Symbolism and Meaning in THE WIZARD OF OZ
by Evelyn C. Leeper
Copyright 1987 Evelyn C. Leeper
Most viewers see THE WIZARD OF OZ as merely a children's film, or as a fantasy that entertains without edifying. This is probably due to Baum's (and Fleming's) subtlety, since in reality the film is an intense philosophical statement.
Consider for example Fleming's use of color. Reality, to Fleming, is drab and colorless; only the world of our dreams has life and color to it. (i.e., the belief that the self is the only reality) in cinematic terms. Dorothy is not so much using her dreams to allow herself to fit into reality as she is discovering that reality exists only in her dreams.
The characters that Dorothy meets in her dream (which is, in turn, her reality) are symbolic characters, and her journey represents a rite of passage to adulthood. Her three companions, for example, represent the three facets of her person: intellectual, emotional, and spiritual. Throughout the film we see fertility symbols which represent her transition from child to woman. Although Baum's Dorothy was only six years old, it is evident that Fleming's Dorothy is twelve or thirteen. The ruby slippers which are forced upon her are obviously a symbol of menstruation, particularly since the slippers in Baum's book were silver. And the menace of the witch in the cyclone is emphasized by the use of the broom, an obvious phallic symbol. Dorothy has reached an age where womanhood and its consequences are frightening, and her dreams reflect this. Again and again, we see symbols of her passage to womanhood: the corn field, the apples (representing the fruit of the harvest as well as the Biblical concept of original sin). In addition we see her confusion symbolized by the long tunnel in the Wizard's palace which she travels UP in an obvious attempt to return to the womb and escape her problems.
As was stated before, her three companions represent the three aspects of her person. The Scarecrow is the embodiment of Dorothy's realization that she must develop and use her intellectual abilities to a much greater extent as an adult that she needed to as a child. The Tin Man represents Dorothy's emotional growth. She eventually, through the character of the Tin Man, comes to realize and accept her emotional side, even with the dangers that such acceptance entails. The Cowardly Lion is the manifestation of Dorothy's spiritual growth (her belief in herself, if you prefer). Dorothy realizes that she must become more secure in herself if she is to pass from childhood to adulthood.
That Dorothy is undergoing a rite of passage is stressed in several smaller ways. The hourglass, for example, represents the inexorable passing of time; Dorothy must leave her childhood behind whether she wants to or not. (Note also that when she tries to give up the ruby slippers, i.e. womanhood, she is unable to, again pointing up the impossibility of retreating to childhood again.) Also, though she wishes to remain in the Emerald City (which like the rest of Munchkinland is populated by children), she must leave its safety if she is ever to pass to adulthood.
The famous "jitterbugging" scene, which was cut from the film prior to release (presumably because it would have "dated" the film in a few years), would have stressed this transition even more. The Wicked Witch, before sending her flying monkeys to kidnap Dorothy, says that she will send something before them, "to take the fight out of [Dorothy]." The following scene, which was cut, showed Dorothy and her companions being bitten by "jitterbugs," whose poison caused them to dance until exhausted. But the jitterbug (as a dance) is very similar to many primitive dances which represent the frenzy of the sexual act. Hence here we have Dorothy threatened by symbolic rape. Given the moral climate of the time, it is not surprising that the scene was cut.
Dorothy's fourth companion in the film is Toto, her dog. Since "toto" is Latin for "all," we can interpret him as representing the totality of Dorothy's personality, the union of the three aspects. Using this interpretation, we realize that Fleming has given us a dream within a dream, further emphasizing the solipsism inherent in the film. For, if we interpret Dorothy's trip through Oz as a dream in which she (i.e., her personality) is separated from her physical body, then Toto's escape from the witch's castle represents the ultimate core of her self departing from the imperfections of her personality's various aspects. (The original conflict, recall, was the attempted destruction of Dorothy's "all" or Toto.) Just as beneath the physical layer there is a "spiritual" layer, so beneath the "spiritual" layer there is yet a third, more essential, layer. Only when Dorothy is in harmony with the three aspects of her personality (i.e., when she is reunited with the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion), can she attain her ultimate self (i.e., be joined again with Toto).
So we see that far from a meaningless fantasy, THE WIZARD OF OZ is in fact a deep philosophical statement which causes us to reflect on the harmony or disharmony of the aspects of our own personalities.
Evelyn C. Leeper
(201) 957-2070
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