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Chapter 16: The Magic Art of the Great Humbug
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Wizard of Oz, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Self-Doubt vs. Self-Confidence
Home and Belonging
Good vs. Evil
Friendship
Summary
Analysis
While her friends are overjoyed to have gotten their wishes granted, Dorothy forlornly waits to hear back from the Wizard for three days. He finally sends for her on the fourth day, and he explains that the only way to cross the great desert surrounding Oz is to fly over it in a hot air balloon. He explains that he will accompany her, as he’s tired of living a false life in Oz and longs to return to the circus in Omaha. The two of them work hard for several days to craft a hot air balloon, and the Wizard spreads the news that he’s visiting a brother wizard in the clouds. He makes the wise Scarecrow the ruler of the Emerald City until he returns.
In her time of need, Dorothy once again reaps the benefits of a friendship she’s forged in Oz. Across her entire journey, the Wizard is the only other person she’s met whom she can truly relate to, as both of them come from the same country and long to return there. This connection gives her hope, even as the Wizard’s lack of real power disappoints her. Meanwhile, the Wizard’s decision to put the Scarecrow in charge of the Emerald City is another successful attempt to boost the Scarecrow’s confidence. Now that the entire city believes in the Scarecrow, he can’t help but believe in himself as well.
Themes
Quiz
Test Yourself
However, when the day finally comes to take off in the balloon, Dorothy is accidentally left behind. She loses Toto in the chaos of the crowd watching the Wizard depart, and by the time she finds her dog, the balloon has already taken off. The Wizard has no way of bringing the balloon down again, so Dorothy is once again stranded in the Land of Oz. The people of the Emerald City are sorry to see their great wizard leave them, but they’re grateful for all he’s done for them, and they’re eager to obey the Scarecrow in his stead.
Dorothy’s frantic attempt to catch Toto in this moment echoes her earlier attempt at the beginning of the novel, as the cyclone approached the farmhouse. Now, a second time, Dorothy’s unwavering friendship with Toto inadvertently causes her to be left behind. Just as Dorothy is once again ripped away from the possibility of returning home, the people of the Emerald City lament the loss of a central piece of their own home. The Wizard is the person who made the Emerald City what it is, and it might not be the same without him.
Themes
Quiz
Test Yourself
