Character List & Description Of Important Facts:

Dorothy: Dorothy is an orphan living with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry on a farm in Kansas. When a cyclone appears, Dorothy's house is flung into the land of Oz, landing on top of the Wicked Old witch of the west. In the land of Oz, her and her dog Toto begin an adventure to get back home to Kansas.

Toto: Toto is Dorothy's suspicious little dog. He is careful and intelligent, and is always suspicious of new characters, especially the Cowardly Lion. While in Kansas everything is gray-including Aunt En and Uncle Henry-but Toto, making Dorothy laugh and keeping her happy, is able to keep Dorothy from turning Gray.

Uncle Henry: Uncle Henry is the "typical" western farmer. He never laughs, works all day, and is Gray.

Aunt Em: Aunt Em is similar to Uncle Henry in that she is Gray, the difference is that she wasn't Gray until she moved to the Farm and stopped laughing.

Scarecrow: Dorothy meets the Scarecrow on her trek through the land of Oz to Emerald City. He is made out of straw and has no Brains and thus decides to follow Dorothy to Emerald City. When the wizard of Oz asks the Scarecrow what he would like, he says "a Brain." The Scarecrow represents Western farmers who are supposedly stupid. An Irony with the Scarecrow is that although he doesn't have a Brain, he always discovers solutions to problems.

The Tin Woodsman: The Tin Woodsman is made entirely out of tin. He was once a regular man and fell in love with a girl whom he wanted to marry. Unfortunately, an old women who lived with the Tin Woodsman's future wife didn't want them to marry, because if they did she would be left alone. The Old Woman made a pact with the Wicked Witch of the West, to stop the marriage that cursed the Tin Woodsman. Whenever the man's ax slipped, a body part would be chopped off, turning into Tin. Eventually, his hole body was tin, he lost his love, and didn't have a heart. One day while chopping wood, the Tin Woodsman was caught in the rain and rusted solid. There he stayed for a year until Toto, the Scarecrow, and Dorothy found him and brought him Oil. The Tin Woodsman represents industry; it doesn't have a heart, and needs oil to survive.

The Cowardly Lion: The Cowardly Lion is the last character to join Dorothy's group. He is met in a forest where all of the animals, including Dorothy, the Tinman, and the Scarecrow fear him, except Toto. Toto discovers that he is all roar and no bite. The Cowardly Lion Lacks courage and joins the group to ask the Wizard of Oz for this trait. The Cowardly Lion represents William Jennings Bryant, the roarer.

Munchkins: Munchkins are short, dark hared people who talk funny and dress only in blue. They represent the Jewish, Italian, and darker immigrants.

Winkies: The Winkies inhabit the land in the west and are slaves of the Wicked Witch of the West. They wear yellow and represent the Chinese railroad builders.

Quadlings: The Quadlings, representing the socialists and communists in the south, wear only red and live in the south.

The Wizard of Oz: The Wizard of Oz is the ruler of the land of Oz and lives in Emerald city. He is believed to be very powerful and able to change shape. All he really is, is a con-man and a ventriloquist. The Wizard of Oz represents president McKinley. The Stork: The Stork, only appearing in the book, saves the Scarecrow form the river after he is left hanging on a stick.

The Queen of Field Mice: The Queen of Field Mice also only appears in the book. She is saved by the Tinman from a wildcat that is chasing her, and intern saves the Cowardly Lion from the poppy field where he fell asleep.

The Winged Monkeys: The winged monkeys are rowdy and uncontrollable until the Wicked Witch of the East curses them. She creates a golden cap that forces the Monkeys to perform three wishes for the person who possesses it. The Wicked Witch of the East uses them to control the Winkies and make them her slaves. The Winged Monkeys represent the railroads who were allowed to go wild until the banks (witches) took control of them. With the railroads, the banks could control the Chinese immigrants, through low wages and opium.

The Yellow Brick Road: The Yellow Brick Road represents the gold standard. It is shiny and pretty but is in some places broken up and has holes.

Dorothy's Silver Shoes: In the book, Dorothy's shoes are silver, not ruby. The Silver Shoes represent the silver standard, seen as the key to the return of prosperity for the farmers.

The Witches: The Witches represent the good and bad banks of the period who can be oppressive and controlling.

The Wicked Witch of the West: The Wicked Witch of the West is the major antagonist in the story. She uses the Winged Monkeys to do her biding, keeping the Winkies Slaves and forcing the Wizard of Oz out of the West. The Wicked Witch of the West's reign of terror is abruptly halted when Dorothy throws a bucket of Water on the witch.

The Wicked Witch of the East: The Wicked Witch of the East controls the Munchkins until she is killed by Dorothy when Dorothy's house, lands in the Land of Oz on top of the witch. Dorothy is given the **silver** slippers of the Wicked Witch of the East, by the Good Witch of the South.

The Good Witch of the South: The Good Witch of the South is a beautiful, young, witch who helps Dorothy on her journey. She advises Dorothy upon the magic in her slippers and speaks the famous words "Follow the Yellow Brick Road." She also frees the Winkies from the tyrannous Winged Monkeys and takes the Scarecrow, Tinman, and Cowardly Lion to any place that they want to go, by using the Golden Hat.

The Good Witch of the North: The Good Witch of the North is an old weak witch. She tries to free the Munchkins from the Wicked Witch of the West but fails because the Wicked Witch is too powerful.