In Literary circles, it is well known that L. Frank Baum's masterpiece The Wizard of Oz is an allegory for monetary reform cleverly disguised as a children's fictional tale. Oz was written in the late 1890's when the single biggest political issue, by far, was monetary reform. Baum himself, placed a disclaimer in the introduction of the book stating "OZ" was just a children's tale. Thinking logically, why put a disclaimer in the book at all, unless its known, in advance, people will perceive the story to be something more than a fictional tale. The characters & the symbolism within are much too dead-on to be a mere coincidence. It speaks to Baum's Genius that he could condense the political/monetary landscape as well as all the players of the 1890's, into a fictional tale to which anyone could relate. His genius is further evidenced by the timelessness of "Oz". While the present political landscape is certainly different than the 1890's; The players and the lessons to be learned are even more applicable today.
Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain
Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the…
Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain
In Literary circles, it is well known that L. Frank Baum's masterpiece The Wizard of Oz is an allegory for monetary reform cleverly disguised as a children's fictional tale. Oz was written in the late 1890's when the single biggest political issue, by far, was monetary reform. Baum himself, placed a disclaimer in the introduction of the book stating "OZ" was just a children's tale. Thinking logically, why put a disclaimer in the book at all, unless its known, in advance, people will perceive the story to be something more than a fictional tale. The characters & the symbolism within are much too dead-on to be a mere coincidence. It speaks to Baum's Genius that he could condense the political/monetary landscape as well as all the players of the 1890's, into a fictional tale to which anyone could relate. His genius is further evidenced by the timelessness of "Oz". While the present political landscape is certainly different than the 1890's; The players and the lessons to be learned are even more applicable today.