Good versus evil is a classic fairy tale theme, and in The Wizard of Oz, it's embodied most clearly in the characters of the good witches (of the north and south) and the wicked witches (of the east and west). The good witches help Dorothy and are kind to their people; the wicked witches are mean as snakes and enslave and murder people left and right.
But the concepts of good and evil are much more murky in the character of the Wizard of Oz himself, an ordinary man who bamboozles an entire kingdom into thinking he's all-powerful. (Would a good man really do that?)
Still, we can say this much: good always triumphs over evil in the world of the book. By the end, both of the wicked witches are dead, and all the good people—including the good witches, Dorothy, and her friends—live happily ever after. As for the wizard, well, he's carried away to an uncertain end by his hot-air balloon.
Questions About Good vs. Evil
- What does the wizard do to help people? Name at least one example.
- The Scarecrow and the tin man kill the Wicked Witch of the West's crows, wolves, and bees, and the Lion kills a giant spider. Why do you think they're still described as "good" characters?
- When Dorothy kills the Wicked Witch of the West, she says she's "very sorry indeed." (12.82) Do you believe her? Why or why not?
Chew on This
In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the difference between good and evil is cut and dry. You're one or the other, and that's that.
In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the difference between good and evil is complicated. Sometimes good people do bad things.