Is the Wizard of Oz Really About Populism?

Background Information: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a classic story that has been
read and watched by American children for over 100 years. But while most children and
adults today assume this film about tornadoes, Toto, and talking animals is pure fantasy,
some historians have argued that the Wizard of Oz is actually a parable/fable about
populists in the 1890s. Examine the evidence related to this claim below. Fill out the
chart as you go, then answer the questions.

Evidence About the Wizard of Oz Does This Evidence

Suggest That The Wizard
of Oz is About Populism?
(Yes, No, Not Relevant)
1. The Wizard of Oz was first published in 1900, just a
few years after the Populist movement collapsed.
2. The author of the Wizard of Oz never mentioned that
the book was about populism.
3. Some historians have argued that the Wicked Witch of
the East represented bankers and industrialists who
controlled and manipulated the people (munchkins).
4. These historians have argued that the scarecrow
represented the wise but naïve western farmer, and the tin
woodman represented the dehumanized urban worker.
5. They have argued that the Cowardly Lion represented
William Jennings Bryan, and the yellow brick road and its
dangers represented the gold standard.
6. In the original book, Dorothy’s slippers were silver –
not red – perhaps to represent the populists’ desire for
“free silver”.
7. Some historians have argued that the Emerald City was
Washington DC, and the wizard (who was really just an
ordinary man) symbolized an incompetent, corrupt Gilded
Age politician.
8. Some historians have argued that Toto represented
“teetotalers”, or prohibitionists who opposed the
production and consumption of alcohol. Prohibitionists
were part of the Populist party coalition.
9. Oz is an abbreviation for ounce, a term related to the
debate over a silver and gold based money supply.
10. Once in Oz, Dorothy had to pass through seven halls
and three flights of stairs. The Congressional act that
limited the coinage of silver was passed in 1873, and was
known as the Crime of ’73.
11. The author of The Wizard of Oz worked for a
Republican newspaper that criticized Populists and
Democrats. William Jennings Bryan was a Democrat.

BIG QUESTION: Based upon the evidence above, do you think the Wizard of Oz
was intended to be a story about populism?
Start at ~41:00 – shows Tin Man, Cowardly Lion – stop after ~12-15 minutes