The Real Villain in the Wizard of Oz

[Madi Perth]

In the movie the Wizard of Oz staring that dog and his girl size kick, the Wicked Witch was not the real villain.

Discuss.

 

[Sid]

Why?
It is all very clear:

 

[Romana]

Well, anyone who saw "Wicked" knows that!

 

[danielravennest]

In the movie the Wizard of Oz starring that dog and his girl size kick, the Wicked Witch was not the real villain.

Discuss.

The original 1900 book by L. Frank Baum was a parable about the honest virtues of country folk vs the corrupt bankers and lazy city folk. Dorothy's shoes were silver, the money of ordinary folk (the film changed it to red sequins because it showed up better). Dollar and smaller coins were made of silver back then. Gold was for the rich, and gold bars were the yellow bricks that led to the Emerald City. Her companions represented the virtues of wisdom, love, and bravery. Nobody did anything useful in the Emerald City, and the Wizard was a fraud. All Dorothy wanted was to get back to the people she knew and loved, and get away from the strange world of high finance into which she had been thrown. It's no coincidence that Oz is named after the unit of measure for gold. As for the Wicked Witch and her lackeys, all they wanted was to take away the honest people's money, represented by her shoes. The film was made during the Great Depression, and Dorothy's relatives were portrayed as poor farmers, oppressed by Elmira Gulch (the same actor as played the Wicked Witch).

As we all know, dearie, evil isn't born, it's made. The Wicked Witch of the East had the slippers before a house fell on her. So she had all the money, and her sister was envious. It's not clear if her sister arranged the death, but she certainly showed up quickly when it happened. Clearly she expected to inherit, and was infuriated that Glinda had given them to Dorothy. But she can't get revenge on Glinda, who tells her "You have no power here! Begone, before somebody drops a house on you, too!" So all she has left is to go after Dorothy.

 

[Argent Stonecutter]

It's Dorothy! “Transported to a surreal landscape, a young girl kills the first person she meets and then teams up with three strangers to kill again.”

 

[Free]

It's Aunt Em.

She is the only one back in Kansas who believes Dorothy about her travels through Oz. This is because she sent her there.

It also fits into Sid's claim, because in the stage shows Aunt Em and Glinda are usually played by the same actor.

 

[Madi Perth]

The original 1900 book by L. Frank Baum

Yes, in the book that is. That is why I specifically indicated the movie version. In the movie the wicked witch really didn't do anything wrong but want her red / ruby slippers, that where hers becaused they where her sisters. She never really harmed the staring dog or his female side kick. Glenda the good witch also arrived in a pretty spiffy time after the dropping of the domicile on her rival. Enough to make you go " hummm. " She all so seemed very happy about the whole affair. Then when the side kick ask to be sent home Glenda said she couldn't do that with magic but right after Dorothy "accidentally" off'ed the other witch of the west, she did exactly that. "Hummmm"

 

[Shiloh Lyric]

Remember...it was The Munchkins who contacted Glinda. She didn't just appear. She was basically summoned. The Munckins were oppressed by the Wicked Witch Of The East, through the "power" in the Ruby Slippers. The Wicked Witch of the West wanted that same power, and ability to be an authoritarian ruler over Munchkinland. She didn't want the slippers for sentimental value. She didn't even really like her sister.

She had no power there because the power came from the Ruby Slippers. So I submit the Wicked Witch of the West WAS the Villain. Glinda didn't want that "power" for herself, and knew it would be "safe" with Dorothy. A neutral party who only wanted to get back home. She had no interest in ruling over The Munchkins.

 

[Caete]

It's Dorothy! “Transported to a surreal landscape, a young girl kills the first person she meets and then teams up with three strangers to kill again.”

The first person Dorothy meets is Glinda who takes it upon herself to show Dorothy that her house was dropped on a witch who was allegedly wicked.

The only thing the wicked witch met was the underside of the house.

Claiming Dorothy met her is pure fiction and conjecture. That'd be like a passenger on a bus that careens out of control and runs over a crowd of strangers, killing them, being charged with multiple murderers of close friends.

The real criminal mastermind is Glinda who could have told Dorothy right away how to leave Oz but instead chose to manipulate this stranger in town to off some of her rivals, put her own minions into the power void and then swoop in to save the day by ridding Oz of this foreign stranger that obviously was behind the whole thing by sending her back home to be someone else's problem, hence the whole power of the ruby slippers reveal at the end. Thus Glinda secures her power, stays the hero and goes on to rule Oz with an iron fist, setting up a puppet government with the Scarecrow as king of the Emerald City.

 

[Noodles]

The original 1900 book by L. Frank Baum was a parable about the honest virtues of country folk vs the corrupt bankers and lazy city folk. Dorothy's shoes were silver, the money of ordinary folk (the film changed it to red sequins because it showed up better). Dollar and smaller coins were made of silver back then. Gold was for the rich, and gold bars were the yellow bricks that led to the Emerald City. Her companions represented the virtues of wisdom, love, and bravery. Nobody did anything useful in the Emerald City, and the Wizard was a fraud. All Dorothy wanted was to get back to the people she knew and loved, and get away from the strange world of high finance into which she had been thrown. It's no coincidence that Oz is named after the unit of measure for gold. As for the Wicked Witch and her lackeys, all they wanted was to take away the honest people's money, represented by her shoes. The film was made during the Great Depression, and Dorothy's relatives were portrayed as poor farmers, oppressed by Elmira Gulch (the same actor as played the Wicked Witch).

