Cultural Artifacts
My first work is the American film, The Wizard of Oz, directed by Viktor Fleming. The film was released in 1939 and is also a musical. The screenplay was written by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf. The music was written and composed by Herbert Rosson. The film is based on the book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, written by L. Frank Baum. It is set at the turn of the 20th century in Kansas and then in the Land of Oz. My second work is the book, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, written by the English writer, C.S. Lewis and published in 1950. It is the Scholastic edition from 1995. The book is set during World War Two in the English country side and then then magical world of Narnia where time is different and therefore cannot be compared to any time period of the real world.
Common Theme
The common theme I will be exploring is “Good vs. Evil”. The theme is expressed in The Wizard of Oz” throughout the movie through the use of the antagonist, the Wicked Witch of the West pursuing the main character, Dorothy, for the shoes she wears (Fleming & LeRoy, 1939). The Wicked Witch wants the shoes for herself because they hold great power, but also because they belonged to her sister, The Wicked Witch of the East (Fleming & LeRoy, 1939). However, Glinda The Good Witch of the North, gifts them to Dorothy after she traveled to Oz, in her house and through a cyclone (Fleming & LeRoy, 1939). The house landed on the Wicked Witch of the East and
epic story Wizard of OZ, the forest represents a place of evil and delight, but
The idea of thunder and lightning could also add to my point of planning something evil as the dark, stormy weather could be associated with evil. The fact that the witches are making a plan could further suggest something evil is going on as witches are also considered as dark, evil characters. The three witches end the scene in a very unusual way which once again shows their unusual behavior and evil. ‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair, hover through the fog and filthy air.’ The effect of ‘Fair is foul’ suggests their evil as they believe that being fair and equal is foul and is horrible. The three witches also believe that ‘foul is fair’ which once again suggests further evil as they believe foul doings is fair. I think the audience of today will still be engaged although they have different beliefs because they will have different views on the play and this could help a director of a different culture.
The Wizard of Oz is a classic known by all. The plot is fairly simple. Poor bored Dorothy is sick of her normal boring life on her Aunt and Uncles farm in Kansas and decides to run away to a more exciting life. Her plans are changed when she meets a fortune teller who convinces her to go back home. Unfortunately, as she is headed back home a horrible storm starts and she and her dog Toto are blown away, along with her house. When she lands, she comes outside to see that she has landed on a person with red shoes. She is met by tiny people and a witch called Glinda who tells her that she has landed on and killed the Wicked Witch of the East. Dorothy tells Glinda she wants to go home, and Glinda tells her if she follows the yellow brick road she will end up in the Emerald City where the Wonderful Wizard of Oz can help get her home.
In the Novel “Something Wicked This Way Comes” by Ray Bradbury, the characters support the Universal Theme of “Good Vs Evil”. The characters are divided into two groups; those who act morally right and are good-hearted, and those who just do not seem to have any sense of empathy and are blinded by selfishness and greed and choose to do harm for no other reason than the thrill of it. The protagonists face a series of battles with themselves and their sense of who they are, as well as against the evil forces. This evilness is reflected on the carnival freaks who constantly use fear and manipulation as a weapon to make all people egotistical and greedy, whereas our good characters utilize laughter, love and friendship to defeat the evil that is acting upon them.
This artifact was a written final exam analyzing issues relating to leadership and diversity in the course Leadership in Multicultural Organizations. This artifact demonstrates knowledge, comprehension, and analysis of the concepts and theories of leadership, issues of diversity in organizations, and strategies for managing differences among today’s multicultural workforce. I selected this artifact because it discusses and describes the link between leadership approaches and diversity and it compares and contrasts current leadership practices in the United States (US).
One part of this movie that really got my attention and interest was the Fellowship of the Ring, which is basically the common theme of “good versus evil.” This theme has been commonly used in most fantasy novels and movies. To give example of rhetoric, anyone who has read or seen the Lord of the Rings should be familiar with Frodo, who is on a mission to destroy an evil ring. Boromir, who is considered the tall one, initially accompanies Frodo on his quest, but is corrupted by the
Stories have deeper meaning than what they appear. Life events such as the government, economy, or something happening to an individual can inspire them to express themselves through writing. In the original story of “The Wizard of Oz”, it tells a tale far more than people realize. The story portrays the government during the time period and hidden symbolism within the story and characters.
