Provide a 8 pages analysis while answering the following question: The Fascinating Characters of Oz. Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide. An abstract is re

Provide a 8 pages analysis while answering the following question: The Fascinating Characters of Oz. Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide. An abstract is required. This paper will examine the fascinating characters of Oz, the roles they play within the stories and what they represent.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz introduces us to a world of characters that can only exist in the most creative of imaginations. Oz is an enchanted fairyland filled with witches, wizards and other unusual creatures. Despite all the enchanted characters the most important figure is a Kansas farm girl, a mere mortal named Dorothy.

We are instantly introduced to Dorothy and her simple life which revolves around a farm in Kansas. She is farm girl who is forced out of her normal way of life and into an unfamiliar world. Despite, the magic that surrounds her Dorothy does not fall into the evil trap of power but insists on going home and returning to her aunt and uncle. We can see from her determination to return home that she is fiercely dedicated and loyal to her aunt and uncle.

She is the typical heroine who is smart, brave, compassionate and beautiful. She represents the struggle of ordinary people who are forced into extraordinary circumstances and have to master the ability to overcome difficult circumstances to achieve their goals. Despite being away from home and in a strange land, Dorothy does not alienate herself but openly embraces the unconventional creatures she meets such as the Lion, the Tin Woodsman and the Scarecrow.

Throughout the series we see how Dorothy transforms from simple farm girl to Princess of Oz. At the start, she has no greater ambition than returning to the comfort of her Kansas farm but later develops a taste for adventure as she is constantly involved in rescue missions and battles that aid in keeping the Land of Oz safe. We first catch a glimpse of her power in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz when she is not afraid of accusing the Wizard of being a phony. Later, in Ozma of Oz she once again stands up for her self by refusing to exchange her head with one of Princess Langwidere's. She shows an understanding of how magic can be used by suggesting to Princess Ozma that she should use the magic belt to bring her and her friends back to Oz (The Emerald City of Oz). In Glinda of Oz, Dorothy is fighting side by side with Princess Ozma to stop the war between the Flatheads and Skeezers. This is significant because it affirms Dorothy ultimate transformation from simple farm girl to the right hand of Princess Ozma (Glinda of Oz).

Dorothy's first companion in the Land of Oz is the Scarecrow who is convinced that he needs a brain. The Scarecrow plays the role of protector throughout the series. His inability to feel pain puts him in a position to be the first to monitor dangerous situations and gather supplies for the group. Despite his ability to devise plans which help the group he is single-minded in his attempt to find what he thinks he is missing, a brain. Once he has a false brain made for him he instantly feels smart although nothing has changed. With his new brain he becomes the ruler of the Emerald City.

The Scarecrow eventually realizes that his lack of a brain was a self fulfilling prophecy rather than reality. In The Patchwork Girl of Oz he convinces Ojo the Unlucky that his bad luck is self inflicted because of his strong belief in being born unlucky.