As we all know, dearie, evil isn't born, it's made. The Wicked Witch of the East had the slippers before a house fell on her. So she had all the money, and her sister was envious. It's not clear if her sister arranged the death, but she certainly showed up quickly when it happened. Clearly she expected to inherit, and was infuriated that Glinda had given them to Dorothy. But she can't get revenge on Glinda, who tells her "You have no power here! Begone, before somebody drops a house on you, too!" So all she has left is to go after Dorothy.

Where does the good witch of the south fit into this metaphor? Because she is in the book isn't she? I remember they went south after Oz left them behind on accident.

Also Oz being a scam artist was always my favorite bit from the books. With the green tinted glasses

 

[Shiloh Lyric]

The first person Dorothy meets is Glinda who takes it upon herself to show Dorothy that her house was dropped on a witch who was allegedly wicked.

The only thing the wicked witch met was the underside of the house.

Claiming Dorothy met her is pure fiction and conjecture. That'd be like a passenger on a bus that careens out of control and runs over a crowd of strangers, killing them, being charged with multiple murderers of close friends.

The real criminal mastermind is Glinda who could have told Dorothy right away how to leave Oz but instead chose to manipulate this stranger in town to off some of her rivals, put her own minions into the power void and then swoop in to save the day by ridding Oz of this foreign stranger that obviously was behind the whole thing by sending her back home to be someone else's problem, hence the whole power of the ruby slippers reveal at the end. Thus Glinda secures her power, stays the hero and goes on to rule Oz with an iron fist, setting up a puppet government with the Scarecrow as king of the Emerald City.

Glinda was taking quite the chance, if that was her "master plan". Dorothy didn't know the water would melt the WWOTW. It was the closest thing she had to grab when she was cornered. We do specifically see one instance of Glinda stepping in to aid Dorothy during the Poppy field nap, but we don't see that when they're in the Castle. I have serious doubts Glinda was responsible for the bucket. If anything, I think one of the Witch's Soldiers might have orchestrated that little 'encounter'. After all, they were quick to bow down to Dorothy after the Witch became a puddle of melted wickedness. I've always been a little suspicious of them.

 

[Shiloh Lyric]

By the way, I love this thread! This has been my favorite movie since I was a toddler. While I like the book, the 1939 movie has always been my absolute favorite. I'm not an avid collector or anything, but have my share of Wizard of Oz snow globes, blanket throws, plates, glasses, movie versions, pictures and figurines.

 

[Free]

The original 1900 book by L. Frank Baum was a parable

I hate literary criticism.

 

[Veritable Quandry]

Gold represented the Gold Standard that tied currency to precious metal. The Republicans under McKinley supported keeping the standard as it limited credit and inflation. William Jennings Bryan ran against McKinley supported a loose money policy that would help farmers by increasing currency and making loans easier. His standard campaign speech references a Cross of Gold as a false worship of money. The book is about Populist politics in the 1890s.

 

[Free]

Gold represented the Gold Standard that tied currency to previous metal. The Republicans under McKinley supported keeping the standard as it limited credit and inflation....The book is about Populist politics in the 1890s.

 

[Madi Perth]

By the way, I love this thread! This has been my favorite movie since I was a toddler. While I like the book, the 1939 movie has always been my absolute favorite. I'm not an avid collector or anything, but have my share of Wizard of Oz snow globes, blanket throws, plates, glasses, movie versions, pictures and figurines.

I love the movie too. It's almost a 100 years old and still holds up. I just started this thread so we could have some fun with it.

 

[Clara D.]

Remember...it was The Munchkins who contacted Glinda. She didn't just appear. She was basically summoned. The Munckins were oppressed by the Wicked Witch Of The East, through the "power" in the Ruby Slippers. The Wicked Witch of the West wanted that same power, and ability to be an authoritarian ruler over Munchkinland. She didn't want the slippers for sentimental value. She didn't even really like her sister.

She had no power there because the power came from the Ruby Slippers. So I submit the Wicked Witch of the West WAS the Villain. Glinda didn't want that "power" for herself, and knew it would be "safe" with Dorothy. A neutral party who only wanted to get back home. She had no interest in ruling over The Munchkins.

Hence the Quest to throw the Ruby Slippers into the fires of Mount Doom.

 

[Noodles]

Hence the Quest to throw the Ruby Slippers into the fires of Mount Doom.

Why didn't they just fly the Winged Monkeys to Kansas?

 

[Shiloh Lyric]

I love the movie too. It's almost a 100 years old and still holds up. I just started this thread so we could have some fun with it.

Now I want to dig out one of my DVD's and see if the DVD player still works. I haven't watched the movie in AGES.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

By the way, I love this thread! This has been my favorite movie since I was a toddler. While I like the book, the 1939 movie has always been my absolute favorite. I'm not an avid collector or anything, but have my share of Wizard of Oz snow globes, blanket throws, plates, glasses, movie versions, pictures and figurines.

It's always been my favorite movie, too. It was always a family tradition of ours when I was little, gathering in front of the TV to watch it. I also read the books as a little girl as well. I think I need to read them again, because it's been so long.