The Death of the Wicked Witch of the East

The Death of the Wicked Witch of the East is the foundational event of the entire Oz story, occurring in the first moments after Dorothy's house is set down by the cyclone. It is an accidental killing that the Munchkins and the Witch of the North interpret as a deliberate act of liberation, and it immediately transforms Dorothy from a lost Kansas orphan into a celebrated sorceress, gives her the Silver Shoes, and creates the political vacuum that draws her toward the Emerald City and the Wizard Oz.

Causes and Background

The event is set in motion by the cyclone that carries Dorothy's one-room Kansas farmhouse across the great desert into the Land of Oz. The house, lifted by the meeting of north and south winds, is carried miles and miles through the air and then set down "very gently — for a cyclone" in the midst of a country of marvelous beauty. The house lands squarely on the Wicked Witch of the East, who has held all the Munchkins in bondage for many years, making them slave for her night and day. The Witch of the North explains that there were only four witches in all the Land of Oz: two good witches (North and South) and two wicked witches (East and West). The Wicked Witch of the East was one of the wicked ones, and her death leaves only the Wicked Witch of the West as a remaining evil power in Oz.

What Happens

Dorothy awakens from her cyclone sleep to find the house still and the room flooded with bright sunshine. She opens the door and sees a landscape of marvelous beauty: patches of greensward, stately trees bearing rich fruit, banks of gorgeous flowers, and birds with rare and brilliant plumage. A group of the queerest people she has ever seen approaches — three men and one woman, all oddly dressed in round hats with little bells around the brims, the men in blue and the woman in white. The little old woman, who is the Witch of the North, walks up to Dorothy, makes a low bow, and addresses her as "most noble Sorceress," thanking her for having killed the Wicked Witch of the East and for setting the Munchkins free from bondage. Dorothy, an innocent, harmless little girl who has never killed anything in her life, protests that there must be a mistake. The Witch of the North replies, "Your house did, anyway, and that is the same thing," and points to the corner of the house where two feet are sticking out, shod in silver shoes with pointed toes. Dorothy cries out in dismay, clasping her hands together, but the Witch of the North calmly says there is nothing to be done. The Munchkins, who had been standing silently by, suddenly give a loud shout and point to the corner where the Wicked Witch had been lying. The feet have disappeared entirely, and nothing is left but the silver shoes. The Witch of the North explains that the Witch was so old that she dried up quickly in the sun. She picks up the shoes, shakes the dust out of them, and hands them to Dorothy, saying they are hers to wear. One of the Munchkins adds that there is some charm connected with the silver shoes, but what it is they never knew.

Consequences and Aftermath

The death of the Wicked Witch of the East has immediate and far-reaching consequences. The Munchkins are set free from bondage, and they celebrate their freedom with feasting and dancing at the home of the richest Munchkin, Boq. Dorothy is treated as a great sorceress wherever she goes in Munchkin Country, and the people bow low to her as she passes. The Witch of the North, using her magic, receives a message on a slate that reads "LET DOROTHY GO TO THE CITY OF EMERALDS," and she directs Dorothy to follow the road of yellow brick to the Emerald City to seek help from Oz. She gives Dorothy a protective kiss on the forehead, which leaves a round, shining mark. The silver shoes, which Dorothy puts on and finds they fit as if made for her, become a central object of power throughout the story. The Wicked Witch of the West later trembles with fear when she sees the silver shoes on Dorothy's feet, knowing what a powerful charm belongs to them. Oz himself, when Dorothy first meets him, is immediately interested in the silver shoes and asks where she got them. The event also establishes the political geography of Oz: the Witch of the North explains that the Land of Oz has never been civilized and is cut off from the rest of the world, which is why witches and wizards still exist there. The death of the Wicked Witch of the East is later referenced by Oz when he sets Dorothy the task of killing the Wicked Witch of the West, saying, "You killed the Witch of the East and you wear the silver shoes, which bear a powerful charm." The event thus serves as the catalyst for Dorothy's entire journey, the liberation of the Munchkins, the acquisition of the silver shoes, and the narrative framework that leads to the destruction of the Wicked Witch of the West and Dorothy's eventual return to Kansas.