The Wizard of Oz, or the Rescuer’s Journey
The Wizard of Oz is a classic tale of growing up, gaining independence, and finding your True Self. Dorothy is a young orphan, growing up on a farm where she feels out of place, unrecognized and misunderstood. She is often “getting into trouble,” and escapes to an imaginary place in her mind where she is free from the constraints of home and expectations of others. Her aunt tells her to “find a place where she won’t get into any trouble,” and she feels lost again, thinking that no one cares about her. She runs away from home, only to feel obliged to return again, after meeting with Professor Marvel and discovering that her Aunt Em is sick. Dorothy finds her purpose through taking care of her aunt, for she is a Rescuer at heart.
When Dorothy tries to go home again, she gets caught inside the cyclone, and as she desperately tries to find her family, she finds herself alone inside the house, and gets knocked unconscious. Dorothy “awakens” to find herself in a magical land, where everything around her is in full color, and she is greeted by singing “munchkins” and discovers that her house accidentally landed on a Wicked Witch. This is also where Dorothy first meets her mentor, the Good Witch of the North. The Witch’s sister, the Wicked Witch of the West arrives on the scene, infuriated, and is out for revenge against Dorothy. The Good Witch gives Dorothy a pair of Ruby Slippers, which had been worn by the Wicked Witch’s sister. Although the Wicked Witch wants these slippers, the Good Witch tells her to “keep tight inside of them, for their magic must be very powerful, or she wouldn’t want them so badly.” The Good Witch tells Dorothy that the only way to return home is by following the yellow brick road and seeking out the help of the Wizard of Oz.
Dorothy meets a few unique friends along her journey. These friends are all searching for someone to rescue them, and to help them regain a sense of self. They all agree to accompany Dorothy on her way to find the Great Wizard of Oz. The first friend “Scarecrow” wants to have a brain to gain intelligence. The second friend, “Tin Man” desires to have a heart so he can love others and, in turn, feel truly loved. And the third friend, “Lion” desires courage so he can learn to stand up for himself and not be frightened by his own strength and power. Dorothy wants to help these friends, as much as she wants to find her way back home. By uniting with each of these characters, Dorothy becomes more whole, integrating the parts of her personality that are needed to help her grow and become more wise and centered within her True Self.
When the group of friends finally reach the Wizard’s palace, he is a giant, intimidating figure head mirage, and claims he cannot help them unless they bring the Wicked Witch’s broomstick back to him, which appears to be an impossible task. Dorothy starts to lose hope, but is encouraged by her friends who have recognized that they have “come so far already.” And they support her, and tell her not to lose hope.
Meanwhile, the Wicked Witch of the West has plotted against Dorothy, and has thrown some obstacles along her path. Dorothy is getting much farther along than the Witch had anticipated, and she devises a scheme to send her winged monkeys out to capture them. She succeeds in capturing Dorothy and locking her away in a tower, setting an hourglass with an amount of time left before she ends her life.
The friends make a plan to rescue Dorothy, and they disguise themselves as the Witch’s guards to get inside the tower. Once they find her, the Witch stops them again. The Witch sets the Scarecrow on fire, and Dorothy quickly pours a bucket of water on him to put the fire out, splashing the Witch in the process, and unintentionally causing her to melt away. Dorothy has defeated the Witch, or the “demons in her mind” by tapping into her personal power, inner strength and courage.
Dorothy and friends return to the Wizard, victorious in their defeat of the Witch, bringing forth the broomstick, having jumped through the impossible hoops that the Wizard had set forth along her path. The Wizard appears to be astounded by their victory, and is at a loss for how to respond. Dorothy’s dog accidentally pulls back the curtain to discover that the Great Wizard is really just an ordinary man. The Imposter has been revealed, and Dorothy calls him out on being a “bad man.” He defends himself, by explaining that he is really a “good man, but a bad wizard.” After the truth is revealed, The Wizard begins to soften his heart, and offers to help Dorothy and her friends by awarding the Scarecrow a diploma, giving the Tinman a heart shaped watch, and the lion a Medal of Honor. He also offers to help Dorothy by taking her home in his hot air balloon. Unfortunately, he also does not know how to operate the balloon, and ends up taking off without her.
It is only after Dorothy has surpassed all these obstacles along her journey, that the Good Witch revisits her and lets her know the secret. She has always had the power to return home, and the power was in the red shoes she had earned when her house fell on the Wicked Witch of the East. Dorothy discovers that she had carried the power within her mind, and that she had to close her eyes and imagine the good in returning home again.
Dorothy’s perspective has changed when she returns to home. She is able to acknowledge the people she appreciates, and to recognize that she does, in fact, belong when she can see everyone, including herself, for who they truly are. She no longer has to save others, or even to save herself to find truth and lasting peace.
