Alice in Wonderland, the Boer War, Racism, and British Imperialism and Empire.

[underpants]

1. 👀 Marking for later read.

Very interesting. Thanks.

There’s lots written about “The Wizard of Oz” being an allegory in the gold standard.


In a 1964 article,[5] educator and historian Henry Littlefield outlined an allegory in the book of the late-19th-century debate regarding monetary policy. According to this view, for instance, the Yellow Brick Road represents the gold standard, and the Silver Shoes (Ruby slippers in the 1939 film version) represent the Silverites' wish to maintain convertibility under a sixteen to one ratio (dancing down the road). Hugh Rockoff suggested the City of Oz earns its name from the abbreviation of ounces "Oz" in which gold and silver are measured.[6]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_interpretations_of_The_Wonderful_Wizard_of_Oz


Key Symbolic Elements:
Yellow Brick Road: The Gold Standard, the official but flawed path to prosperity.
Silver Shoes (Ruby Slippers in the movie): The power of silver (free coinage) that could liberate the nation, notes University of Chicago.
Emerald City (Oz): A symbol of the perceived wealth and illusion of Washington D.C., notes Family & Co. Jewelers and Hero Bullion, which is deceptive because it's green (like paper money) and only seems valuable through green spectacles.
Oz (the place): Abbreviation for "ounce," the unit for measuring gold.
Scarecrow: The American farmer, lacking brains but holding wisdom.
Tin Woodman: The industrial worker, needing a heart.
Cowardly Lion: William Jennings Bryan, the populist presidential candidate.
Wicked Witch of the West: Represents conservative forces (like Republican President William McKinley) opposing free silver, notes blogs.stthom.edu and Time Magazine.