The Wizard of Oz Populism Theory

What was the Populist Movement? Populism: A political philosophy supporting the rights and power of the people in their struggle against the privileged elite. Based among poor, white cotton farmers in the South (especially North Carolina, Alabama, and Texas) and hard-pressed wheat farmers in the plains states (especially Kansas and Nebraska)

What did the Populists want? It represented a radical crusading form of agrarianism and hostility to banks, railroads, and elites generally. It sometimes formed coalitions with labor unions, and in 1896 endorsed the Democratic presidential nominee, William Jennings Bryan.

Populist Party Platform: the abolition of national banks a graduated income tax direct election of Senators civil service reform a working day of eight hours Government control of all railroads, telegraphs, and telephones. In 1892 with Weaver as populist candidate they wanted greenbacks to be issued, but under Bryan in 1896 wanted coinage of silver in a 16:1 ratio (bi-metalism)

Background: The depression of the 1890s was the worst in U.S. history up to that time. Farm prices sunk to new lows. Unemployment caused havoc, desperation and union militancy among the urban working class.

L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , written in 1900, was a supporter of the Populist and supported presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan

The 1896 election, between Republican William McKinley and Populist - Democrat William Jennings Bryan, Congressman from Nebraska, revolved around the issue of gold vs. silver.

Populists saw silver as the answer to America’s problems, offering free and unlimited coinage of silver. The republican party disagreed and wanted to remain with the gold standard.

The Land of Oz

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was written as an allegory to the situation that was happening in the Midwest. Every main character can be traced to either a particular person or group of people. Even the word “Oz” is used to represent the measurement of gold.

Dorothy: Represents everyman. She is an innocent Midwest girl who is able to see what is really going on in Oz.

Munchkins: Represent the common people, controlled by the Wicked Witch of the East (who represented the Eastern Industrialists and Bankers.

Scarecrow: Represents the wise but naïve western farmer, taken advantage of by the industrialists and bankers.

Tinman: Represents the dehumanized industrial worker. He is turned into a machine back the industrialists because of his hard work ethic and not having another craft to succeed in. He eventually becomes unable to love.

Cowardly Lion: Represents William Jennings Bryan, having a loud roar but was unable to back it up (bite).

Wicked Witch of the West: Represents the Western industrial influence and is ultimately destroyed by water (representing pure nature, a removal of machines).

Plot Analysis Dorothy travels the yellow brick road with her band toward Emerald City in order to meet the Wizard of Oz (President McKinley) who will fix all there problems. The yellow brick road represents the economy based on the gold standard Dorothy wears silver slippers in Baum's original books that represent Midwestern farmers desire for bimetallism.

Coxey’s Army In 1894 Jacob S. Coxey, a populist lumber dealer from Ohio leads a mass march of unemployed workers to Washington D.C. to demand reforms.

The Land of Oz 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." Jacob Coxey was a greenbacker, as was James B. Weaver, the Populist presidential nominee in 1892.

The Ending "Your Silver Shoes will carry you over the desert.....If you had known their power you could have gone back to your Aunt Em the very first day you came to this country.". Glinda explains, "All you have to do is knock the heels together three times and command the shoes to carry you wherever you wish to go." (p.257).

The Symbolism of the Ending: "The Silver Shoes had fallen off in her flight through the air, and were lost forever in the desert" (p.259). The drive for the gold standard to be replaced with silver was lost when Bryan lost the election and the Populist party lost its motivation or drive. Populism's outright failure is suggested when Dorothy's silver shoes fall off in the desert and are "lost forever." After Bryan's defeat in 1896, the free-silver movement went into rapid decline. McKinley's was reelected the gold standard was officially adopted in 1900 ,spelling political oblivion for the Populists. At the end of the story, the Scarecrow supplants the Wizard as the ruler of Emerald City, the Tin Woodman is made master of the West, and the Lion is placed over the animals of the forest. Dorothy transports herself back to Kansas by clicking her silver shoes together three times. All this is achieved with the help of Glinda, the good Witch of the South. The message? Populism is triumphant, the goal of gaining political power is achieved. Or is it? Neither the Scarecrow nor the Tin Man nor the Lion truly lacked what each believed he was missing; the great Wizard's powers proved illusory; and Dorothy had the power to transform her condition all along. These features of the story point to a more ambivalent result. Indeed, Populism's outright failure is suggested when Dorothy's silver shoes fall off in the desert and are "lost forever." After Bryan's defeat in 1896, the free-silver movement went into rapid decline. McKinley's reelection and the statutory adoption of the gold standard in 1900 spelled political oblivion for the Populists.

Although the silver had been lost, the important message is a return to the Midwest farmer/family. It is where true happiness remains. Back in Oz, the Scarecrow now runs the Emerald City, the Tinman rules in the west, and the Lion rules over smaller animals in the forest. Power has been returned to the people.

Election of 1892 Grover Cleveland (Dem) Benjamin Harrison (Rep) James B. Weaver (Populist)

Election of 1896

Sources Used: http://www.wccusd.k12.ca.us/elcerrito/history/oz.htm http://www.amphigory.com/oz.htm http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~rgs/wizoz10.html http://www.halcyon.com/piglet/Populism.htm http://images.google.com/images?q=Wizard+of+Oz&hl=en