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Literary Criticism

Abstract/Description

L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz portrays a relationship between Dorothy as an individual and Oz as a whole; however, this relationship has been viewed by critics as solely political. Dorothy penetrated Oz deeper than political interference, though: she enabled those around her by helping them in personal ways. When Dorothy first entered Oz, she acted as a political catalyst, but throughout the story, she became a more intimate leader by enabling those around her. She made it possible for her companions to act, later helping them to be leaders themselves. Through Baum’s inclusion of Dorothy in The Wizard, he is able to relate to his audience that an individual who knows her place is willing to discover her potential as a catalyst for change and as a leader so she can contribute to a cause bigger than herself.

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Location

4116 JFSB

Start Date

19-3-2015 11:30 AM

End Date

19-3-2015 1:00 PM

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Mar 19th, 11:30 AM Mar 19th, 1:00 PM

Baum's Dorothy and the Power of Identity

4116 JFSB

L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz portrays a relationship between Dorothy as an individual and Oz as a whole; however, this relationship has been viewed by critics as solely political. Dorothy penetrated Oz deeper than political interference, though: she enabled those around her by helping them in personal ways. When Dorothy first entered Oz, she acted as a political catalyst, but throughout the story, she became a more intimate leader by enabling those around her. She made it possible for her companions to act, later helping them to be leaders themselves. Through Baum’s inclusion of Dorothy in The Wizard, he is able to relate to his audience that an individual who knows her place is willing to discover her potential as a catalyst for change and as a leader so she can contribute to a cause bigger than herself.