# The Wonderful Wizard of Oz explained — The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

> Chapter companion for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

## What happens

Dorothy, a young girl from Kansas, is carried by a cyclone to the magical Land of Oz. Her house lands on and kills the Wicked Witch of the East, freeing the Munchkins. She is thanked by the good Witch of the North and given the Witch's silver shoes. To return home, she is advised to travel to the Emerald City to seek help from the great Wizard of Oz. Along the way, she befriends the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion, who each seek brains, a heart, and courage respectively. They face dangers such as a dark forest, a wide ditch, and a river, but work together to overcome them. Upon reaching the Emerald City, the Wizard demands they kill the Wicked Witch of the West before he will grant their wishes. They journey to the Witch's land, where she uses her power to enslave them. Dorothy is captured, but in a confrontation, she accidentally melts the Witch with a bucket of water. They return to the Emerald City to discover the Wizard is a humbug, but he still fulfills his promises symbolically. Dorothy and her friends then travel to Glinda the Good Witch, who reveals the silver shoes can take Dorothy home. Dorothy clicks her heels and returns to Kansas, reunited with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry.

## Themes in this chapter

### Self-Discovery and Fulfillment

Each of Dorothy's companions already possesses the qualities they seek (brains, heart, courage), and their journey helps them realize their own worth.

### Home and Belonging

Dorothy's primary motivation is to return to Kansas, and the story emphasizes that home is where love and family are.

## Character check-ins

### Dorothy

The protagonist who is carried to Oz by a cyclone and seeks to return to Kansas.

### Scarecrow

A scarecrow who joins Dorothy in hopes of getting brains from the Wizard.

### Tin Woodman

A tin man who joins Dorothy in hopes of getting a heart from the Wizard.

### Cowardly Lion

A lion who joins Dorothy in hopes of getting courage from the Wizard.

### Wicked Witch of the West

The antagonist who enslaves Dorothy and is ultimately melted by water.

## Key lines

> There is no place like home.

No place can compare to one's own home.

_Dorothy's realization that home is the most precious place, even after all her adventures._

> You have plenty of courage, I am sure. All you need is confidence in yourself.

You already have courage; you just need to believe in yourself.

_The Wizard's insight to the Cowardly Lion, showing that the qualities they seek are already within them._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_wonderful_wizard_of_oz_se/chapters/the-wonderful-wizard-of-oz
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