We are currently conducting a The Wizard of Oz analysis, so feel free to catch the previous post analysis. Aside from that, we are going to continue summarizing and analyzing the book by reading through chapters 6-11.
Chapter Six: The Cowardly Lion
So far, we have met the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman in The Wizard of Oz. They have both agreed to help Dorothy on her journey to the Emerald City. In the end, she hopes to find a route back to Kansas. Additionally, this journey guarantees the Tin Woodman can receive a heart and the Scarecrow can receive a brain. In chapter six, they encounter another ally: The Cowardly Lion.
“Just as he spoke there came from the forest a terrible roar, and the next moment a great Lion bounded into the road. With one blow of his paw, he sent the Scarecrow spinning over and over to the edge of the road, and then he struck at the Tin Woodman with his sharp claws. But, to the Lion’s surprise, he could make no impression on the tin, although the Woodman fell over in the road and lay still.”
After Dorothy swats his nose for trying to eat her dog Toto, the Cowardly Lion reveals that he is in fact a coward. He himself says that that only a chicken would eat a small dog. It is at this moment that the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman explain their purpose for traveling with Dorothy. This causes the Cowardly Lion to ask whether the great and powerful Oz could also grant him courage. They all seem to think so, and the journey continues.
Chapter Seven: The Journey to the Great Oz
The Ditches
In continuing with this The Wizard of Oz analysis, both the forest and the elements present obstacles for Dorothy and her companions to overcome. For instance, the question of food arises and the party disagrees as to how Dorothy will be fed. The reality is that the Tin Woodman would “weep” if the Cowardly Lion “killed a poor deer.” Additionally, they run into a wide ditch that seems impossible to pass:
The crew decides that they could cross this first obstacle by climbing on the Cowardly Lion’s back. By allowing him to jump over the ditch for them, the could overcome the obstacle. And, after gathering everyone on his back, he does just that effortlessly.
The next moment it seemed as if she was flying through the air; and then, before she had time to think about it, she was safe on the other side.
Eventually, they come to a second ditch that is far too wide for them to cross by jumping. Even the Cowardly Lion knows this can’t be achieved. As such, they put their heads together and come up with a solution. The Tin Woodman chops down a tree, which spans both sides of the ditch and they cross the river. Now, shortly before this second hazard, the Cowardly Lion made everyone aware of another hazard of the forest: the Kalidahs.
The Kalidahs
The Kalidahs, as the Cowardly Lion describes, are “monstrous beasts with bodies like bears and heads like tigers.” They could easily kill the Cowardly Lion just as easily as he could have killed Toto. “I’m terribly afraid of the Kalidahs.” The Cowardly Lion tells his companions, but their goal is unavoidable.
As the group traverses the now fell tree that spans the ditch, a couple of Kalidahs attempts to pursue them. No doubt, they have ill-intent in their hearts. The company flees across the fell tree. However, before the Kalidahs can catch them, the Scarecrow reminds the Tin Woodman of his axe. So, the Woodman chops the end of the fell-tree bridge, and it plummets into the abyss. Both Kalidahs are “dashed to pieces on the sharp rocks at the bottom” (Baum).
Afterward, they make a new camp, and the Scarecrow finds Dorothy some fruit to eat. Meanwhile, with the troubles of the forest conquered, the Tin Woodman builds a raft for them. Dorothy falls asleep for the evening, dreaming of Kansas.
Chapter Eight Summary: The Deadly Poppy Field
After the Tin Woodman creates a raft for the company to ride on, they travel down the river with efficiency. However, they soon discover that the current is too quick. The sticks they crafted to steer them are too short. In a hurry, the Scarecrow gets himself stuck in the middle of the river. Luckily, Dorothy and her friends are not selfish. They attempt to recover him, and the Cowardly Lion tells them to use his tail to pull the boat. It works. Afterward, they head back to where they lost the Scarecrow. Fortunately, they run into a large stork who agrees to help them recover their friend.
So the big bird flew into the air and over the water till she came to where the Scarecrow was perched upon his pole. Then the stork with her great claws grabbed the Scarecrow by the arm and carried him up into the air and back to the bank, where Dorothy and the Lion and Tin Woodman and Toto were sitting.
It is here that they run into the the deadly poppy field. The poppy field is dangerous because those who traverse it fall asleep forever. As they enter the “meadow of poppies” that is filled with “big scarlet” flowers, Dorothy grows tired. The Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow, unaffected, carry Dorothy and the now sleeping Toto away from the meadow.
On their way, however, they come across the Cowardly Lion. He has fallen asleep in the poppies as he was not immune to the poison flowers.
They followed the bend of the river, and at last came upon their friend the Lion, lying fast asleep among the poppies. The flowers had been too strong for the huge beast and he had given up, at last, and fallen only a short distance from the end of the poppy-bed, where the sweet grass spread in beautiful green fields before them.
