What can we learn from Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz?

Q: What lesson does Dorothy learn?

Answer and Explanation: In L. Frank Baums childrens book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy learns that sometimes the answers that we are looking for are within ourselves. She learns at the end of the story that she has always had the ability to go home, due to the silver slippers that she is wearing.

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The Subtle Messages Are as Timeless as The Film Itself
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Deante L. Young
What lesson does Dorothy learn?
What does Dorothy represent in The Wizard of Oz?
What does Dorothy learn at the end of The Wizard of Oz?
What is the main message in Wizard of Oz?
What is the purpose of Dorothy's journey?
What character traits does Dorothy have?

The Subtle Messages Are as Timeless as The Film Itself

Photo by julio andres rosario ortiz on Unsplash

One of the most classic films of all time is The Wizard of Oz. Since I was a young child, that flick has been shown annually on television and to this day, many people all over the world love it.

Personal Development Writer | Deante Unlimited podcast, Host | Deante: Under Construction web series, Star | Deante Young Enterprises, Chief Creative Architect

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Deante L. Young

Personal Development Writer | Deante Unlimited podcast, Host | Deante: Under Construction web series, Star | Deante Young Enterprises, Chief Creative Architect

In the introduction to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the author L. Frank Baum explains that he wanted to write an entertaining, modern fairy tale without the moralising and horror of the classic tales.

Modern education includes morality; therefore the modern child seeks only entertainment in its wonder-tales and gladly dispenses with all disagreeable incident. Having this thought in mind, the story of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” was written solely to pleasure children of today. It aspires to being a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heart-aches and nightmares are left out.

Despite the intentions of the author, there are plenty of lessons to be learned from this classic children’s story, moral or otherwise.

Dorothy traveling by cyclone

1. Parallel Universes exist

Scientists are still debating this, but, lo and behold, parallel worlds do exist! They may be inhabited by winged monkeys, hammer-head people, living scarecrows, china figurines and witches. The renowned wormhole, which provides passage from one universe to another, is reached by air, ideally using a cyclone. (Note to scientists: should cyclones be inconvenient, rabbit holes and old wardrobes might be workable alternatives).

2. There’s no place like home
Adventures are great, but even if life at home is dreary, there is nothing better than coming back.

“No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful. There is no place like home.” The Scarecrow sighed. “Of course I cannot understand it,” he said. “If your heads were stuffed with straw, like mine, you would probably all live in the beautiful places, and then Kansas would have no people at all. It is fortunate for Kansas that you have brains.”

Hmm, actually I might be with the Scarecrow on this one.

3. Believe in yourself
We are not always entirely happy with ourselves. There is always something missing. Perhaps we wished we were cleverer or more considerate. But expecting some great wizard to put these characteristics into us is not the right way to go about it. Finding the properties within ourselves is the key.

“You have plenty of courage, I am sure,” answered Oz. “All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.”

The Great Wizard of Oz

4. Even the greatest and most powerful man may be a fake
Some seemingly great people achieve their power by using smoke and mirrors and without these accessories, they will be revealed as ordinary and unworthy of the position they hold. For such people, it might be worth noticing, it could be the (under)dog and not the great mind in the party, who eventually brings you down.

Dorothy’s shoes at the National Museum of American History

5. The right shoes give you power!
Well, women all over the world already knew that. However, discussions have been going on regarding the right colour for these shoes and potential interpretations of the colour. In the iconic movie from 1939, the shoes are red, whereas the book has silver versions. I won’t take sides in this particular discussion.

The Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow

6. Brain versus Heart
The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman discusses whether a heart or a brain is preferable. In some sense, they are both right, hence the conclusion must be, one does not make sense without the other.

“All the same,” said the Scarecrow, “I shall ask for brains instead of a heart; for a fool would not know what to do with a heart if he had one.”
“I shall take the heart,” returned the Tin Woodman, “for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.”

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was first published in 1900. Reading it as an adult, 119 years later, I still found it fun and entertaining. Anne Hathaway’s narration contributed to this; she lived and breathed the story and made all the quirky characters jump off the pages and come alive. Perhaps, everyone ought to go to Oz once in a while, and enjoy a couple of happy hours at the place where wonderment and joy reside forever.

Title: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz [1900] 
Author: L. Frank Baum
Format: Audiobook, narrated by Anne Hathaway
Genre: Children's Fiction

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What lesson does Dorothy learn?

Answer and Explanation: In L. Frank Baum's children's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy learns that sometimes the answers that we are looking for are within ourselves. She learns at the end of the story that she has always had the ability to go home, due to the silver slippers that she is wearing.

What does Dorothy represent in The Wizard of Oz?

Dorothy represents Everyman; the Tin Woodman is the industrial worker, the Scarecrow is the farmer, the Cowardly Lion is William Jennings Bryan, the Wizard is the President, the munchkins are the "little people" and the Yellow Brick Road is the gold standard. Toto probably represents a dog.

What does Dorothy learn at the end of The Wizard of Oz?

In the end, Dorothy learns that the secret to getting back to Kansas is to click the heels of the Ruby Slippers together three times and say, "There's no place like home; there's no place like home . . ." (129).

What is the main message in Wizard of Oz?

Viewers were able to relate to a character, whether it was the Scarecrow in need of a brain, the Tin Man in need of a heart, or the Cowardly Lion, in need of courage. The obvious message of the story is that there is no place like home.

What is the purpose of Dorothy's journey?

The classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz is the story of Dorothy Gale's journey through the beautiful and magical Land of Oz. The purpose of Dorothy's journey is to see the Wizard who will, hopefully, grant her heart's desire which is to go home.

What character traits does Dorothy have?

Dorothy Gale: A sweet, innocent young lady with a streak of boldness, outspoken and headstrong, who dearly loves her family, friends and dog, Toto; Lives on a farm in Kansas with her Aunt Em & Uncle Henry, but dreams of escaping to a far-off place where she will not get into trouble.