Posted on 03/19/2009 3:15:28 PM PDT by JoeProBono
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is one of the world's best-loved fairytales. As Judy Garland's famous film nears its 70th birthday, how much do its followers know about the story's use as an economic parable? Dorothy in Kansas conjures up nostalgic thoughts of childhood Christmases hiding behind the sofa from the Wicked Witch of the West. Or those flying monkeys. It's unlikely its young fans will have been thinking about deflation and monetary policy. But the story has underlying economic and political references that make it a popular tool for teaching university and high school students - mainly in the United States but also in the UK - about the economic depression of the late 19th Century.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
What was Toto, who caused many of the troubles, supposed to symbolize?
Toto is a rock band.
Anyway, not to pretend that I am an expert on all things OZ, I invite you to visit the Museum:
Here is a good Wiki link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wizard_of_Oz_(1939_film)
Many of us, in Kansas, who have studied the issue, have always believed that their was a political point in the original story.
Kansas populism, with William Allen White's “What's the Matter with Kansas” and with the “Kansas Nebraska Act” and John Brown and the days of “Bloody Kansas” has been a political bell weather several times in history.
It is not at all hard to believe that politics was at play here, in the Wizard of Oz.
Silver slippers? Yellow Brick Road? The major issues being gold or silver or bi-metal standards for our currency?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wizard_(Oz)
The Wizard went by “Oz” because his initials, otherwise, would spell:
PINHEAD!
NOW tell me that there was NO political purpose!!
LOL
LOL
Kinda timeless, the OZ economic theme, huh?
Nonesense! You’re all paranoid!
Next you’ll start reading political messages into Jonathan Swift’s stories.
I have heard the economic message theory about Wizard of Oz before. A more substantial claim is that it is an allegory for the Spiritism which Baum believed in.
Ruby slippers.
:-)
My favorite allegory.
It’s as American as apple pie IMO
Innocence and good overcomes evil with the aid of intelligence, heart, and courage.
Now it’s our turn to implement that lesson.
Nope, in the original novel, they were SILVER SLIPPERS!
The color was changed for TV, long after the political ramifications were forgotten.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.