“The Wizard of Oz as a Monetary Allegory”

(A Case Study Analysis)

November 16, 2020

I. Facts of the Case
 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is written by L. Frank Baum.
 These have been overtly political and monetary.
 It is gathered information study from different theories of different
researchers.
 It revolves in two different aspects best viewed as a symbolic and
satirical representation of the Populist movement and the politics of the
age, as well as a children's story.
 Dorothy, the protagonist of the story, represents an individualized ideal
of the American people. She is each of us at our best-kind but self-
respecting, guileless but levelheaded, wholesome but plucky. She is
akin to Everyman, or, in modern parlance, "the girl next door."
Dorothy lives in Kansas, where virtually everything-the treeless
prairie, the sun-beaten grass, the paint stripped house -- even Aunt Em
and Uncle Henry -- is a dull, drab, lifeless gray. This grim depiction
reflects the forlorn condition of Kansas in the late 1880s and early
1890s, when a combination of scorching droughts, severe winters, and
an invasion of grasshoppers reduced the prairie to an uninhabitable
wasteland. The result for farmers and all who depended on agriculture
for their livelihood was devastating.
 The twister that carries Dorothy to Oz symbolizes the Populist cyclone
that swept across Kansas in the early 1890s. Baum was not the first to
use the metaphor. Mary E. Lease, a fire-breathing Populist orator, was
often referred to as the "Kansas Cyclone," and the free-silver
movement was often likened to a political whirlwind that had taken the
nation by storm. Although Dorothy does not stand for Lease, Baum did
give her (in the stage version) the last name "Gale"-a further pun on
the cyclone metaphor.
 The name of Dorothy's canine companion, Toto, is also a pun, a play
on teetotaller. Prohibitionists were among the Populists' most faithful
allies, and the Populist hope William Jennings Bryan was himself a
"dry." As Dorothy embarks on the Yellow Brick Road, Toto trots
"soberly" behind her, just as the Prohibitionists soberly followed the
Populists.
 The Witch represents eastern financial-industrial interests and their
gold-standard political allies, the main targets of Populist venom.
Midwestern farmers often blamed their woes on the nefarious practices
of Wall Street bankers and the captains of industry, whom they
believed were engaged in a conspiracy to "enslave" the "little people,"
just as the Witch of the East had enslaved the Munchkins. Populists
viewed establishment politicians, including presidents, as helpless
pawns or willing accomplices.
 The good Witch of the North, who stands for the electorate of the
upper Midwest, where Populism gained considerable support. (Later in
 the story, good witches are identified with the color white; silver is
known as "the white metal.")
 The wicked Witch of the West. This Witch is also a cruel enslaver, and
she appears to represent a composite of the malign forces of nature that
plagued farmers in the Midwest and the power brokers of that region.
 The brainless Scarecrow represents the midwestern farmers, whose
years of hardship and subjection to ridicule had created a sense of
inferiority and self-doubt.
 Tin Man represents the nation's workers, in particular the industrial
workers with whom the Populists hoped to make common cause. His
rusted condition parallels the prostrated condition of labor during the
depression of 1890s; like many workers of that period, the Tin Man is
unemployed. Yet, with a few drops of oil, he is able to resume his
customary labors-a remedy akin to the "pump-priming" measures that
Populists advocated.
 The Lion he is none other than William Jennings Bryan, the Nebraska
representative in Congress and later the Democratic presidential
candidate in 1896 and 1900. Bryan (which rhymes with "lion," a near
homonym of "lying") was known for his "roaring" rhetoric and was
occasionally portrayed in the press as a lion, as was the Populist Party
itself. Bryan adopted the free-silver mantra and won the Populists'
support in his first race against McKinley. Like the Lion of Oz, Bryan
was the last to "join" the party. His defeat in the general election was
largely owing to his failure to win the support of eastern workers, just
as the Lion's claws "could make no impression" on the Tin Man.
 The diminutive rodents represent the common people, and the "yellow"
cat is yet another reference to the malign power of gold.
 The Winged Monkeys, the unwilling minions of the Witch of the West,
add a further dimension to the Oz allegory. These creatures represent
the Plains Indians.
 Chinatown First, China was in the process of being divided by the
great powers (including the United States) into "spheres of influence"
for the purpose of commercial exploitation. In 1899 and 1900,
Secretary of State John Hay issued the famous "Open Door" notes in
an effort to prevent rival nations from gaining "unfair" economic
advantages in China. Second, the Celestial Kingdom was the only
major nation still on the silver standard. It is apt, then, that Dainty
China Country's wall and floor are white, the color of silver bullion.
Third, the Lion's careless destruction of the china church echoes the
territorial "breakup" of China by foreign intruders and the active
proselytizing by Christian missionaries. Finally, the china Princess,
who rejects Dorothy's invitation to visit Kansas, resembles the
dowager empress, who strongly opposed the foreign presence in China.
The last two parallels recall the antiimperialism that Bryan and others
championed
  The Winkies, called "yellow" because they reside in the Land of the
West. The Winkies, who are forced to work for the Witch of the West,
represent the "yellow man" of Asia, especially the Chinese immigrants
and the native Filipinos. For decades, the Chinese had immigrated to
the Far West to labor in various capacities.
 The Land of Oz, with its varied landscape and diverse inhabitants, is a
microcosm of America
 Emerald City, its center and seat of government, represents
Washington, D.C.
 The Wizard is simply a manipulative politician who appears to the
people in one form, but works behind the scenes to achieve his true
ends.
 The Colors of Money. The references to gold and silver echo the
prominence of monetary politics in the 1890s, especially the bimetallic
crusade led by Bryan and the Populists. Moreover, gold and silver are
often portrayed as working in combination. Green, often in
combination with gold, is also a recurrent image. Then as now, green
was the color of paper money. The Greenback Party, a precursor of the
Populists, advocated the expansion of the money supply via the
increased circulation of "greenbacks."

