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Chapter 8: The Deadly Poppy Field
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 Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman wait for Dorothy to awaken, they spot a ferocious wildcat chasing a mouse through the field. Not wanting such a tiny and helpless creature to be killed, the Tin Woodman raises his axe as the wildcat runs by and chops its head off. The mouse he saved turns out to be the Queen of the Field Mice, who thanks him for saving her life and asks if there’s anything she can do to repay him. The Tin Woodman can’t think of anything, but the Scarecrow asks the Queen to save their friend, the Cowardly Lion.
Another example of Oz’s clear-cut good vs. evil appears here, as the Tin Woodman kills a wicked creature without hesitation, performs a good deed, and is rewarded accordingly. Meanwhile, the Scarecrow’s choice to save the Cowardly Lion reaffirms what close friends they’ve become. The Scarecrow could have asked for anything he desired from the Queen, and he chose to rescue his friend.
Themes
Quiz
Test Yourself
The Scarecrow tells the Queen of the Field Mice to gather all of her subjects, and to tell all of them to bring string. He also orders the Tin Woodman to construct a wooden platform on which to carry the Cowardly Lion out of the poppy field. Dorothy awakens as this plan is being put in motion, and it isn’t long before all of the mice join together with their strings and the wooden platform to pull the Lion to safety at last. When the job is done, the Queen of the Field Mice tells the group to call whenever they might need her help again. Dorothy thanks the Queen for saving the Lion before the mice depart, and the group waits for the Lion to awaken.
The Scarecrow’s complex plan to save the Lion from the poppy field is another example of his surprising brainpower. While he never seems to notice that he’s coming up with clever plans, his friends nonetheless rely on his strategic planning time and time again. Whether he realizes it or not, the Scarecrow might be slowly developing confidence in his own abilities. Ironically, the key to overcoming his self-doubt might be caring for others, rather than staying caught up in himself.
Themes
Literary Devices
Quiz
Test Yourself
