Study notes: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
A cyclone carries Dorothy and her dog Toto from Kansas to a bright country. She wants one thing: the way home. A scarecrow wants brains, a tin man wants a heart, and a lion wants courage. They follow a yellow brick road to a wizard who is less magical than his signs. Baum wrote a fairy tale on purpose, with danger in it and without a lecture at the end of every chapter. Home, when Dorothy gets there, is gray and still worth choosing.
Themes
The thing you travel to find may already be in the group. Looking powerful is not the same as being wise. Friends can be brave in different ways.
People to follow
Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion, the Wizard, and the witches of Oz.
Talk about
- What does each traveler already do before the Wizard “gives” them a gift?
- Is Oz a good place to live or only a good place to visit?
- Why does Dorothy want Kansas?
Public-domain text.