Synopsis:
Dorothy Gale is a teenager on a Kansas farm who daydreams about going "over the rainbow." Along with her house and her dog Toto , she's swept from her sepia-toned world to the magical, beautiful, dangerous and technicolor land of Oz by a tornado. Dorothy's house lands on and kills the wicked witch who rules the Land of the Munchkins, little people who think at first that Dorothy herself must be a witch. The Wicked Witch of the West , sister of the dead witch, threatens Dorothy. But Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, gives Dorothy the dead witch's enchanted Ruby Slippers, and the slippers protect her. Glinda advises that if Dorothy wants to go home to Kansas, she should seek the aid of the Wizard of Oz, who lives in the Emerald City. To get there, Dorothy sets off down the Yellow Brick Road.
The Wizard of Oz has always been one of my favourite movies! I find the story to be very unique and different , but as I've analyzed it I've seen it has many traditional archetypes that we see in many old fairytales. Dorothy the hero of this story faces her enemy the Wicked Witch of the West showing her hero as warrior quality. This quality is shown when Dorothy throws a pail of water on the Wicked Witch and she starts melting. Dorothy is also a apocalyptic hero as she faces the destruction of her home caused by the tornado. When Dorothy lands in Munchkin land her archetypal journey, the search for knowledge begins. Dorothy finds out that see needs to talk to the Wizard to find out how to return home and begins her journey down the yellow brick road to find the knowledge she seeks. Along the way she meets new friends named, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion. Each of these characters also needs to find the wizard to ask him for something. Scarecrow needs a brain, Tin Man needs a heart, and the Cowardly Lion needs courage. These three loyal individuals called loyal retainers act as Dorothy's sidekick and their duty is to help protect her. The loyal retainers reflect the heroic characteristics Dorothy has through what is missing in them. Dorothy has a huge heart and looks out for everyone, comparing to Tin Man who is in need of a heart. This also goes for the Lion who is in search for courage, where as Dorothy has so much courage that she is able to stand up to her enemies. Also, Dorothy is very smart, where as Scarecrow is in need of a brain. This movie also shows the 5 stages of a hero's journey. In stage 1 this is where Dorothy's adventure begins when the tornado comes and she can't hind a safe place. Although Dorothy isn't called to this adventure and has no choice to go on it, she still is reluctant cause she doesn't want to be there. In stage 2 Dorothy finds herself in a new world. This new world becomes dangerous to her as, the Wicked Witch of the West sets out to kill her. Through this cross over into this more dangerous world Dorothy gains mature perspective on what her heart desires. In stage 3 Dorothy is given special slippers to protect her. Through her journey to see the wizard, Dorothy tests her strength and resourcefulness. She stays strong to protect her friends and is resourceful in such that she knows what she wants and will not let anyone stop her. Stage 4 Dorothy learns a lot about herself through this journey. She changes emotionally now knowing what means the most her and what her heart desires. She learns to appreciate what she has and will not take anything for granted because you could lose them in a second. From this new wisdom, in stage 5 Dorothy makes sure to love and treasure every moment with her loved ones.
Dorothy Gale is a teenager on a Kansas farm who daydreams about going "over the rainbow." Along with her house and her dog Toto , she's swept from her sepia-toned world to the magical, beautiful, dangerous and technicolor land of Oz by a tornado. Dorothy's house lands on and kills the wicked witch who rules the Land of the Munchkins, little people who think at first that Dorothy herself must be a witch. The Wicked Witch of the West , sister of the dead witch, threatens Dorothy. But Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, gives Dorothy the dead witch's enchanted Ruby Slippers, and the slippers protect her. Glinda advises that if Dorothy wants to go home to Kansas, she should seek the aid of the Wizard of Oz, who lives in the Emerald City. To get there, Dorothy sets off down the Yellow Brick Road.
