How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"Where is Kansas?" asked the man, in surprise.
"I don't know," replied Dorothy, sorrowfully; "but it is my home, and I'm sure it's somewhere." (10.37-38)
One of the running jokes in the book is that no one in Oz knows where Kansas is. It's pretty funny to see a quintessential American place made unfamiliar in this way. Of course, this also begins to ask the question, "Where is home?" Is home a place that exists exclusively outside of ourselves, or is it something we carry with us?
Quote #5
"But I don't want to live here," said Dorothy. "I want to go to Kansas, and live with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry." (18.10)
Do you think Dorothy wants to go home? Maybe just a little? Consider for a moment how the story would be different if Dorothy was an adult. Does she want to go home so much because she's a child, or is this pull toward home just as strong for, say, grandparents? College students? Adults traveling for work or on a vacation?
Quote #6
"My greatest wish now," she added, "is to get back to Kansas, for Aunt Em will surely think that something dreadful has happened to me, and that will make her put on mourning; and unless the crops are better this year than they were last I am sure Uncle Henry cannot afford it." (23.6)
That's Midwestern practicality for you. Dorothy doesn't just think about home sentimentally. She's thinking about business. Or…perhaps she doesn't want to admit just how homesick she is. Kind of like when a kid who's staying overnight at a friend's house says, "I have to go home because my parents miss me." Mm hm. Sure.