Insecurities and Self Doubt: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

[Sandra]

In this book, the main characters want something desperately. Dorothy's desire to go back home is natural. But what about her friend's wishes?

The scarecrow believe that he has no brains, but he came up with so many plans and ideas to survive and save his friends.

The tin man says he doesn't have a heart but he is constantly moved and in tears whenever something bad happens to other creatures.

And the cowardly lion thinks that he lacks courage but yet he stood up for her friends in their adventure journey.

I love how Baum was capable of putting so many human emotions and virtues into these fantasy characters, because they all already had the things that they desired, but due to insecurities they never believed in it.

What are your thoughts on this subject?

[Angie, YA lovin mod!!]

I wish that by the end of the book they had found out that the Wizard gave them fake items and that in the end they had the heart, courage, and brains in them all along. I think that would've been a better moral to the story. As readers though I suppose since we know that items are fake the moral still comes across. Just think of how many people the Wizard faked out? Off topic of the insecurities but the green goggles in Oz bothered me too! Even after the Wizard left people continued to wear them.

[Kim]

Angie wrote: "I wish that by the end of the book they had found out that the Wizard gave them fake items and that in the end they had the heart, courage, and brains in them all along. I think that would've been..."

I actually liked that we weren't hit over the head with the morals. They were much more subversive and I appreciated that. I did find it strange that the people of Oz never bothered to take off their goggles, but maybe it's because they were used to them. Some people would rather live with what's comfortable than what is true.

[Sandra]

That was one of my concerns too! I was impressed when I read everyone wore the green goggles every hour of the day, it was something unreal, but I guess that we believe what we want to believe, and if Oz said we should wear them, no one should question it.

Kim, I loved what you said. "Some people would rather live with what's comfortable than what is true." That was one of my concerns too; I wondered how would they