Representations of Good and Evil in The Wizard of Oz

One of the interesting topics discussed in Sardar's "Intorducing Media Studies" is the idea of Representations, and the representations of others in the media. This concept, distinctly different than that of Stereotyping, or the creation of simple characterizations of groups of people, is defined as a way in which humans interpret the world through their five senses. In the case of media, the two senses stimulated most often include sight and sound. 


These representations that stimulate the senses through the advent of storytelling has evolved over the years. Many media creators, when involved in the early, monopolistic studio systems of the 1930's and 40's found themselves cranking out films in what could only be seen as an industrialized system that emphasized certain formulas of storytelling to ensure success upon release. Many of these formulas used the problem-solution style in which a clear protagonist (the hero) was presented with a clear problem, usually formed through the use of an antagonist (the villian), which they then proceeded to solve, by the end of the film. 


Using the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz" as a clear example of this idea, the protagonist Dorothy, a young girl from the flatlands of Kansas is swooped away to a land far, far away by a tornado, and she needs to find her way home. The antagonist, in this case, the wicked witch of the west is looking to avenge the death of her sister, known as the wicked witch of the east, who was killed when Dorothy's house was dropped on her after the tornado that acted as Dorothy's mode of transportation to Oz, dissipated, and died. While there are many subplots throughout the film, and a few other characters who play a major role in Dorothy's return home, this simple problem-solution system serves as the bedrock for the story. 


The ideal of representation of the hero and the villian in this story are clear. Dorothy is a young woman, a teenager, but without the presumptuous, and rebellious nature that teenagers have a tendency to have, especially when faced with a challenge. She is described by some as the quintessential American. In his book, Wizard of Oz: Parable on Populism, author Henry Littlefield describes her as  " ..Miss Everyman. She is one of us, levelheaded and human, and she has a real problem". This gives a clear example of how Baum, of whom Dorothy, her friends, and Oz is all his brainchild uses this character to give his readers a prime example of an American girl, persevering through hardships. In the film, she is played by a wholesome, fresh-faced Judy Garland, who again gives the representation of the American girl. 

The wicked witch of the west, on the other hand is an abhorrence of a woman. She is only described in the classic novel as "dry", but that characterization was then re-interpreted by the producers of the 1939 adaptation of the book to film, to a tall, lanky, stooped, ugly woman. With green skin, and a broom, she terrorizes Dorothy, her friends, and many of the inhabitants of Oz. This characterization of the witch has become the general image of wickedness worldwide. 

Through both of these examples, the public's perception of good and evil, have been shaped by the representations of both these concepts through the images, and characterizations in the film The Wizard of Oz. It is without question one of the most iconic films in history, and still holds it's place well, making more and more believers in the plight of Dorothy Gale as she battles the complete characterization of evil, the Wicked Witch of the West. 




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