Guardian of the Gates
The Guardian of the Gates is the first official Dorothy and her companions meet upon arriving at the Emerald City, and he serves as the enforcer of the city's most fundamental illusion. He is a little man about the same size as the Munchkins, clothed entirely in green from head to foot, with even his skin having a greenish tint. He carries a large green box containing spectacles of every size and shape, all fitted with green glasses, and he wears a chain around his neck from which hangs the only key that can lock or unlock them.
Role and Authority
The Guardian of the Gates is the sole gatekeeper of the Emerald City, responsible for admitting visitors and ensuring they comply with the city's unique regulations. When Dorothy and her party arrive, he is initially surprised that anyone would dare to ask to see the Great Oz, noting that it has been many years since such a request was made. He warns them that Oz is powerful and terrible, and that if they come on an idle or foolish errand, the Wizard might destroy them in an instant. Despite his caution, he agrees to take them to the Palace, but only after they have put on the green spectacles. He explains that the spectacles are necessary because the brightness and glory of the Emerald City would blind anyone who did not wear them, and that even the city's residents must wear them night and day. He locks the spectacles onto each traveler—including Toto—using the key he wears around his neck, and only then does he open the inner gate to admit them.
The Spectacles Rule and Its Significance
The Guardian of the Gates is the living embodiment of the rule that all who enter the Emerald City must wear green spectacles, a decree Oz ordered when the city was first built. This rule is central to the Wizard's deception: the city is not actually made of emeralds, but the green glasses make everything appear green to the wearer. The Guardian's role is thus to maintain the illusion that the city is a place of wonder and wealth, and he does so with unwavering diligence. When Dorothy and her friends return after destroying the Wicked Witch of the West, the Guardian again locks the spectacles onto them before they re-enter the city, and he is the one who unlocks them when they leave for the South. His final act in the story is to open the outer gate for the travelers as they set out on their journey to find Glinda, wishing them well and expressing hope that Dorothy will find a way back to Kansas.
Narrative Significance
The Guardian of the Gates is a flat character in E. M. Forster's sense, built around a single idea: the enforcement of the spectacles rule. He has no personal arc or development, but his function is crucial to the story's thematic structure. He represents the bureaucratic and ritualistic maintenance of Oz's false reality, and his unquestioning adherence to the rule underscores the Wizard's power over perception. The Guardian's presence also provides a moment of comic relief and practical instruction, as he carefully fits spectacles on each member of the party, including the dog. His role as a threshold guardian is clear: he is the first obstacle the travelers must pass before they can enter the city and seek the Wizard's help, and his actions set the stage for the revelation that Oz is a humbug.
