The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Little Dorothy lived with her uncle Henry and Aunt Em at Kansas prairies. Uncle Henry and Aunt Em who had become frail and old with age, adopted her when they were young. The only thing that could make Dorothy laugh was her dog, Toto. The gray prairies were hit by a great cyclone which led to their cottage hanging mid-air. When the cyclone finally receded, Dorothy and Toto were disembarked in the magical land of munchkins. Dorothy with Toto in tow, decides to visit the wizard of Oz in the city of Emeralds to find a way back home.

“No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful. There is no place like home”

On her way to the city, she encounters a medley of colourful characters. A scarecrow who wishes to have a brain, a tin man who wants an heart to win back a beautiful munchkin girl and a cowardly lion who desires for courage.

The journey to the cities of Emerald and Kansas were treacherous like life itself. The plethora of characters, their different characteristics are similar to people we encounter in our life. Some make our journey easy whilst we ease theirs. The story fosters a dialogue about the importance of confidence and life experiences. The writing style is descriptive, the colourful characters with their own quirks entertain you thoroughly. Dorothy as a character does not mince words yet is kind at heart. There is triumph of good over evil but that is just one of the sub plots.

The wonderful wizard of Oz is an adventurous fantasy tale with flying monkeys, breathtaking marvelous lands and magical objects. Written solely for pleasure, it does not imbue the quality of morality, but provides enough fodder to think.