wizard of Oz” directed by Victor Fleming, Fleming expresses a very joyful writing style making the movie very modified and lacking a sense of reality. Although, there are differences both tales deliver the same theme that there is no place like home. In the novel, Baum uses the Land of Oz and silver slippers to convey the Great Depression. On page 15 the text states “the Land of Oz has never been civilized, for we are cut off from the rest of the world”, making the Land of Oz a real place. This brings to life the accusation that the Land of Oz is the treacherous and confusing adult world that was then facing economic crisis. The price of silver reached a nadir of $0.25 during the Great Depression. It was illegal to own any valuable metal like gold during the darkest hours of the depression, which made the value of Dorothy's silver slippers in the book not have the same value as her ruby …show more content…
This visual is delicate and playful, making the movie lack the historical context that took place during the time period of the Wizard of Oz. Fleming uses the symbol of a tornado to emphasize the unique value of the journey. This message was immediately executed by the lighthearted and cheerful tone shown throughout the journey of finding a way back home. Again showing more importance to the characters journey than the symbol of history the book originally