Secular Humanism : The Wizard Of Oz Essay

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz projects its message in a very subtle unsuspected way. For a child the story is just a magical story full of colors but underlying the colors “Baum created a children’s story with a symbolic allegory implicit within its story line and characterization” (50). The book is full of symbolism, when Dorothy lands on West Witch with her house, she is given a pair of silver slippers by the Good Witch of the North. She is

She could also go to the extreme trying to save animal civil rights because of what she believes in, even if it means to have no one to support her. She was coldly rejected when she tried to ask the Wizard for assistance, but ended revolting against him to save the remaining animals that were tortured and brutally killed. As you can tell, the image of the Wizard of Oz is not so welcoming compared to Maguire’s novel versus Buam's novel.

Arguably the greatest and longest impacting movement brought about by the forward thinkers of the Renaissance was humanism. Humanism was a cultural and intellectual movement that emphasized the human potential to attain excellence through direct study of the literature, art, and civilization of the classical Greek and Roman societies (Merriam-Webster). The scholars and believers in humanism sought to change the course of society away from the narrow pedantry of medieval scholasticism and utilitarianism. Humanism was a basic desire for every citizen to be able to speak with eloquence and read and write with clarity, so that common citizens were capable of engaging in the civic life of their communities (Gray). The movement also emphasized the value of a human being as well as the importance of rational thought rather than blind faith in spiritualism or superstition. It also pushed people to explore human desires and pleasures while also enriching their minds. The influential nature of humanism was far reaching and most notable for its effects on Renaissance art, literature, and philosophy.

Secular humanist believe the starting point of life is nothing breathtaking. The Human life is a result of a great many years of advancement that can be explained through the theory of evolution. There is no god who made life, and that religion is nothing more than the fears of mankind. Secular humanist utilize science, intelligence, and individual feelings as the answer for life’s most troublesome questions.

One can often identify a person's political, religious or cultural orientation by his or her reaction to certain words. A case in point is the expression "secular humanism." For religious conservatives those words sum up much of what is wrong with contemporary society.

For many generations, adults and children alike have relished L. Frank Baum’s cleverly written bedtime story, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. On the surface, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz seems like an innocent fairy-tale that was written “solely to pleasure children today” ; however a deeper look into the main characters and symbolism inherent in the story, suggest an outlook into the Gilded Age. Many historians, beginning with Henry Littlefield, have interpreted The Wizard of Oz as being an allegory to the Populist Movement and the issue of money that surrounded the Gilded Age. Although Baum mentions that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was written as a bedtime fairy-tale to be read and enjoyed by people of all ages, the hidden symbols and deeper

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.

The Wizard has modern ideals for Oz and has harsh views towards anything seen as more traditional or “royalist,” such as one of the several religions in Oz, Lurlinism, as stated in the quote, “...public Lurlinism - even as a joke - bordered on being intolerably retrograde, even royalist. And that did not do in the Wizard’s reign.” He rules over Oz as a dictator, and is not open to opposition from citizens; his word is final even when there is logic against him, according to the quote, “‘I don’t believe, Elphie, that the Wizard is open to entertaining arguments, even by as august an Animal as Doctor Dillamond.’” The Wizard causes the oppression of Oz, therefore creating the Marxist environment of Wicked.

In today’s society, the variety of experiences one endures throughout his lifetime develops the full potential of his character. In L. Frank Baum’s, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the quest of the minor characters, the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion, contribute to their individual discoveries of inner strength. The self-acclaimed unintelligent Scarecrow demonstrates his smarts and resourcefulness multiple times during the voyage to the Land of Oz but does not acknowledge his full capability until the end of the trip. Similarly, the Tin Woodman, despite the lack of a physical heart, does not realize his compassionate acts throughout the journey prove that he is truly a kind, sensitive man. Whereas the Cowardly Lion is the bravest and courageous out of all the characters throughout the entire expedition. The tests and trials the minor characters endure on their quest cause each of their individual characters to grow to their full potential, finding the strength from within they lack.

“The cyclone had set the house down into a country of marvelous beauty.” is merely just the beginning of the tale of Dorothy traveling through a mysterious land, making interesting friends, and eventually slaying an evil witch. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is an epic by L. Frank Baum is known by children and adults alike all over. And what exactly makes this tale of a naive little girl an epic? The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is an epic due to its characteristics, conventions, archetypes, and the way it follows the stereotypical hero’s journey.

In 1939, Victor Fleming made a film version of L. Frank Baum’s novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” However, both the novel and the film focuses or touches on the same moral, it features the protagonist Dorothy who resides in Kansas the farm, along with her aunt Em and uncle Henry as well as her dog Toto. Both Baum’s novel and Fleming’s 1939 film adaptation the setting is in Kansas which is described as a small farm which Dorothy lives in which in Baum’s novel is picturized as gloomy, grey and dull. Throughout Fleming’s adaptation of Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” there are a number of differences which presents itself in a direct manner on screen as well as similarities. The variety of changes in the film’s adaptation tends to take

The Existential questions which are important to ask are, Why do we suffer? What happens after we die? and does god exist? Many religions will have answers for these questions, however the comparison between the Catholic viewpoint and the Secular Humanist viewpoint will be argued in this report.

On the very first page of Oz Baum actually states that his wish was to

Through out history, as man progressed from a primitive animal to a "human being" capable of thought and reason, mankind has had to throw questions about the meaning of our own existence to ourselves. Out of those trail of thoughts appeared religion, art, and philosophy, the fundamental process of questioning about existence. Who we are, how we came to be, where we are going, what the most ideal state is....... All these questions had to be asked and if not given a definite answer, then at least given some idea as to how to begin to search for, as humans probed deeper and deeper into the riddle that we were all born into.

In European history, the Renaissance marks the period from 15th and 16th century, more specifically around 1450 to 1600. The Renaissance marks a time of "rebirth" of human creativity as well as a time of exploration. Additionally, the Renaissance was a period of individualism, which is strongly represented through the works of Leonardo da Vinci. In addition, unlike the previous era of the Medieval Age, the Renaissance did not focus much on the afterlife, but rather embraced this idea of humanism, which focused on the human and their achievements. This shift in interest from the religious to the secular is also strongly evident in Renaissance literature and art in that they concentrated on realism and the life-like representation of the human. During the Renaissance, the shift from the religious to the secular along with the Protest Reformation led by Martin Luther brought about a further decrease in the power of the Catholic church. Further, the church was no longer the center of learning for the invention of the printing around 1450 made books and learning more accessible to the general population.