II. Point of View

Money and Politics in the Land of Oz is an argumentative thesis where which
the author argues that the children’s book with the story “The Wizard of Oz” is
not only a children’s story but is an allegory of the populist movement of the
1890s. The evidence provided in support of this thesis is the fact during the
populist movement, where the writer Baum was an editor in a newspaper in South
Dakota and he wrote on issues of politics and the current events surrounding the
Populist Party. The enigmatic personality of the writer is also evidence as he
openly supported and even voted for democratic candidates. Additionally, from
the allegorical assumptions stated draw’s the attention of some researchers enable
to come up into a strong facts behind the story and also though some of the
researchers are basing on theoretical statements it doesn’t change the fact that the
story has a coincidental information’s that tends to portray the allegory related to
the populist movement of the 1890s. In our point of view we believe that the “The
Wizard of Oz” it’s not just a plain book of children’s story but has something in it
that revolves in between the concept. Additionally, based on the information given
it does not imply anything and also doesn’t represents that it’s not a pure allegory
but it revolves in two different aspects that best viewed as a symbolic and satirical
representation of the Populist movement and the politics of the age, as well as a
children's story. Quite simply, Oz operates on two levels, one literal and puerile,
the other symbolic and political.

III. Problems/Objectives
1. There are no prior articles and studies can strongly testify the correlations
of the story The Wizard of Oz to the politics of 1890’s Populism.
 2. The studies and articles being used to prove a facts are theoretical and a
mere assumptions. In other words, it can be used as destruction against the
author’s reputation.
3. There are no specific explanations or details given about, what is the
relation behind the scenario where the cowardly lion fell asleep in the
deadly poopy field to the anti-imperialism ahead of silver.
4. Relation behind the crime of ’73 to the strange number of rooms inside the
emerald palace.
IV. Areas of Consideration (SWOT ANALYSIS)

Strengths as to The Wizard of Oz, Weaknesses as to The Wizard of Oz,

monetary allegory monetary allegory

 The recognition of the book  The article with its numerous

(even though it later led to stands and back and forth
controversy) to an extent of arguments on whether the story
being made into a film and this is an allegory or not leads to
was beneficial to both the writer confusion of the reader as to the
and children who could now true stand of the book.
understand better.  The other is the fact that the
 The other strength is in the writer himself refuses to provide
discovery of the book to be an information about the book and
allegory as it led to learning of his intentions behind the writing
history of the 1890s to the of the book which leads to
younger generation as well as further speculations diverting the
opening up healthy debates on people from the real intention
the history of the country in and story of the book.
general.

