Dorothy Gale An Independent Young Girl English Literature Essay

Dorothy Gale is a immature miss who is seeking to happen her manner back to Kansas to be with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. In the novel by L. Frank Baum entitled The Wizard of Oz, the chief character Dorothy Gale is portrayed otherwise than in the movies ‘ version by Victor Fleming. In the movies ‘ version, Dorothy needs the aid of her male friends to assist her throughout the movie she is non able to make many things without Scarecrow, The Tinman and The Cowardly Lion. Quite the contrary is true in the novel, for she is the 1 authorising her friends to transport on their journey to Oz to do their petitions known. Dorothy Gale, the character L. Frank Baum creates a miss who is able to fend for herself ; things are besides left up to Dorothy ‘s opinion throughout their clip in Oz. In contrast, the movie portrays Dorothy in a manner that fits good with how immature misss were seen in 1939 ; they were to be helped by work forces who knew better. Dorothy is seen as a demoiselle in hurt through out the version. So as a consequence, the significance of the fresh interferes with the significance of the movie.

First of all, in the novel Dorothy is portrayed as an independent miss who is able to salvage herself every bit good as her friends from the wrath of the Wicked Witch of the West. This is seen when Dorothy confronts the enchantress “ You are a wicked animal! cried Dorothy ” ( Baum 128 ) Equally good the Wicked Witch seems slightly afraid of Dorothy because of the buss from the Good Witch and the slippers which belonged to her sister. While contending with the enchantress she kicks over a pail of H2O because she is angry which causes the enchantress to run off. Dorothy so cleans up the muss for she is the perfect and helpful small miss. Dorothy so overjoyed that the Wicked Witch is dead tallies out of the palace to salvage her friends:

The Cowardly Lion was much pleased to hear that the Wicked Witch has been melted by a pail of H2O, and Dorothy as one time unlocked the gate of his prison and set him free… If our friends, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, were merely with us, said the Lion I should be rather happy. Do n’t you suppose we could deliver them? ( Baum 131-132 ) .

With the aid of the Winkies, the Tin Woodman was dead set back into form and the Scarecrow was stuffed with new straw, they were every bit good as new. Dorothy is portrayed as a heroine who can take attention of herself and assist her friends as good.

In contrast, the movie version by Victor Fleming depicts the flight from the Wicked Witch of the West in a different manner. When merely Dorothy is captured, she is really frightened as she says repeatedly into the crystal ball. Since her other friends were spared and non taken to the Witch ‘s palace Toto comes to alarm the others that Dorothy is in problem. They climb the mountain to acquire to the Witch ‘s palace and steal the guard ‘s uniforms so they can be admitted into the palace. With the aid of her friends Dorothy attempts to get away but the Witch catches her. Dorothy so defeats the Enchantress with her friends there for support, which proves that she is unable to be brave without holding work forces around in instance problem arises. It reflects the clip when the movie was released ; a clip when adult females were non equal to work forces, a clip when adult females were to remain at place where they belong.

Another indicant that Dorothy lacks independency in the movie version is at the beginning when she falls into the hog pen and a adult male has to come along and draw her out. It shows that in the Victor Fleming ‘s portraiture of Dorothy, she is a lady who needs work forces to assist her from acquiring injury and forestall her from acquiring into problem. Even at the beginning of the movie, Dorothy is shown as less of a heroine, she is a typical small miss, one who has to hold a male savior. Dorothy must larn to accept the position quo, to accept her life as how it already is. Dorothy must transform into the perfect homemaker, learn her topographic point which is in the place in bed as the stoping suggests. Dorothy is powerless, she is unable to hold power because of her gender and economic category, even her aunt has Mrs. Gulch stating Dorothy that she has to take Toto off.

