How to Teach the Wizard of OZ as Feminist Lit

L. Frank Baum's masterpiece the Wizard of Oz is most definitely a feminist manifesto. Many articles have stated this fact outright or beat around the bush about it. The reality is that L. Frank Baum created this book to entertain children, but with a heavy dose of didactic actions. In order to convey and show a class that this is true, we must first introduce them tot he turn of the century women's suffrage movement.

If you are able obtain multiple pictures of the prominent women of the movement. Women such as Susan B. Anthony, Matilda Gage, to name a few. Point out the main things they were wanting: equal employment, wages, and most importantly the right to vote. They also wanted to be seen as a person in the world of men.

Ask the class to tell you what rights women had during the early 1900's. Right down what they say. You'll find that many of them will list an alarming amount of rights that they believe p[people have had all along. Write down only the ability to bear and raise a child as long as her husband agreed. The right to work in a factory if there was no man to fill the position. You were respected as a keeper of the house, and the way your kids and your house looked was a direct representative of you and your ability as a woman.

Then speak about power. Ask the students to tell you what power feels like. Then in another column, what it tastes like. Ask them to give you examples when they can use power. Make sure as they answer, you direct it towards an energy that comes from within us. ask them why they would need power. This should fill of your board, or whatever writing space you have in your class. Explain that power can be used for a number of reasons, but abused power can cause pain and hurt. Go over that abused power cause people to be scared (act these out), upset, hurt, and people usually cause harm to others in order to get this power. But girls have the ability to create a human being. This is inherent power. In the world of gender, this ability to create life separates the two indefinitely. No matter how equal or advanced a male gendered person can become, he will never be able to create a human being. In this way, a woman also normally can control their emotions, ideas, and themselves in general. This is another level of power that women have and men don't.

Play the DVD. (If you want to turn this into a book lesson as well, finding the specific passages and explaining the difference is imperative.)

As you watch the DVD point out the following parts. You can ask the students to look out of these things, you can tell it to them in a lecture, or you can print it out so that they are on the look out. An interesting way I've done this, is explain tot hem what they're looking for: Examples of strong women and women in control, leading the pack.

In the beginning Dorothy immediately begins thinking and acting for herself. She treks out into the Kansas wilderness, looking for a better life where her and her beloved dog can be together forever. She is the kind of woman that began the western migration. This is the woman who spawn people like Annie Oakley and Sawbuck Jennings.

When Dorothy meets Mr. Marvel and Toto steals the hot dog, she explains: "We haven't been asked yet." It's the "yet" that has always got me. She says it as if she expects you to invite her for dinner and help her out. You just haven't yet done it. This is the take charge no nonsense woman that we need. One that isn't going to happen a man will decide who is going to be inviting whom.

Dorothy saves each of the characters and as her fellow travelers cringe in fear, Dorothy smacks the ferocious line's nose. She is the only one int he entire band that stands up to the beast. A defined role reversal in the tone of who's protecting whom.

In the Wizard's room the first time, the wizard frightens the lion so bad he faints on the spot. Dorothy is again the only person who stands up to the great big head of flame and deafening roars. She states exactly how one should treat a man who has come all the way to merely ask for help.

Finally it's Dorothy who kills the wicked witch.

Now we look at the power world of the Wizard of OZ. All the women in the story: Aunt Em - The power of life as she saves the poor dying chicks of the broken incubator. Glenda the good witch of the north - Powers for good and happiness to all. Bad witch of the east - Enslaved the munchkins till a house fell on her. Bad witch of the West - Wants to kill the little child for a pair of shoes. Dorothy - Wants to go home, and saves everyone she meets. All of these women have innate power they were born with. However, the only man with magical powers is the Wizard. A wizard who is a fake. All of his powers are fake,a and he is merely a facade of power that has to be created with machines, bells, whistles, and levers, to create this big nasty monster (as some men are). This is all to create an illusion of the power that women truly have.

Possible homework assignments - Look for feminist ideas and thoughts through out other books. Research on the suffrage movement. An in depth reading of Marry Poppins as a feminist piece of lit.

This entire4 lesson should take about a week, and will cover woman suffrage movements, the history of women, the plight of the new Midwestern woman, power/control continuum between men and women.