Character Clues

Character Analysis

Props

Many of the characters have props that tell us something about who they are. But first, let's talk about the props they don't have (at least for most of the novel), because those help define them, too. The Scarecrow is on a quest for a brain, and he doesn't rest until the Wizard whips one up out of bran, pins, and needles—which are, according to the Lion, "proof that he is sharp" (16.16). Similarly, the Tin Woodman spends most of the book wishing he had a heart; finally, near the end, the Wizard gives him one "made entirely of silk and stuffed with sawdust" (16.21). These are symbolic objects that represent internal traits that the characters already possess, even if they don't quite realize it.

There are also props that characters use in other ways. The Tin Woodman, for instance, has his axe, which signals his occupation. Most importantly, Dorothy has her silver shoes, which mark her as a powerful person. The Wicked Witch of the West, "seeing the Silver Shoes, began to tremble with fear, for she knew what a powerful charm belonged to them" (12.59). Dorothy may not realize the significance of the shoes, but other people sure do.

Location

Oz is a vast kingdom with many neighborhoods. Being from Kansas—a land that no one in Oz has ever heard of—Dorothy is an outsider wherever she goes. As she travels, she meets many different kinds of people. There are the Munchkins of the East, who are "kind-hearted" (2.45), friendly, and fashionable. In sharp contrast, many of the people in Emerald City seem aloof and nervous. We hear that they "were all dressed in green clothes and had greenish skins. They looked at Dorothy and her strangely assorted company with wondering eyes…but no one spoke to them" (11.2). Their behavior is likely the result of having lived under the rule of a leader, Oz, who intimidates them.

It's also important to consider the location of Oz itself. The people and creatures who live there are magic; animals can talk and witches can enchant. "The Land of Oz has never been civilized, for we are cut off from the rest of the world," explains the Witch of the North. "Therefore we still have witches and wizards among us" (2.31). Whatever you say, lady! One thing's for sure: the characters in Oz are definitely weirder than the people in Kansas.

Direct Characterization

The most magical beings in Oz are the witches (remember, the Wizard himself is just a regular Joe), and their names say it all. When Dorothy arrives in Oz, the Witch of the North tells her:

There were only four witches in all the Land of Oz, and two of them, those who live in the North and the South, are good witches. I know this is true, for I am one of them myself, and cannot be mistaken. Those who dwelt in the East and the West were, indeed, wicked witches… (2.24)

In real life, sometimes people can surprise you, but the Wicked Witch of the West definitely lives up to her rep. When Dorothy and her friends encounter her later, they find that the good witch had been absolutely right in describing her as awful.

For all four witches, their magic is "explained" in a way where it's just stated as fact, and that's that. "I will give you my kiss, and no one will dare injure a person who has been kissed by the Witch of the North" (2.58), the good witch tells Dorothy, and darned if she isn't right. The Winged Monkeys notice the mark the kiss had left later in the book, and it saves Dorothy's life.