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Published by EH.NET (January 2003)
Ranjit S. Dighe, editor, _The Historian's Wizard of Oz: Reading L. Frank
Baum's Classic as a Political and Monetary Allegory_. Westport, CT:
Praeger, 2002. xi + 149 pp. $59.95 (hardcover), ISBN: 0-275-97418-9; $21.95
(paperback), ISBN: 0-275-97419-7.
Reviewed for EH.NET by Timothy E. Sullivan, Department of Economics, Towson
University. <[log in to unmask]>
L. Frank Baum's _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_ published more than a century
ago is a celebrated and much-loved classic of children's literature but as
is the case with many fables it appeals to a wide audience and the precise
meaning and intent of the story depends on how it is interpreted. It can be
read purely as a delightfully entertaining fairy tale, full of whimsical
characters and an enchanted adventure. It can, and has, also been
interpreted as an allegory of the political, economic and social adventures
of the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. The interesting thing
of course, and what makes this such an enduring story, is that there are
plausible and contrary interpretations of the fable's characters and their
adventures. Reading it as a pro-populist metaphor for the economic effect
of bimetallism and the expansion of the nation's money supply along with
the empowerment of western farmers and industrial laborers seems apparent
enough. On the other hand, others have interpreted it as an anti-populist
metaphor, or as a parable about Progressivism, or as an allegory of the
perils of imperialism and the direction of American foreign policy in the
late nineteenth century. Although these interpretations, as well as
assorted pro and anti-feminist interpretations that others have attributed
to the characters and their adventures, help to make this fable much richer
and thus much more interesting than being merely a simple, albeit fantastic
child's fairy-tale, _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_ succeeds as a work of
fiction not simply because it is entertaining but rather because it engages
its readers. Any writer who succeeds in not only entertaining his or her
audience but then gets them to imagine things they hadn't imagined before
or even surprises them with questions of how one thing might be related to
another thing has accomplished something wonderful indeed. Baum's story
remains a classic because it continues to entertain and surprise a wide
audience of readers; whatever was intended when it!
was originally penned.
Dighe (Economics, State University of New York at Oswego) has put together
a very useful and engaging book that introduces and explains the context
under which Baum's book was written and provides some of the basis for the
economic and political interpretations that have emerged over the years.
Throughout the work, he has synthesized his own interpretations with the
work of other scholars and thus not only makes the contributions of others
(such as, Hugh Rockoff and Henry Littlefield) more accessible but also
provides a more meaningful comparison of alternative perspectives on Baum's
intent and likely meaning. There are a few introductory chapters that
outline the basic issues of the American monetary system and the Populist
movement of the late nineteenth century but the central part of this work
is an annotated reprinting of Baum's _Wonderful Wizard of Oz_ as published
in 1900. Another practical feature of the book is found in an appendix that
reprints the text of William Jennings Bryan's "Cross of Gold" Speech that
was delivered to the Democratic National Convention in July 1896. Dighe's
annotations make this a useful and entertaining book and will, I think,
provide functional and amusing information for almost anyone who reads it.
In fact, this is the kind of book that I hope reaches a wide audience since
it helps to make economics and economic issues more accessible and
demonstrates that impassioned debate over economic policy is much older and
more pervasive than is commonly believed by some undergraduates. It is not
only a concise and thoughtful study of an interesting work of American
literature but more importantly it clarifies economic topics and the
potential effect of alternative economic policies. Indeed the most
compelling characteristic of Dighe's book is that it demonstrates the
usefulness and even the fun of using a familiar work of literature to
explain economic events and policies. Speaking from personal experience in
the classroom, I have invariably found that undergraduates actually !
enjoy and benefit from classroom discussions about the _Wizard of Oz_ and
its alternative interpretations. As a teaching tool, it encourages students
to relate a seemingly simple but familiar story to events and topics that
usually seem distant and unfamiliar. And I have to admit that I am looking
forward to building on this discussion again next semester since I now have
a few additional interpretations and questions to pose to my students after
having read Dighe's handy and thoughtful book.
Since classic works often seem to be those books that people discuss the
meaning and significance of without having taken the time to actually read
them, this convenient book accomplishes two valuable and worthy objectives.
Reprinting the original text clearly makes Baum's words more accessible,
and the author's annotations ought to encourage a lively and informative
discussion of alternative, plausible though opposing interpretations.
Baum's intentions when he created the _Wizard of Oz_ are probably beside
the point to a fable that has become part of American culture. Deliberate
or not, the fable spun by Baum has taken on a life of its own. Even a
cursory Internet search reveals that there are thousands upon thousands of
web sites related to Baum's characters and the possible significance of
what is on its surface just a child's fairy-tale. America's fascination
with Baum can also be judged by the observation that one full-length
biography of Baum (Katharine M. Rogers, _L. Frank Baum: Creator of Oz_, St.
Martin's Press, 2002) has recently been published and another (by Michael
Patrick Hearn) is apparently in the works. The fact that _The Wonderful
Wizard of Oz_ can be read for pure delight by a child or alternatively can
become part of a scholarly debate over the events and significance of
economic and public policy is a testimony to the power of words and the
importance of metaphors to understanding complex relationships. For
students and teachers, for novice and seasoned scholars alike, I heartily
recommend Dighe's interesting and entertaining book.
Timothy Sullivan is Associate Professor of Economics at Towson University;
his research interests lie in nineteenth century American industrialization
and twentieth century urbanization.
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Published by EH.Net (January 2003). All EH.Net reviews are archived at
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