Tin Woodman's Axe
The Tin Woodman's Axe is the constant companion and primary tool of the Tin Woodman, a figure made entirely of tin who joins Dorothy on her quest to the Emerald City. More than a mere weapon, the axe is an extension of the Woodman's own history and his ongoing struggle against the rust that threatens to immobilize him. It is the instrument of his former trade as a woodchopper, the very tool that, enchanted by the Wicked Witch of the East, was used to dismember him piece by piece, leading to his transformation into tin. In the narrative, the axe becomes a symbol of his practical utility, his capacity for violence in defense of his friends, and ultimately, the respect he earns from the people he liberates.
Identity and History
The axe is intrinsically linked to the Tin Woodman's tragic past. Before his transformation, he was a woodchopper who used the axe to earn a living and build a home for his beloved Munchkin maiden. The Wicked Witch of the East, seeking to prevent his marriage, enchanted the axe, causing it to slip and cut off first his left leg, then his right leg, then his arms, and finally his head. Each time, a tinsmith replaced the lost limb with one made of tin. The final act of the enchantment was to cut his body in two, after which he was entirely remade in tin. The axe, therefore, is the physical reminder of the love he lost and the heartlessness he gained, as the loss of his heart was the direct consequence of the Witch's final, successful enchantment.
Key Actions and Utility
Throughout the journey, the Tin Woodman's Axe proves indispensable. When the travelers encounter a place where trees and branches grow so thick over the yellow brick road that they cannot pass, the Woodman sets to work with his axe and chops so well that he clears a passage for the entire party. Later, when faced with a great ditch, the Scarecrow devises a plan for the Woodman to chop down a tree to use as a bridge. The Woodman's axe is so sharp that the tree is soon chopped nearly through, allowing the Lion to push it across the chasm. The axe is also the Woodman's primary weapon in battle. When the Wicked Witch of the West sends a pack of forty wolves to destroy the travelers, the Tin Woodman seizes his axe, which he has made very sharp, and single-handedly kills every wolf, chopping the head from the leader and each subsequent attacker. After the battle, he puts down his axe and sits beside the Scarecrow, his work done.
Transformation and Significance
After the Wicked Witch of the West is melted and the Tin Woodman is rescued from the rocky plain where the Winged Monkeys had left him battered and dented, the Winkies, grateful for their liberation, undertake a thorough restoration of their new friend. While the tinsmiths work on the Woodman's body, another Winky, a goldsmith, makes an axe-handle of solid gold and fits it to the Woodman's axe, replacing the old broken handle. Others polish the blade until all the rust is removed and it glistens like burnished silver. This transformation of the axe from a simple, rusted tool into a gleaming, precious object mirrors the Tin Woodman's own restoration and the high esteem in which he is held by the Winkies. The axe, once a symbol of his lost humanity and the instrument of his suffering, becomes a symbol of his new life, his kingship, and the love and respect he has earned. When the travelers finally depart the Winkie Country, the Winkies present the Tin Woodman with a silver oil-can, inlaid with gold and set with precious jewels, a fitting counterpart to his now-regal axe.
