Melting the Wicked Witch

The melting of the Wicked Witch of the West is the decisive turning point of Dorothy's quest, the moment when the little girl from Kansas, without any magical training or violent intent, destroys the most powerful evil force in Oz through a simple, domestic act—throwing water. The event resolves the central task imposed by Oz, frees the Winkies from bondage, and clears the path for Dorothy's companions to receive their long-desired gifts, yet it is accomplished not through bravery or strength but through an accident born of righteous anger.

Causes and Background

The Wicked Witch of the West, having failed to destroy Dorothy and her companions through wolves, crows, bees, and her Winkie slaves, finally used the Golden Cap to summon the Winged Monkeys. The Monkeys destroyed the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, captured the Cowardly Lion, but dared not harm Dorothy because of the mark of the Good Witch's kiss on her forehead. They carried her to the Witch's castle and left her there. The Witch, seeing the mark and the Silver Shoes, trembled with fear, knowing the shoes' powerful charm, but she looked into Dorothy's eyes and saw that the girl was simple and did not know how to use her power. So the Witch made Dorothy her slave, forcing her to clean pots, sweep floors, and feed the fire. The Witch also imprisoned the Lion and starved him, hoping to harness him like a horse, but Dorothy secretly fed him every night. The Witch's great longing was to possess the Silver Shoes, which Dorothy always wore. Too afraid of the dark to enter Dorothy's room at night and too afraid of water to approach while she bathed, the Witch devised a trick: she placed an invisible bar of iron in the middle of the kitchen floor. Dorothy stumbled over it, fell, and one Silver Shoe came off. The Witch snatched it and put it on her own foot, gaining half the power of the charm.

What Happens

Dorothy, seeing she had lost one of her pretty shoes, grew angry and demanded it back. The Witch refused, laughing, and threatened to get the other shoe someday. In a burst of fury, Dorothy picked up the bucket of water that stood nearby and dashed it over the Witch, wetting her from head to foot. Instantly, the wicked woman gave a loud cry of fear and began to shrink and fall away. "See what you have done!" she screamed. "In a minute I shall melt away." Dorothy, truly frightened, watched as the Witch melted like brown sugar before her eyes. The Witch wailed, "Didn't you know water would be the end of me?" Dorothy answered that she had not known. The Witch declared that she had been wicked in her day but never thought a little girl like Dorothy would be able to melt her and end her wicked deeds. With those words, the Witch fell down into a brown, melted, shapeless mass and began to spread over the clean boards of the kitchen floor. Dorothy, seeing she had really melted away to nothing, drew another bucket of water and threw it over the mess, then swept it all out the door. She picked up the silver shoe, the only thing left of the old woman, cleaned and dried it, and put it back on her foot.

Consequences and Aftermath

Dorothy, now free, ran to the courtyard and unlocked the gate of the Lion's prison. Together they went into the castle, where Dorothy called all the Winkies together and told them they were no longer slaves. There was great rejoicing among the yellow Winkies, who had been made to work hard for many years under the Witch's cruelty. They kept that day as a holiday, then and ever after, spending the time in feasting and dancing. Dorothy then organized the rescue of her companions: the Winkies carried the battered Tin Woodman back to the castle, where tinsmiths worked for three days and four nights to hammer, twist, bend, solder, and polish him back into shape. They then found the tall tree where the Winged Monkeys had tossed the Scarecrow's clothes; the Tin Woodman chopped it down, and the Winkies stuffed the clothes with clean straw, restoring the Scarecrow. Reunited, the four friends spent a few happy days at the Yellow Castle before deciding to return to the Emerald City to claim Oz's promises. The melting of the Witch thus not only removed the last great obstacle to Dorothy's return home but also liberated an entire people and set in motion the final acts of the story: the revelation of Oz as a humbug, the bestowal of brains, heart, and courage, and Dorothy's eventual return to Kansas through the power of the Silver Shoes.