Opportunities as to The Wizard of Threats as to The Wizard of Oz,

Oz, monetary allegory monetary allegory

 Recognized by a numerous  May lead into different

readers. perspectives causing to affect the
 It tends to draw the attention of beliefs of the said country and
new generation researchers or the essence of the book itself.
learners to come-up into more  Can be a threat to other authors
possibilities and facts that can who create the same genre of
help to solve the mystery behind children stories (due to the
the story. allegorical assumptions there
 Many people would look back must be a possibility that some
and watch or read the story, researchers may delves in their
which helps to increase the work just like the cartoon’s
ratings of the movie and sales of Simpson)
the book.

V. Courses of Action
 These are the courses of action in relating to the debate happened in 1890’s about
monetary standard,

 Free silver coinage

Advantages:
 Beneficial to all the owners of silver mine in the west, increase
of farm prices and easiness of paying debts to debtors’ part.

Disadvantages:
 Silver has a lower value than gold, and it will affect
international trade considering that other countries furnished
with gold standard.

 Gold standard
Advantages:
 Assures international trade through fixed exchange rates.

Disadvantages:
 Insufficient supply of gold.

 Financial panic arouses which led people to withdraw from

banks that causes banks to lost gold reserves.

 Bimetallic standard
Advantages:
 Two types of metals as money supply available and circulated
within the country as well as a reserves.
 Stimulates international trades considering that the country has
two types of standard metals, it can do trading with either gold
or silver standard.

Disadvantages:
 Both metals are valuable which is costly to the countries that
may discourage international trades.

VI. Conclusion
The Money and Politics in the Land of Oz (The extraordinary story
behind the extraordinary story of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”) is a
gathered information study relating to the different theoretical studies being
research from different researchers about the allegory of the story written by
L. Frank Baum. It stipulates the whole images of the story relating to the
allegory on how it becomes a massive topic and even debated by different
intellectuals to prove a point or facts behind the infamous story. In itself,
however the discovery proves nothing. Based on the study presented, it
suggests that Oz is not a pro-Populist parable, something quite different from
 the claim that there is "no evidence that Baum's story is in any way a Populist
allegory," as Hearn (1992) argued. Therefore, the cited information’s from
different studies showed the essence of being in between or in the middle of
beliefs towards the gathered info, because it does not draw a fact of the L.
Frank Baum’s precise intentions. Nor does it imply that each symbolic
reference has a specific correlate; often the metaphors and analogies are
merely suggestive. Conversely, the presence of inconsistencies and the
absence of an obvious moral in no way diminish the reality of the symbolism.
Quite simply, Oz operates on two levels, one literal and puerile, the other
symbolic and political. Its capacity to fascinate on both levels testifies to its
remarkable author's wit and ingenuity according to the claims of the author
which practically testifies our claims towards the message and implications of
the gathered information of the study.

VII. Recommendation
The following are the recommendations:
1. There should be a statement from L. Frank Baum, regarding the allegorical
assumptions enable to draw prior conclusions.
2. There should be an allegorical assumptions related to some characters,
places and things that did not mention in the allegory.
3. The implementation of bimetallic standard. Giving the fact that both of the
valuable metals are minted, it also ensures greater price stability as well as
facilitation of international trades either monometallic or bimetallic
standard. Not to mention the opportunity of improvement to farmer’s
product prices and to the workingmen’s wages as well as easiness to
people in terms of paying their debts.

VIII. References
Bilge, E. (2013, March 07). 7 Theories of What the Wizard of Oz Is Really About
Retrieved from https://www.vulture.com/2013/03/wizard-of-oz-theories-gold-
standard-feminist-religion-jung.html
Gutierez, L. (2014, August 24). What does it all mean? Scholar study “The Wizard
of Oz Retrieved from
https://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/wizard-of-oz/article1277530.html

Quentin P. Taylor (Professor of history and the author). Money and Politics in the
Land of Oz (The extra ordinary story behind the extra ordinary story of “The
Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Rogers State College.