Both the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow decide that they can do nothing for the Cowardly Lion. The Lion is simply too big to pull out of the field. They decide to exit the poppies to save Dorothy. They hope that the cowardly lion dreams of the courage he so ardently sought.
Chapter Nine Summary: The Queen of the Field Mice
The company, encounter a mouse who is trying to escape a terrible beast. After the Tin Woodman decapitates the Wildcat, they discover that the mouse the Queen of the Field Mice. So, she decides to help them recover their friend, the Cowardly Lion, from the poppy fields.
After fashioning a truck for the lion, the mouse tended to the great beast and they pulled him from the deadly poppy fields.
“At first the little creatures, many though they were, could hardly stir the heavily loaded truck; but the Woodman and the Scarecrow both pushed from behind, and they got along better. Soon they rolled the Lion out of the poppy bed to the green fields, where he could breathe the sweet, fresh air again, instead of the poisonous scent of the flowers.”
The party thanked the Queen of the Field Mice and saw them off before settling down for supper. Luckily, they had befriended the right group of mice.
Chapter Ten Summary: The Guardian of the Gate
After the Cowardly Lion awoke and was fully alert, the party travel along the yellow brick road until they reached the lands around the Emerald City where everything was far more green and less blue (as the blue was the color of the Munchkin people). Dorothy and her companions knock on the door of a large farmhouse and take shelter for the evening in the house of kindly family who feeds them dinner and questions them about their quest to see the Wizard of Oz.
“Where are you all going?”
“To the Emerald City,” said Dorothy, “to see the Great Oz.”
“Oh, indeed!” exclaimed the man. “Are you sure that Oz will see you?”
“Why not?” she replied.
“Why, it is said that he never lets anyone come into his presence. I have been to the Emerald City many times, and it is a beautiful and wonderful place; but I have never been omitted to see the Great Oz, nor do I know of any living person who has seen him.”
“Does he never go out?” asked the Scarecrow.
“Never. He sits day after day in the great Throne Room of his Palace, and even those who wait upon him do not see him face to face.”
They learn that because he is a powerful wizard, Oz can take any form he likes, from a “bird” to an “elephant” to a “cat” and many more. However, in his “own form,” nobody knows what he looks like.
In the morning, the company heads to the gate of the Emerald City where the Guardian of the Gate greets them. The guardian is a short man of greenish tint, and he informs them that the wizard does not suffer fools. As such, they must tell the truth and not waste his time lest he destroy them. Moreover, he tells Dorothy that he must take her to the Wizard of Oz’s palace. Yet, she and her companions must wear special glasses, so the radiance of the city does not blind them.
“Then the Guardian of the Gates put on his own glasses and told them he was ready to show them to the Palace. Taking a big golden key from a peg on the wall, he opened another gate, and they all followed him through the portal into the streets of the Emerald City.”
Chapter Eleven Summary: The Wonderful City of Oz
Meeting the Wizard
Dorothy and Co. head to the great hall where the Wizard of Oz resides, and a green girl beckons them inside. There, the guards tell them to spend the night. They would take Dorothy in the morning to see the wizard on the first morning, the Scarecrow the second, the Tin Woodman the third, and the Cowardly Lion on the fourth.
So, on the first morning, after a restful slumber, a soldier greets Dorothy and states:
“Oh, he will see you,” said the soldier who had taken her message to the Wizard, “although he does not like to have people ask to see him. Indeed, at first he was angry, and said I should send you back where you came from. Then he asked me what you looked like, and when I mentioned your silver shoes he was very much interested. At last I told him about he mark upon your forehead, and he decided he would admit you to his presence.”
Afterward, Dorothy meets with the Wizard, who is a large, imposing head, and he tells her that if she desires a return to Kansas then she must kill the Wicked Witch of the West. Likewise, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion all go meet the Wizard on their respective days and are told that they are to do the same thing: kill the last evil witch!
Conjuring a Plan
Regardless, though Dorothy does not know how to kill the Wicked Witch of the West and that the previous witch she killed was by accident, she agrees…and so does her party.
However, each member declares that they will be unable to kill her due to their deficiencies, whether that be a lack of heart, courage, or a brain. Nevertheless, they prepare themselves for the long journey: the Tin Woodman sharpens his axe, the Scarecrow stuffs himself with straw, and Dorothy receives goods from a green girl who became fond of the companions during their time in the Emerald City.
What is more, the Wizard presents himself in a different form to each companion: a little old lady to the Scarecrow, a dreadful beast to the Tin Woodman, and a ball of fire to the Cowardly Lion. We have yet to discover for what reason the Wizard has decided to manifest himself as different forms.
Chapters 6-11 Analysis
Starting the Journey
In chapter 6, the crew start their journey to go find the witch by heading to her lands in the west of Oz. The Tin Woodman is given a moment toward the end of the chapter to show that while he doesn’t have a heart, he possesses a great kindness toward living creatures after he steps on a bug and is upset about it. He resigns to watch the road more carefully until Oz grants him his heart.
