1. The Wizard of Oz as Political Allegory

2. 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.

3. The Coinage of Silver
The allegory starts with the name of Oz – Oz is the abbreviation for ounce which is the standard measure for gold & silver.

4. The characters and who they represent

5. DOROTHY
EVERYMAN
LEVEL-HEADED, HUMAN, GOOD
THINKS OF OTHERS

6. TOTO – MORE THAN A DOG “TEETOTALER” – WAS A SLANG TERM FOR A PRUDE.
TOTO IS A PLAY ON THE TERM – FOR THE WESTERNERS WHO CHOSE NOT TO DRINK.

7. FARM – described as dreary
DEADLY ENVIRONMENT
IMPERSONAL NATURE
BLEAK, LONELY, ISOLATED

8. TORNADO
POPULISM  ROARING IN FROM WEST

9. MUNCHKINS SLAVERY- HELD CAPTIVE BY THE WICKED WITCH OF THE EAST
GENERAL PUBLIC: CHILDLIKE, NAÏVE
REPRESENTS THE OPPRESSED PEOPLE

10. Wicked Witch of the East
REPRESENTS THE BANKERS AND CAPITALISTS (FACTORY OWNERS) WHO OPPRESS THE “LITTLE PEOPLE”

11. In the book, Dorothy’s shoes are silver.
FARMERS DEMAND GOVERNMENT COIN SILVER MONEY TO INFLATE CURRENCY & RAISE FARM PRICES

12. Follow the Yellow Brick Road
In the book, Dorothy travels in her ideal silver shoes across the world covered by the yellow-brick (gold-dominated) world.

13. SCARECROW – NO BRAIN
FARMERS
IGNORANT
IRRATIONAL
CONFUSED

14. TIN WOODSMAN–NO HEART LABOR BECOMING MACHINES
LOST MOST HUMAN SENTIMENT: LOVE
RUSTED SOLID –CLOSING OF FACTORIES IN THE 1893 DEPRESSION

15. COWARDLY LION
WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN
“MORE BARK THAN BITE”

16. EMERALD CITY WASHINGTON, DC
GREEN IN COLOR – SHOWS HOW GOVERNMENT IS CONTROLLED BY THE RICH

17. WIZARD OF OZ PRESIDENT McKINLEY SHIFTS APPEARANCE TO FIT AUDIENCE
ALL STYLE – NO SUBSTANCE
REPRESENTS RICH PEOPLE

18. WICKED WITCH OF WEST
RAILROAD BARONS
BAD FORCES OF NATURE

19. WINGED MONKEYS
INDIANS
GOOD OR BAD DEPENDS UPON WHOSE INFLUENCE

20. The End of the Book – The Populist Dream that Never Happened
SCARECROW RULES OZ AND THE WOODSMAN RULES THE EAST
REPRESENTS THE DREAM THAT NEVER HAPPENED-THAT FACTORY WORKERS AND FARMERS COULD UNITE AND TAKE POWER IN THE GOVERNMENT

21. END OF THE DREAM LION RETREATS TO FOREST – BRYAN LEFT POLITICS
DOROTHY’S SILVER SHOES FALL OFF – THE END OF SILVER COINAGE ISSUE