The Wizard of Oz is a fairy tale book written by Frank Baum. This book is one of the most renowned fairy tale books, and audiences of all ages continue to enjoy reading it. The themes impart lessons in life that are applicable to both youngsters and adults. By examining Dorothy in Baum’s story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the concept of home arises due to physical and emotional involvement that regulates and acts upon one’s surroundings.
There is no place like home with family, which is a major theme in The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy Gale resides in Kansas alongside her uncle Henry, her aunt Em, and her dog Toto, as shown in the film. Dorothy makes the decision to flee in order to protect Toto from being put to sleep. Before she can seek refuge from the tornado, she is struck by flying debris and rendered unconscious. As she awakens, she realizes she is in the enchanting world of Oz. Oz is so different from her monotonous Kansas farm. Kansas is gloomy and desolate, but Oz is vibrant and wonderful. She encounters many individuals on her travels, yet she still desires her family and home (Baum 6). She encounters a benevolent witch who instructs her to visit the yellow brick road to a wizard who could assist her in returning home.
She befriends a lion, a scarecrow, as well as a tin man and resolves to assist them on their adventure, but all she can think about is returning to Uncle Henry and Auntie Em. The Scarecrow reveals to Dorothy that he has constantly yearned for a brain, despite the fact that he is intelligent but without a physical one, and he joins her on her quest in the hopes of obtaining his desire from the wizard. According to Taymaa, “From the moment Dorothy arrives in Oz, her sole wish is to return to Kansas, and the whole of the story recounts her search for the ability to do so” (110). She encounters an evil witch and, after melting her with water, learns that she had the ability to return home the whole time; she only needed to click her ruby sandals three times and say, “There is no place like home.” She eventually returns to the dark and gloomy Kansas farm after leaving Oz.
There are indications in the texts that show Dorothy’s inner conflict over the concept of home. Dorothy attempts to explain Kansas to folks who have never heard of it during her tour. “I do not know, but it’s my home, and I’m certain that it’s somewhere,” she tells one man (Baum 167). Kansas is an unknown location for all Oz residents, including Dorothy, who has just arrived. No one has ever heard of it, and even Dorothy is unaware of its whereabouts. Despite her ignorance of the state’s location, she desires to return to Kansas whenever she encounters a new character. Surprisingly, the Wizard of Oz is similarly unaware. He assures Dorothy he will carry her with him because he believes it is across the desert. He acknowledges that he is uncertain about Kansas since he has no idea in which direction it lies, but the first step is to pass through the desert, after which it should be simple to return home.
The obscurity surrounding Kansas stems partly from the reality that it is the only true location in the book. The absence of wizards and witches there causes the Wizard of Oz to return. He is indeed the second human figure, after Dorothy, to choose the actual world with all its flaws over the imagined world that imposes strict restrictions on its inhabitants. There is a distinct boundary between the two universes. Only characters from the actual world may travel between dimensions. This is seen when the monkeys decline to transport Dorothy to Kansas since it is outside of their territory. When comparing life in the Land of Oz versus returning to Kansas through an arduous trip, Kansas unquestionably comes out on top. Also contributing to her perplexity is her inability to define home. Dorothy’s trouble identifying home and her inability to describe its whereabouts may be related to her ambiguity over what home signifies to her or whether a home is always present, stable, or dependable. The fact that she saw the home fly away to a foreign location demonstrates how delicate it is.
Her status as a mother heavily influences Dorothy’s sense of home. Dorothy states from the outset that her major purpose is to return to her Aunt Em and that this is the only reason she endures the journey’s obstacles. This combination of feelings towards home and motherhood is normal since one reflects the other in the child’s subconscious (Malvasi). Dorothy is concerned that Aunt Em may be concerned about her location. When she understands that her journey to Kansas is nearly impossible, one of the saddest scenes in the narrative. The Wizard of Oz wants her to murder the dreadful Witch of the West, an impossible task for him. Her tears demonstrate how much she misses her uncle and aunt. Dorothy’s life became sorrowful as she realized it would be more difficult than ever to return to Kansas and Aunt Em (Baum 223). Her sadness when she considers home illustrates her emotional connection to her family.
Dorothy often expresses her desire to return home throughout the narrative. Upon arriving in Oz, Dorothy tells the elderly Witch of the North, “I am anxious to return to my aunt and uncle since I am sure they would be worried about me. Can you guide me to my destination?” (Baum 47). Despite Dorothy’s desire to go, the Land of Oz is shown with an opposing picture. Baum informs his audience that the storm transports Dorothy and her home to a land of astounding beauty. Beautiful swaths of verdant grass and tall trees yield exquisite fruits in every direction. Birds with distinctive and bright plumage trill and flutter among the trees and shrubs while swaths of beautiful flowers border every path. In addition, a tiny stream is running and flashing between the green banks (Taymaa 111). The majority of its residents are pleasant, helpful, and moral. It seems odd that Dorothy would choose to return to her own country. Nonetheless, the relevance of understanding one’s origins persists. Dorothy never doubts her homecoming. Dorothy is from Kansas; her caretakers reside there, and she has responsibilities there. She sees much to admire in Oz but realizes she does not fit there.
Through Dorothy, the relationship between home and Identity becomes clear. Dorothy’s connection to her home is clear and recurrent across the novel’s pages. Baum wants to underline the significance of the term “home” and its connotation of belonging to numerous individuals. Ironically, the scarecrow wonders why Dorothy wants to leave the wonderful Land of Oz and return to Kansas. “I cannot fathom why you would want to leave this wonderful land and return to the desolate and dreary region you name Kansas.” (Baum 76). Dorothy responds that he cannot comprehend because he lacks intelligence. This underlying connection between the capacity to reflect and having a home illuminates the importance of owning a private space to call one’s own. She never doubts her return as a result. Her guardians reside in Kansas, and she has responsibilities there. She enjoys many aspects of Oz but knows she does not belong there. Baum understood that no of how intriguing or exotic a location may be, it is usually more reassuring to be in comfortable surroundings. He had a solid grasp of his target audience. Dorothy’s longing to travel home and be in the companionship of her aunt and uncle is heightened by her frequent travels and lengthy trips.
The Wizard of Oz is a book now considered a classic yet continues to be seen by audiences of all ages. Controlling and acting in one’s surroundings gives rise to the concept of home. This process involves a person’s physical and emotional connection to their home. Regardless of the inhabitants, it offers a feeling of accomplishment and control, a space for self-expression, and a location for freedom and activity. Dorothy endures arduous adventures to attain the desired destination. Her travels are filled with experiences, lessons to be learned, people to aid, and aspirations to attain. Her character’s inner being is conscious of the significance of home to achieve a joyous and secure state.
Works Cited
Baum L. Frank. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. New edition. Dover Children’s. 2015.
Malvasi, Mark. “‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ as a Fable of Modern America ~ the Imaginative Conservative.” The Imaginative Conservative, Web.
Taymaa Hussein Kheirbek. “‘There Is No Place like Home’: A Comparative Study of the Meaning of Home in the Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Peter and Wendy.” Journal of the College of Languages (JCL), no. 37, 2018, pp. 105–24, Web.