The Wizard of Oz has always been one of my favourite movies! I find the story to be very unique and different , but as I've analyzed it I've seen it has many traditional archetypes that we see in many old fairytales. Dorothy the hero of this story faces her enemy the Wicked Witch of the West showing her hero as warrior quality. This quality is shown when Dorothy throws a pail of water on the Wicked Witch and she starts melting. Dorothy is also a apocalyptic hero as she faces the destruction of her home caused by the tornado. When Dorothy lands in Munchkin land her archetypal journey, the search for knowledge begins. Dorothy finds out that see needs to talk to the Wizard to find out how to return home and begins her journey down the yellow brick road to find the knowledge she seeks. Along the way she meets new friends named, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion. Each of these characters also needs to find the wizard to ask him for something. Scarecrow needs a brain, Tin Man needs a heart, and the Cowardly Lion needs courage. These three loyal individuals called loyal retainers act as Dorothy's sidekick and their duty is to help protect her. The loyal retainers reflect the heroic characteristics Dorothy has through what is missing in them. Dorothy has a huge heart and looks out for everyone, comparing to Tin Man who is in need of a heart. This also goes for the Lion who is in search for courage, where as Dorothy has so much courage that she is able to stand up to her enemies. Also, Dorothy is very smart, where as Scarecrow is in need of a brain. This movie also shows the 5 stages of a hero's journey. In stage 1 this is where Dorothy's adventure begins when the tornado comes and she can't hind a safe place. Although Dorothy isn't called to this adventure and has no choice to go on it, she still is reluctant cause she doesn't want to be there. In stage 2 Dorothy finds herself in a new world. This new world becomes dangerous to her as, the Wicked Witch of the West sets out to kill her. Through this cross over into this more dangerous world Dorothy gains mature perspective on what her heart desires. In stage 3 Dorothy is given special slippers to protect her. Through her journey to see the wizard, Dorothy tests her strength and resourcefulness. She stays strong to protect her friends and is resourceful in such that she knows what she wants and will not let anyone stop her. Stage 4 Dorothy learns a lot about herself through this journey. She changes emotionally now knowing what means the most her and what her heart desires. She learns to appreciate what she has and will not take anything for granted because you could lose them in a second. From this new wisdom, in stage 5 Dorothy makes sure to love and treasure every moment with her loved ones.
Colour plays a huge role in creating this film, it shows many different symbolic archetypes and how the character feels. At the beginning of the movie Dorothy's home Kansa's is shown in black and white. The darkness suggests the ignorance and despair Dorothy feels coming from her aunt and uncle. She feels like something is missing in her life and goes off to talk to a fortune teller. When the tornado hits she lands in Munchkin land which is really colourful and bright. This suggest the renewal and the possible hope she feels. The vibrant colours also show the knowledge she learns later on about how much her aunt misses her and how much they care about her. These bright colours foreshadow her feels later on in the movie when she returns home. In the movie Dorothy wears a blue and white checker dress, showing the innocence, devotion and peace characteristics she posses. The red slipper Dorothy is given represents the emotion Dorothy still carries with her even though she does her best to be brave and strong. The red shoes also show that even though she is very innocent she still has the power to kill, as in the end she kills the Wicked Witch. The hourglass in the movie not only is symbolic for showing the passage of time but the red sad that run through it is also symbolic. The red colour of the sand represents the death of Dorothy and how she only has minutes to live. The city Oz is all green showing that Dorothy gains the hope she's been looking for and shows the metal growth she's developed over the journey.
Out of curiosity I did some research on Dorothy's name and it turns out Dorothy is short for the Greek name Dorothea, meaning 'divine gift' of God's gift'. Being that Dorothy descends from the sky and leaves going into the sky shows that she's more superior and special to the people in OZ. The people of Oz look at her as this divine gift because she killed the Wicked Witch of the East at the beginning when her house falls. The people of Oz then look at her as a gift from God, for helping rid the land of danger. These meanings of the name Dorothy reflect her character in this story and provides a deeper meaning of Dorothy's character.
Do you think her name was a coincidence or was is purposely chosen because of this Greek meaning?
I think the name “ Dorothy” was purposely chosen in this case. As you explained, the Greek meaning of the name without a doubt portrays and enhances Dorothy’s character as well as her over all role in the story . The use of the name “Dorothy” just goes to show how much Greek and Roman influences are relevant in works of literature and in our modern world today. Its amazing because wherever you look we see these Greek influences, whether it be in literature, advertising, or in the names of restaurants, products and shops. Why do you think that these references to Greek culture and language are used in our modern world?
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