The independency of Dorothy as portrayed in Baum ‘s novel is the Aureate Cap, Dorothy is the 1 to take control of it and do the petitions happen. At first, Dorothy is unsure of what the Aureate Cap does since she took it from the Wicked Witch ‘s palace, but is subsequently told by the queen of the mice that it calls the Winged Monkeys to assist you. With the Golden Cap Dorothy has power, a alteration from her place in Kansas where she must larn her topographic point. The first petition used was taking them back to Oz since they were headed in the incorrect way. The 2nd petition is used much later when Dorothy is unable to go back to Kansas in the balloon with the Wizard. So the Scarecrow suggests they call the Winged Monkeys to transport her dorsum to Kansas. The thought does non work out as the Monkeys are non allowed to go forth the Land of Oz. Disappointed Dorothy is advised to see Glinda to assist her return to Kansas for she will hold the reply. After the travel across many lands they arrive in the land of the Hammerheads where they are told they can non mount the hill that takes them into the land of the Quadlings. Hammerheads are described as “ rather short and stout and had a large caput, which was level at the top and supported by a thick cervix of furrows. But had no weaponries at all ” ( Baum 206 ) . After many efforts the friends were frustrated and sore. They decide to utilize the Winged Monkeys for the concluding clip for “ [ I ] T is useless to contend people with hiting caputs ” ( Baum 208 ) .

In contrast, in the movies ‘ version, mention of the Golden Cap is non present. The movie reminds us that she had three work forces with her which are able to protect her from any injury. Whereas, in the novel she has the buss of the Good Witch of the North which protects her. This assumes that the work forces she is surrounded by are non obliged to protect her from injury but she can easy be on her ain. The Golden Cap besides adds to her independency. The movies ‘ version depicts Dorothy in a manner that gives the power to everyone else but her. The Lion, Tinman and Scarecrow may experience that they lack things but they truly do n’t. Without recognizing it they learn to happen bravery, a bosom, and encephalons while on the journey in Oz.

Last, the terminations between the novel and movie differ which one time once more foreground the deficiency of independency Fleming ‘s portraiture of Dorothy. In the novel ‘s stoping, after all that Dorothy has been through she eventually reaches the palace of Glinda the Good Witch of the South, who asks what she can make for her. She replies still recognizing what she is traveling place to:

My greatest want now, she added is to acquire back to Kansas, for Aunt Em will certainly believe something dreadful has happened to me, and that will do her put on a bereavement ; and unless the harvests are better this twelvemonth than they were last I am certain Uncle Henry can non afford it ( Baum 212 ) .

Dorothy accepts that Kansas is where she belongs. Dorothy belongs at place where she is able to assist out with the harvests and the housekeeping. The independency she had in Oz helped her see her topographic point and have a stronger sense of ego. Dorothy goes back to Kansas for the right grounds, to be independent which represents America in that clip period. Quite the opposite happens in the movie ‘s stoping. Once the Wizard takes off without Dorothy in the balloon, Dorothy pouts for a minute and Glinda the Good Witch comes down and helps her. This secret plan difference high spots that Dorothy is unable to assist herself or happen another program to acquire her dorsum to Kansas. Glinda coming down from the sky to salvage Dorothy, carry throughing her wish and striping her of her independency. Glinda so instructs her to declaim the celebrated words, “ there is no topographic point like place, ” and tap her places together three times to acquire back to Kansas. The movie ends with us believing that Dorothy had the power all along but she was unaware of it and Glinda could n’t state her because she had to travel to a adult male for aid foremost. This reflects the belief that in the 30 ‘s, work forces knew everything and had all the power, which is why Glinda could n’t merely state her what to make when she foremost arrived. Dorothy wakes up in bed with the presence of work forces environing her. Her clip in Oz was all a dream and like Dorothy in the novel, she learns her topographic point in the place, the lone difference is the movie suggests that the topographic point she should be is in the bed.

So in decision, the version of the novel to movie portrays Dorothy in different ways. While the fresh Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum illustrates Dorothy as being independent and strong, a immature miss who can take attention of herself. The movie on the other manus by Victor Fleming portrays Dorothy as powerless and non able to fend for herself. Fleming depicts Dorothy as more of a demoiselle in hurt who needs the aid of her male friends she meets in Oz to salvage her, and assist her happen her manner back to Kansas. The significance of the fresh interferes with the significance of movie for their word picture of the supporter Dorothy Gale are antonyms.