Parable On Populism

The 1939 film, ‘The Wizard of Oz', was a colour and sound explosion that is as cherished today as it was when it was first released. But what a lot of the public doesn't realise, is that the movie is based on the first of 14 books written by L. Frank Baum.
Publish in 1900, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" marked the beginning of a new type of fairytale. Baum steered away from the Classic European style fairytales like those of Hans Christian Anderson and the Grimm brothers, into a more light-hearted, witty, simplistic story for children that instilled American rural values into them. The simplicity of the story caused controversy within the literary circles at the time, and was the main reason it was banned in many public libraries and not considered
The book was never critically acclaimed or the subject of academic exploration, but it has been a heart warming story enjoyed by many since its publication. By far the most favourable theory of both myself and most others, is the Populist theory, publicised by Henry Littlefield in 1964. In, "A Parable on Populism," Littlefield explained the theory that Baum wrote a story which was a social commentary of the time, but a story for the masses first and foremost. The theory is summed up in Littlefield's own words towards the end of his argument. "Led by naïve innocence and protected by goodwill, the farmer, the labourer and the politician approach the mystic holder of national power to ask for personal fulfilment. Their desires, as well as the Wizard's cleverness in answering them, are all self delusion." In this theory, Dorothy is the everyman, who goes on a quest to get her selfless wish of home for the sake of Aunt Em, fulfilled. Scarecrow is representative of the Kansas farmers who were under attack at the turn of the century for being muddle headed, but he turns out to be a shrew character who solves a lot of the problems faced. The Tin Woodsman, who is discovered in the East of Oz, embodies the Eastern American Workers who were being forced to work faster and hard, so much so that they became more like machines than human. Lion personifies Bryan, a politician of
It has been adapted to modern culture over and over again, because it is something that if you make a reference to, people will understand what you mean. "Follow the yellow brick road", is a saying that everybody recognises and uses. The Oz phenomena has been adapted time and time again in form of movies, such as the Muppets Wizard of Oz and Robots, into musicals like "Wicked", into cartoons like Family guy, Futurama, Barbie and Simpson's. Scenes from the movie have become classic Hollywood scenes used over and over again, such as the Guards and chase scene at the Wick Witch of the West's castle, and the Munchkin's celebration of the Wicked Witch of the East's Death. "Ding Dong", a song form that scene, is sung everywhere, and Elton John wrote a hit song entitled "Goodbye yellow brick road", using the Oz phenomena to describe the journey a country man takes in deciding the city life isn't right for him. There have been books written about the film and its involvement with the dwarfs who played the Munchkin's. But the more direct continuation of the Oz phenomena comes in the incessant writing of the Oz books. After Baum, writers such has Baum's own grandson, continued adding to the Oz collection and making