The Wizard of Oz, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in 1939, is a timeless film which follows young Dorothy's adventure from her home on a small farm in Kansas into the magical Land of Oz. This film is based on L. Frank Baum's fairytale entitled The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (later changed to The Wizard of Oz), which was published in 1900. The film is a brilliant spectacle which not only continues to amaze audiences around the world, but also offers insight into the political and economic situations in the United States during the both the late 1900s and the 1930s. While some of the allegories found in Baum's original work were irrelevant by the time the film was released, many of the interpretations can be reapplied to the post-Depression era. And, moreover, there are new elements in the film, such as music, which add increased symbolism to the 1939 version of this fantastic story.

Erisman, Fred. "L. Frank Baum and the Progressive Dilemma." American Quarterly. Vol. 20, No. 3 (Autumn, 1968), pp. 616-623. 28 November 2008.<http://proxy.library.upenn.edu:2097/stable/2711021?&Search=yes&term=baum&term=dilemma&term=progressive&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dbaum%2BAND%2Bthe%2Bprogressive%2Bdilemma;gw%3Djtx;prq%3Dbaum%2BAND%2Bthe%2Bprogressive%2Bdilema;Search%3DSearch;hp%3D25;wc%3Don&item=1&ttl=503&returnArticleService=showArticle>.

Fred Erisman suggests that L. Frank Baum's series of books about the magical Land of Oz reflect Progressivism in the United States. According to Erisman, The Wizard of Oz is grounded in a series of traditional values, including the ideal of a simple America. This principle is also a tenet of American Progressivism, along with the importance of individualism. In The Wizard of Oz, the characters have the utmost respect for the individual. For example, the Lion states "to be individual, my friends, to be different from others, is the only way to become distinguished from the common herd" (quoted in Erisman, 618). Throughout the story, individualism and simplicity are intertwined with necessary interplay of work and leisure, so as to reflect the Progressive Movement, which began in the late 1800s, but only grew in popularity in the beginning of the 20^th century. In Baum's story, utopia is achieved in Oz; the Ozians "practice the ideals of generosity, simplicity, individualism and industry as part of their daily lives," (Erisman, 620). However, these ideals are unattainable outside of Oz. Erisman proposes that Baum's decision to create a successful utopia which mirrors progressivism was perhaps a way for him to present his hope for the future of America. In 1899, when Baum wrote the story, Progressivism had not achieved great success. However, throughout the early and mid 1900s, these ideals began to have an impact on American politics.

Erisman's assertion that Baum may have utilized the Land of Oz to project this vision for America is particularly interesting in light of the events which followed both the release of the book and of the film. For example, one of the main platforms of the Progressive Movement was the conservation of the environment and, by 1909 President Theodore Roosevelt had established over 40 million acres of national forest. Following the release of the film, Henry Wallace became a leader of the Progressive movement as he advocated better relations with the Soviet Union and could envision a world in which everyone lived in peace. Although Baum's utopia is never attained in America, some of the ideals woven throughout the story do become tenets of mainstream American politics. Whether or not The Wizard of Oz led to this transformation is unknown. However, either way, the film did reflect the Progressive Movement which regained popularity in the late 1930s and 1940s.

Cook, Timothy. "Another Perspective on Political Authority in Children's Literature: The Fallible Leader in L. Frank Baum and Dr. Seuss." The Western Political Quarterly. Vol. 36, No. 2 (June, 1983), pp. 326-336. 28 November 2008 <http://proxy.library.upenn.edu:2097/stable/448245?&Search=yes&term=%22another+perspective+on+political+authority%22&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3D%2522another%2Bperspective%2Bon%2Bpolitical%2Bauthority%2522%26gw%3Djtx%26prq%3D%2522parable%2Bon%2Bpopulism%2522%26Search%3DSearch%26hp%3D25%26wc%3Don&item=1&ttl=7&returnArticleService=showArticle>.

Baum, Rebecca A. “Kramer vs. Kramer vs. mother-right.” Jump Cut. No. 23. Oct. 1980.
4-5. (available at http://www.ejumpcut.org/archive/onlinessays/JC23folder/
KramerVsKramer.html)

    In “Kramer vs. Kramer vs. mother-right,” Baum purports her views of Kramer vs. Kramer. Baum notes a very misogynistic theme within the film, and notes several specific scenes in the movie where such themes are apparent. Baum notes that from the first scene involving both Joanna and her onscreen son, Billy, emotional distance is apparent. Hoffman is shown a humorously inept at first; however, he quickly becomes a near expert in parenting, as highlighted by parallel breakfast scenes in the movie. At only a few instances in the movie is Joanna Kramer shown as a caring, loving mother; more often the audience is shown a Joanna that is aloof, irresponsible, and self-centered. Even Margaret, Joanna’s former friend, informs Joanna that she fails to understand the bond Ted and Billy have. She is stereotyped as the flippant feminist who sacrificed her maternal right, and then demonized for seeking to destroy a fraternal bond that has developed between Ted and Billy. Such depictions may be accurate for the plot, but Baum suggests that Ted is shown in an unreasonably positive light that idealizes him in contrast to negative maternal stereotypes and credits him with typically maternal skills and attitudes in an unrealistic manner. Baum suggests that the court battle itself is biased and is a disservice to potential viewers, ignoring the thousands of women in America who struggle to receive proper compensation from their children’s fathers. Baum ultimately interprets all these biases as demonstrative of a broader theme in the movie; if you are a mother and dare to deviate from society’s expectations of you in this role, you will no longer be allowed to be a mother.
    This article is similar in many ways to Malloy’s article on the alleged bias of Kramer vs. Kramer against Joanna and for Ted. In the same way as Malloy’s article, it contrasts extensively with Asimov’s assessment of the movie and its realism. This article is relevant due to its evaluation of Kramer vs. Kramer’s accuracy in conveying a message regarding divorce to contemporary society.