In chapter seven, the overarching theme of The Wizard of Oz is really about teamwork. The party all put their skills on display to help defeat trouble, from using their wits, to their strength, to their skills. For example, the Scarecrow helps Dorothy gather nuts to eat regardless of his clumsiness, and he covers her with dried leaves for a bed, which shows his loyalty and dedication to the quest and to Dorothy herself.
Strength in Numbers
We also have two instances where the Cowardly Lion uses his strength to try to jump over a wide ditch to help his friends pass an obstacle, which shows his interest in cooperation to reach their goal. Furthermore, the Tin Woodman puts his skills to use by using his axe twice, both in defeating a pair of Kalidahs, and by crafting a raft for their future adventure downriver.
So the Woodman took his axe and began to chop down small trees to make a raft … But it takes time to make a raft, even when one is as industrious and untiring as the Tin Woodman, and when night came the work was not done.
The teamwork emphasis is important because it harkens back to a theme I discussed at the beginning of the examination of this The Wizard of Oz: loyalty. The characters are all loyal to each other in servitude of their quest. While there is a self-serving narrative to question, there is a bent of kindness that doesn’t always tend itself to selfishness, such as covering someone with a pile of leaves or collecting food for them out of the kindness of your heart.
Making Sacrifices
Additionally, chapter eight of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is all about sacrifices, both intentional and unintentional. They unintentionally sacrifice the Scarecrow to get their boat to safety (though he is saved), and they intentionally sacrifice the Cowardly Lion to the poppy fields to save Dorothy. Similarly, the stork who saves the Scarecrow sacrifices some of her time to save him for a possible reward in the future, which is interesting.
Now, sacrifice has a weird connotation. Often, it seems negative or at least, if it is positive, then it is simply noble. I think we see more shades of positivity in the use of it in chapter eight as a theme. The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman are noble in that they must sacrifice one friend, who is much stronger, to save another, who is much weaker. While these noble qualities make them aspirational characters, we also understand that they all expect something from each other. These expectations include loyalty, friendship, or a ticket to Oz to see the wizard.
Small Assistance
Chapter nine and ten feature a lot of scenarios where something small does something larger than itself. What I mean more specifically: the mice step-up to help Dorothy and her companions to save the Cowardly Lion after another small mouse is found out to be royalty (this is unexpected). Dorothy herself charges forward and knocks on an Emerald City citizen’s door “boldly,” which is not altogether out-of-character, but it does defy what we know as adults of children—who are typically more shy and timid.
Who is this Great Oz?
The conversation that Dorothy has with the family from Emerald City and the Guardian of the gate shows us that the Wizard of Oz assumes many forms. He is not an old, cowled wizard, but he is a powerful force that does not have time to waste on errant adventurers. As we learned in a previous chapter, not everything is as it seems in Oz. Sometimes the characters you think are strong are, in fact, not strong at all, and some characters, who are supposed to be kind and wise, are in fact deceitful and cruel.
The Wizard of Oz is no different.
And because his actions are counter to what we assumed they would be, I believe we can look at his intentions in two ways:
A Deceitful Tyrant
The Wizard of Oz is deceitful and selfish. He desires Dorothy to go and assassinate the Wicked Witch of the West because he does not have the power to do so but has the authority and is in a position of power in Oz so he can compel Dorothy to kill the witch. In this light, the Wizard of Oz is a truly despicable person. If he cannot find use for the individual then he wants nothing to do with them because they can offer him nothing. As such, he is a sociopathic ruler and authoritarian who seeks power by eliminating his adversaries through Machiavellian means.
A Product of His Environment
The Wizard of Oz is a product of his environment. All of Oz to this point has been very transactional. If you do this for me, then I will do this for you. In so many ways, this is their currency. For example, a large bird helps save the Scarecrow early on in the story as long as Dorothy remembers to help it in the future. Similarly, the Queen of the Field Mice is freed from torment by the Tin Woodman. Yet, she requires nothing in return. Thus, Dorothy asks her to free her friend the Cowardly Lion from his perpetual slumber. There is give and take in all of these interactions. Thus, by asking Dorothy to kill the witch, Oz will return her back to Kansas (and give her companions what they want, too).
I am not sure which is correct, but I think the first one seems more right at the moment. Any good The Wizard of Oz analysis would make a bold claim, but this novel is more obstruse. This is due in part to what the soldier tells Dorothy. He says, “Indeed, at first he was angry, and said I should send you back where you came from.” In other words, the Wizard of Oz did not need to be bothered by a young girl seeking his wisdom. After all, she could offer him nothing in return, so he wanted to send her away. To me, that’s a sign of a cruel and selfish leader.
Works Cited
Baum, L. Frank. “The Wizard of Oz the First Five Novels.” Fall River Press, 2014.
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