My first exposure to L. Frank Baum' s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was last year (2011) in Children's Literature class. Granted, I was not the right age to read this book seeing as the intended audience was children ages 8-10 but as an adult I find the writing simply entertaining. Afterwards, we learned about the author's background and what inspired him to write such a masterpiece.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz follows the story of a little girl going from a humble farm in Kansas to the majestic Emerald City. Along the way, she meets varies good characters as well as bad ones. But unlike a certain movie, she remembers her adventure and continuously return to OZ as a good witch in-training and eventually a co-ruler of OZ.
It's not a wonder why The Wizard became an American classic rather it used the most fundamental American ideas. Baum tried to capture the American spirit in Dorothy through her actions, attitude, and achievements. She is the embodiment of the American Dream, going from rags to riches and beyond. The story of Dorothy is what we, as Americans, have been told from childhood could be possible to us if we work hard enough.
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