Dorothy and Oz

Dorothy and Oz is the central relationship of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, defined by a series of deceptive audiences, a conditional bargain, and a final revelation that transforms the Wizard from an all-powerful figure into a fallible, ordinary man. Their bond begins with Dorothy seeking help to return to Kansas and ends with Oz's failed attempt to take her home in a balloon, after which she must find her own way.

First Encounter and the Bargain

Dorothy first learns of Oz from the Witch of the North, who tells her that Oz is the Great Wizard living in the City of Emeralds, more powerful than all the witches combined. The Witch advises Dorothy to go to him and ask for help, and Dorothy sets off on the yellow brick road with this hope. When she finally enters the Throne Room, she finds a gigantic floating Head, which speaks in a solemn voice: "I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. Who are you, and why do you seek me?" Dorothy answers, "I am Dorothy, the Small and Meek. I have come to you for help." Oz questions her about the silver shoes and the mark on her forehead from the Good Witch's kiss, then demands a price: "Kill the Wicked Witch of the West." He refuses to send her home until the Witch is dead, saying, "Help me and I will help you." Dorothy weeps at this impossible task, but Oz is unmoved, and she leaves the Throne Room in despair.

The Deceptive Audiences

Oz appears to each of Dorothy's companions in a different form—a lovely Lady to the Scarecrow, a terrible Beast to the Tin Woodman, and a Ball of Fire to the Cowardly Lion—but to each he gives the same condition: kill the Wicked Witch of the West first. Dorothy is surprised to learn that the Wizard is not a single form but a shape-shifter, and the Scarecrow remarks that the lovely Lady "needs a heart as much as the Tin Woodman." The Lion, after his audience, declares that they must go to the land of the Winkies and destroy the Witch, and Dorothy agrees, though she is reluctant to kill anyone. The group sets out together, united by Oz's impossible demand.

The Return and the Revelation

After Dorothy melts the Wicked Witch of the West with a bucket of water, she and her companions return to the Emerald City. Oz delays seeing them, and they grow vexed, threatening to call the Winged Monkeys. Frightened, Oz agrees to an audience. When they enter the Throne Room, they find it empty, and a Voice declares, "I am Oz, the Great and Terrible." Dorothy demands he keep his promise, but when Toto tips over a screen in the corner, they discover a little old man with a bald head and a wrinkled face. The Tin Woodman raises his axe, and the man cries out, "I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. But don't strike me—please don't—and I'll do anything you want me to." Dorothy exclaims, "I thought Oz was a great Head," and the others voice their own mistaken expectations. Oz admits, "I have been making believe," and confesses he is "just a common man" and "a humbug." He shows them the paper head, the dress and mask, the sewn skins, and the cotton ball he used to deceive them, explaining that he is a ventriloquist from Omaha who came to Oz in a balloon and let the people think he was a wizard.

The Failed Promise and the Aftermath

Oz tells Dorothy he cannot keep his promise to send her home, but he does give the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Lion what they think they want—brains, a heart, and courage—through clever tricks. For Dorothy, he decides to build a balloon to carry them both across the desert. He sews a large green silk bag and fills it with hot air, but as Dorothy runs to get Toto, the ropes break and the balloon rises without her. Oz calls out, "I can't come back, my dear. Good-bye!" and floats away, never to be seen again. Dorothy weeps bitterly at the loss of her hope, but she later forgives him, thinking, "He was a good man, even if he was a bad Wizard." The relationship ends not with Oz fulfilling his promise, but with Dorothy learning that she must rely on herself and her friends—and ultimately on the power of the Silver Shoes—to find her way home.