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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: study guide
By L. Frank Baum. A spoiler-light guide with themes, characters, vocabulary and questions to discuss.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
L. Frank Baum · 1900 · public domain
The story
A cyclone carries Dorothy and her dog Toto from Kansas to the Land of Oz. To get home she follows the yellow brick road to the Emerald City, picking up a Scarecrow, a Tin Woodman and a Cowardly Lion along the way, each hoping the Wizard will grant what they feel they lack.
This summary avoids the ending, but later sections of a guide can spoil details.
Main themes
- Home
- Finding strengths you already have
- The “humbug” behind authority
- Friendship and loyalty
Characters
- Dorothy
- A practical Kansas girl who just wants to go home.
- The Scarecrow, Tin Woodman and Cowardly Lion
- Companions who seek a brain, a heart and courage.
- The Wizard
- The ruler of the Emerald City, who is not what he seems.
- The Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda
- Opposing powers: a threat to Dorothy and a good witch who helps her.
Words worth knowing
- cyclone
- a violent rotating storm, the book’s word for what we would call a tornado.
- prairie
- a large, flat, grassy plain.
- humbug
- a fraud or pretense.
- emerald
- a bright green gemstone.
Questions to discuss
- Each companion already has what they are looking for. When do we see it?
- Is the Wizard a villain, a fraud or something in between?
- How is Kansas described, and why does Dorothy still want to return to it?
- What does the book suggest about believing in yourself?