Both Macbeth and To Kill A Mockingbird illustrate the dark side of human nature through
“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe and “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O'Connor explore the depths of evil and what makes an individual truly evil. They both question are understanding of evil and the different forms it may present itself in. These stories do an equally good job at getting the reader to see true evil first hand, even though they present evil in much different ways. As humans we can differentiate evil from good most of the time there is usually a clean cut line from a morally just action from one that is not.
In The Wizard of Oz, the ordinary world and the beginning of the adventure are presented with stunning visual effects. Dorothy, the protagonist, is shown struggling in her ordinary world. She is confronted by the mean neighbor Miss Gulch who wants to take away Dorothy’s dog Toto and give him to the animal control authorities because of Toto’s bad behavior. Dorothy reacts childishly with a temper tantrum, begging her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em not to let Miss Gulch have her way. She confronts Miss Gulch when she tries to take Toto, saying, “You wicked old witch! Uncle Henry, Auntie Em, don't let 'em take Toto! Don't let her take him -- please!” (The Wizard of Oz). In a fit of temper, Dorothy decides to run away because she thinks that it is the only way she can protect her dog from Miss Gulch. The plot picks up the story of Dorothy’s life at a rather bleak point. Dorothy is portrayed as powerless and directionless and she does not appreciate the gifts she has in her family and life. Her character flaws and areas of growth are clear from such behavior. She seeks to be the leader of her own life but she lets temper get in the way of her enacting effective change. Furthermore, in her decision to run away Dorothy shows that she does not appreciate those who love her or the blessings of her loving home.
“There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home”, repeated Dorothy. A young girl trying to go back home to Kansas after a cyclone lands her and her dog, Toto, in the Land of Oz. There Dorothy meets the Scarecrow, the TinMan, and the Cowardly Lion who are all in need of something that is considered important to them; a brain, a heart, and courage. Along the way, they have to travel to Emerald City to see the Wizard of Oz, directed by the Good Witch of the North, especially for Dorothy to get back home. However, Dorothy and the gang run into problems with the Wicked Witch of the West, who wants Dorothy’s ruby slippers (which was originally the Wicked
Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West is a fictional representation of many problems faced by the world in the past and present. It follows the life of Elphaba, who later becomes the “Wicked Witch of the West”, a result from her life experiences as a rebel against the Wizard of Oz, her unfortunate appearance of green skin, and several other trials she’s faced. Maguire was born in Albany, New York and lost his mother in childbirth. His father was a writer, but was very ill at the time of Maguire’s birth, so he and his three older siblings had to stay with family and Maguire even spent time in an orphanage before moving back with his father and his new wife. His family
Thank you for coming today. I know you are all aware of what the wicked witches have done to the Winkies and the Munchkins, how they both enslaved and tortured them, how they ruled over their lands with injustice. We, unfortunately, have suffered from the darkest time yet in the Land of Oz. However, although the wicked witches reigned supreme, there was still light in the midst of all the darkness and chaos. The good witches of the North and South ruled their lands fairly, and I can assure you all that your loved ones there are cared for and ruled by kindness and prosperity. They helped the odd company eradicate both wicked witches, bringing peace yet again to the Land of Oz.
Could you ever imagine if The Wonderful Wizard of Oz written by L. Frank Baum didn’t have a yellow brick road or an Emerald City? The colors chosen are significant and give the story a deeper meaning. Three colors that stand out in the beginning, middle and the end of the novel are gray, yellow and green. In the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Baum’s use of color is symbolic by associating distinct colors with specific settings and characters.
Wicked, the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the East is a fantasy book by Gregory Maguire. It follows the life of the Wicked Witch, the character from the Wizard of Oz, from her birth to her death, or her pseudo-death. It also explores the question the nature of good and evil.