Cornfield

The Cornfield is a field of ripe corn in the Munchkin Country, located beside the road of yellow brick that leads to the Emerald City. It is the place where the Scarecrow, a figure made of a small sack stuffed with straw and dressed in an old, pointed blue hat and a faded blue suit, was set upon a high pole by a Munchkin farmer to keep birds from the corn. The Scarecrow's head had eyes, nose, and mouth painted on it to represent a face, and he wore old boots with blue tops, typical of the region. This field is the site of the Scarecrow's first conscious moments and his initial encounter with Dorothy, which fundamentally alters his existence.

The Scarecrow's Origin and Purpose

The Cornfield is the Scarecrow's birthplace and the scene of his earliest experiences. He was created only two days before Dorothy met him, and his first memory is of the farmer painting his ears and eyes while discussing his work with another Munchkin. The farmer intended the Scarecrow to scare crows, and initially, the birds fled at the sight of him, thinking he was a Munchkin. However, an old crow soon saw through the deception, recognizing that the Scarecrow was only stuffed with straw, and ate the corn freely, followed by the rest of the flock. This failure led the Scarecrow to feel sad and to conclude that he was not a good Scarecrow after all. The old crow comforted him by stating that brains were the only things worth having in the world, a sentiment that planted the seed for the Scarecrow's desire to seek out the Great Oz.

Dorothy's Arrival and the Scarecrow's Liberation

Dorothy first sees the Cornfield while resting on a fence beside the road of yellow brick. She gazes thoughtfully at the Scarecrow, and is surprised when one of his painted eyes slowly winks at her, followed by a friendly nod. After speaking with him and learning of his tedious existence, Dorothy reaches up, lifts the light, straw-stuffed figure off the pole, and sets him on the ground. This act of liberation is the Scarecrow's first experience of freedom, and he immediately expresses a wish to accompany Dorothy to the Emerald City to ask Oz for brains. The Cornfield thus serves as the starting point for the Scarecrow's transformation from a passive, stationary object into an active, questing character.

Symbolic and Narrative Significance

The Cornfield represents the initial state of the Scarecrow's life: a place of imposed purpose, loneliness, and intellectual emptiness. It is a site of agricultural labor and the mundane reality of the Munchkin Country, contrasting sharply with the magical and wondrous adventures that follow. The field is also a place where the theme of perceived worth is introduced; the Scarecrow is deemed a failure by the crows, yet his encounter with Dorothy proves him to be a valuable and sentient being. Later, after the Scarecrow becomes the ruler of the Emerald City, he reflects on his origins, remarking that a short time ago he was up on a pole in a farmer's cornfield, and now he is the ruler of a beautiful City, showing his satisfaction with his changed lot. The Cornfield thus stands as a powerful symbol of humble beginnings and the potential for profound change.