How old is Dorothy? Only six or seven and hence, without the rites of passage and sexual overtones of those “older” heroines like Alice in Alice in Wonderland and Mary in the Secret Garden. So, a simpler story about basic belief in human goodness and the innate power we all have, but may not recognize. When the Wizard asks why he should help her, Dorothy answers, “Because you are strong and I am weak….” There is a moral order in Baum’s world and it rests on the natural world without reference to traditional religion. It is truly a story seen through Dorothy’s eyes; no introspection here. And no irony.
(Thanks to Professor JT Barbarese for his talk last evening on The World Through Dorothy's Eyes.)
And all those political and economic allegories? It seems unlikely that Baum wrote with those in mind. And yet, they layer onto Dorothy’s story with such a good fit, that you can’t help wondering…
(Find out on Thursday March 27 at 7:30 pm what Professor Ranjit Dighe thinks about the political implications of the book.)
What do you think? Simple story or political allegory?
Come to the WestportREADS events to learn more.