preview

Ethical Issues In The Wizard Of Oz

Better Essays

Contesting Conjectures in L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz An individual can claim to be ethical, but validation requires consistently commendable action. This assertion connects to L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, in which he follows the journey and maturation of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion as they travel the Land of Oz pursuing objects and virtues they already possess. When a cyclone carries Dorothy and her dog Toto to an alternate universe in which unusual objects can speak, Dorothy partners with the aforementioned characters in her quest to return home. As the group faces numerous obstacles, the supposedly unprepared members exhibit the admirable traits, allowing for successful travel …show more content…

As the novel develops, Baum uses dramatic and situational irony to highlight the Scarecrow’s intelligence, showing the necessity to avoid cognitive content and develop inherited intellect. Dorothy spots a scarecrow as she rests on a fence and, at its request, detaches the scarecrow from its pole. After thanking Dorothy and discussing her plans, the Scarecrow asserts: “‘If anyone treads on my toes or sticks a pin into me, it doesn’t matter, for I can’t feel it. But I do not want people to call me a fool, and if my head stays stuffed with straw instead of with brains, as yours is, how am I ever to know anything?” (35). Incorporating two appositions to describe “it doesn’t matter” and “brains,” the Scarecrow depicts his artistic use of language that contrasts Dorothy’s juvenile dialect. Dramatic irony occurs when the reader witnesses the Scarecrow’s complicated reflection amidst his claims to possess no intelligence, showing the absurdity of his opinion and application of his brilliance. The Scarecrow’s paranoia that people will identify him as a “fool” portrays his brain’s adequate functioning that causes him to over analyze how smart he appears to others. Later in the story, Dorothy and the group stumble upon a poppy field that causes the living individuals to pass out. After the Scarecrow orders the Lion to run because of his immovable weight, he designs a method to save

Get Access