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Chapter 5: The Rescue of the Tin Woodman
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
As the travelers make their way through a darker and more intimidating stretch of the woods, a Lion suddenly bounds out of the bushes and attacks the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman. Toto begins barking at the beast, who opens his mouth as if to eat the little dog. Startled and furious, Dorothy rushes forward and slaps the Lion on the nose, berating him for trying to harm such a small and helpless creature. She calls him a coward, and the Lion can’t help but agree with her, ashamed of himself. He guesses that he was born that way, and he explains that he’s always been easily frightened, despite the other animals instinctively thinking of him as the king of the beasts. Up to this point, he had simply roared at any creature he feared, knowing that this would scare them off.
The novel once more reinforces its theme of self-doubt vs. confidence as Dorothy encounters another character who’s wracked with insecurities. The Lion’s apparent cowardice is especially apparent in contrast to Dorothy, who bravely attacks a lion to protect Toto. If Dorothy represents invincible self-confidence, her new companions embody the opposite: a strong sense of self-doubt that makes life more difficult.
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When Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Woodman explain that they’re going to see the Wizard of Oz to gain what they desire, the Cowardly Lion asks if he can join them. He hopes that the Wizard can grant him some courage. Dorothy lets him come along, figuring that his presence will keep away the other wild animals in the area. They all set off down the yellow brick road again, quickly becoming friends with the Lion despite his harrowing introduction. At one point, the Tin Woodman accidentally steps on a beetle on the road, killing it. This brings him to tears, as he hates to hurt any creature and assumes he must be more careful than most, as he has no heart. His tears cause his jaws to rust, but Dorothy quickly oils them.
As he can’t summon any confidence in himself, the Cowardly Lion believes that he needs a powerful figure to banish his fear and make him into the person he wants to be. Meanwhile, the Tin Woodman shows signs of having the heart he believes he lacks. When he cries over accidentally killing a mere insect. it suggests that he already has a great deal of compassion for other creatures. In the same vein, this strange group of four travelers begins to form and strengthen their friendship as they bond over their shared desires.
Themes
Literary Devices
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