Essay

The Wizard of Oz

Through out the wizard of oz there are many examples and lessons to be learned, this allows you to understand what type of film this is and how it can be criticized. The Wizard of Oz can be considered and example of mythopoeia because it consists of a protagonist, a quest in search of truth, and its archetypal colors.

The film contains a protagonist which is a usually the main character in the movie or film or a character who performs acts of heroism or portrays these traits of kindness. In this case, the white witch would be considered the protagonist because of her heroic ways, also her tendency to be at the right place at the right time. When something bad has happened or is happening to Dorothy or her friends she seems to help them out of the situation. For example when Dorothy, the lion, the scarecrow and the tin man were walking through a field of poppies the wicked witch of the west cast a spell on the poppies that would put Dorothy and company to sleep. The wicked witch succeeds in this attempt but is soon stumped by the white witch because the white witch overrides her spell and enables the group to carry on. This is just one example of the white witches actions of kindness but there are surely many more.

A quest for truth involves mostly all the main characters because Dorothy basically finds out through this whole journey and learning experience that there is no place like home, the scarecrow realizes that everyone has a brain, for instance he was the one who developed the plan to enter the castle and take the witches broom. Even though the lion was a coward, when the time came in which he needed courage he had it, he went in to save Dorothy, even though he was scared he did it anyways.

All right, I'll go in there for Dorothy. Wicked Witch or no Wicked Witch, guards or no guards, I'll tear them apart. I may not come out alive, but I'm going in there. There's only one thing I want you fellows to do.
The wizard of Oz (1939)

This basically shows that the lion does indeed have courage and he just used it at a time when one of his friends was in danger. Finally the tin man was in search of a heart, but the whole time he had been searching for one he didn’t realize that he had a heart. He shows emotions throughout the whole film and someone without a heart could not do just that. Also he cried many times during the movie showing his change in feeling and his sensitivity.

I'd be tender — I'd be gentle and awful sentimentalRegarding Love and Art I'd be friends with sparrowsAnd the boy who shoots the arrows if I only had a heart.
The Wizard of OZ (1939)

The tin man is singing in this scene and the lyrics in his song go to show that he does have a heart because of the emotions he is feeling and he reveals this in his song. He just has not noticed this yet like the rest of the characters. All of the characters wanted something at the beginning of the movie but did not realize that they had the things that they wanted its just it was not yet known.

The archetypal colors include the wicked which who represents evil because she is dressed in black and black symbolizes death and the unknown. Another example is the white witch who represents good and she is dressed in white and white symbolizes good and peace. Also another example for archetypal colors includes how the movie starts off in Kansas and it’s in black and white. This basically labels Kansas as a dark and gloomy place or you could go even further and argue that it is miserable and full of questions. I say this because Dorothy is always asking why about everything and she never seems to be getting a good enough answer to help her through these times. Now after the twister when Dorothy lands in the Land of Oz, the movie switches to color. This symbolizes that the Land of Oz is bright and happy, full of opportunity and chances and Dorothy immediately takes interest in this new land begins her journey, but a thing to notice about the previous statement is that even though she was in the Land of Oz , the whole movie she was wishing she was home. This is all being shadowed by the fact that her Auntie Em told Dorothy to find a place where there wasn’t any trouble, which brings a lot of thoughts and questions into Dorothy’s mind.

“Some place where there isn't any trouble. Do you suppose there is such a place, Toto? There must be. It's not a place you can get to by a boat or a train. It's far, far away — behind the moon — beyond the rain — [singing] somewhere, over the rainbow, way up high, there’s a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true. “
The Wizard of Oz (1939)

This is where Dorothy is singing somewhere over the rainbow in which she is searching for truth in her life.
In conclusion, this film could be viewed as a mythopoaic type because of its archetypal colors, quest in search for truth, and finally because it contains a protagonist.