the wizard as allegory -money and politics in oz

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(clicky)The Wizard of Oz as political allegory

"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is clearly neither a pro-Populist parable nor an anti-Populist parable. Strictly speaking, it is not a parable at all if parable is defined as a story with a didactic purpose. L. Frank Baum aimed not to teach but to entertain, not to lecture but to amuse. Therefore, the Oz tale is 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. Its capacity to fascinate on both levels testifies to its remarkable author's wit and ingenuity."

Pseudo-academic w*king of the first order.

This trope has been around since the 50's (it was not original to Littlefield), and relies on nothing for that surface elements to support its claim. Are we really to believe that a writer with the skill and facility of Baum would rely on "the yellow brick road" and the silver slippers as an allegory for bimetalism? If the scarecrow and the tin man are so clearly the farmer and the the worker, then what of the lion? What of Toto? Are we to suppose that two of Dorothy's companions are fully created allegories, and the other two are simply characters?

Every work of fiction that touches on the ruler of the land in which it is set can give rise to a political allegory. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is no different than, Snow White (an allegory on usurpation?), Rumplestiltskin (an allegory on profligate monetary policy?) or The Selfish Giant (an allegory on protectionism?).

When an author of Baum's calibre chooses to create a political allegory, then the author's intention is made manifestly clear. No one can be in any doubt, whatsoever, about the intention of Orwell in Animal Farm, or Wilde in The Happy Prince.