Chapter 3 - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Masterwork Analysis

Hello and welcome to the StoryGrid Masterwork Podcast. We're part of a growing StoryGrid community that includes thousands of writers and editors from all over the world. We're dedicated to helping writers improve their craft through books, podcasts, courses and online forums. In this StoryGrid Masterwork podcast, we'll be reading and analyzing great books to learn what makes them work so well. I'm your host, Bib Bailey. This season, we're reading the Wonderful wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum's classic novel about a young girl's heroic journey. In each episode, I'll read you one of the book's 24 scenes and then we'll analyze the scene using storygrid tools and methods in order to understand how and why this story endures and still captivates readers more than a century after it was written. Editor and publisher Sean Coyne developed StoryGrid during 30 years in the storytelling business. He's applied his knowledge to dozens of best selling fiction and nonfiction stories and now shares what he's learned in the StoryGrid community. You'll find a full introduction to StoryGrid's method of analyzing scenes in the first.

Episode of this series.

Now let's review how we'll analyze today's scene. If you're already familiar with StoryGrid, you can skip ahead 1 minute 40 seconds to start listening to the scene. We use five first principles to analyze any story.

First, we look at a story both.

As a whole and in smaller parts. In this podcast, we'll dissect the Wonderful wizard of Oz in parts, scene by scene. Second, we look for a change inside the world of the story, because all stories are about change.

Third, we figure out how the change.

Is linked to a universal human value such as safety, love, or justice. Fourth, we sum up the change in that human value in a single sentence called a story event. To find the story event, we ask four Socratic questions. These questions help us see what's actually happening in the scene, what the character's essential tactics are, and how they connect to the universal human value at stake. Fifth, when we know our story event, we look at how the scene is constructed by using what we call the five commandments of storytelling. The five commandments we'll find in each scene of the Wonderful wizard of Oz are the inciting incident, which kicks off the action the turning point, progressive complication, an unexpected event that turns the human value at stake in the scene and.

Gives rise to the crisis, which is.

A dilemma about how to confront the unexpected event. The climax, which is the decision and action a character takes in response to the crisis, the resolution which is the outcome of the action of the climax. Now let's step onto the yellow brick road with Dorothy and listen to this week's scene and analysis.

The Wonderful wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum Scene 3 How Dorothy saved the Scarecrow.

When Dorothy was left alone.

She began to feel hungry, so she.

Went to the cupboard and cut herself some bread, which she spread with butter. She gave some to Toto, and taking a pail from the shelf, she carried it down to the little brook and filled it with clear, sparkling water. Toto ran over to the trees and began to bark at the bird sitting there. Dorothy went to get him and saw such delicious fruit hanging from the branches that she gathered some of it, finding it just what she wanted to help out her breakfast. Then she went back to the house.

And having helped herself and Toto to.

A good drink of the cool, clear water, she set about making ready for the journey to the City of Emeralds. Dorothy had only one other dress, but.

That happened to be clean and was.

Hanging on a peg beside her bed. It was gingham with checks of white and blue, and although the blue was somewhat faded with many washings, it was still a pretty frock. The girl washed herself carefully, dressed herself in the clean gingham, and tied her pink sunbonnet on her head. She took a little basket and filled it with bread from the cupboard, laying a white cloth over the top. Then she looked down at her feet and noticed how old and worn her shoes were. They surely will never do for a long journey, Toto, she said, and Toto looked up into her face with his little black eyes and wagged his tail to show that he knew what she meant. At that moment Dorothy saw lying on the table the silver shoes that had belonged to the Witch of the East. I wonder if they will fit me, she said to Toto. They would be just the thing to take a long walk in, for they could not wear out. She took off her old leather shoes and tried on the silver ones, which.

Fitted her as well as if they.

Had been made for her. Finally she picked up her basket. Come along, Toto, she said. We will go to the Emerald City and ask the great Oz how to get back to Kansas again. She closed the door, locked it, and put the key carefully in the pocket of her dress. And so, with Toto trotting along soberly behind her, she started on her journey. There were several roads nearby, but it did not take long to find the one paved with yellow bricks. Within a short time she was walking briskly toward the Emerald City, her silver shoes tinkling merrily on the hard yellow roadbed. The sun shone bright and the birds sang sweetly, and Dorothy did not feel nearly so bad as you might think a little girl would, who had been suddenly whisked away from her own country and set down in the midst of a strange land. She was surprised as she walked along to see how pretty the country was about her. There were neat fences at the sides of the road painted a dainty blue color, and beyond them were fields of grain and vegetables in abundance. Evidently the Munchkins were good farmers and able to raise large crops. Once in a while she would pass a house and the people came out to look at her and bow low as she went by, for everyone knew she had been the means of destroying the Wicked Witch and setting them free from bondage. The houses of the Munchkins were odd looking dwellings, for each was round, with a big dome for a roof. All were painted blue, for in this country of the east there, blue was their favorite color. Toward evening, when Dorothy was tired with her long walk and began to wonder where she should pass the night, she came to a house rather larger than the rest. On the green lawn before it, many.

Men and women were dancing.

Five little fiddlers played as loudly as possible, and the people were laughing and singing, while a big table nearby was loaded with delicious fruits and nuts, pies and cake, and many other good things to eat. The people greeted Dorothy kindly and invited her to supper and to pass the night with them. For this was the home of one of the richest Munchkins in the land, and his friends were gathered with him to celebrate their freedom from the bondage of the Wicked Witch. Dorothy ate a hearty supper and was waited upon by the rich Munchkin himself.

Whose name was Bok.

Then she sat upon a settee and watched the people dance. When Bok saw her silver shoes, he.

Said, you must be a great sorceress.

Why? Asked the girl.

Because you wear silver shoes and have killed the wicked witch. Besides, you have white in your frock, and only witches and sorceresses wear white.

My dress is blue and white checked, said Dorothy, smoothing out the wrinkles in.

Is kind of you to wear that, said Bok. Blue is the color of the Munchkins and and white is the witch color, so we know you are a friendly witch.

Dorothy did not know what to say to this, for all the people seemed to think her a witch, and she knew very well she was only an ordinary little girl who had come by the chance of a cyclone into a strange land. When she had tired watching the dancing, Bok led her into the house, where he gave her a room with a pretty bed in it. The sheets were made of blue cloth, and Dorothy slept soundly in them till morning with Toto curled up on the blue rug beside her. She ate a hearty breakfast and watched a wee munchkin baby who played with Toto and pulled his tail and crowed and laughed in a way that greatly amused Dorothy.

Toto was a fine curiosity to all.

The people, for they had never seen a dog before. How far is it to the Emerald City? The girl asked.

I do not know, answered Bok gravely.

For I have never been there. It is better for people to keep away from Oz unless they have business with him. But it is a long way to the Emerald City, and it will take you many days. The country here is rich and pleasant.

But you must pass through rough and dangerous places before you reach the end of your journey.

This worried Dorothy a little, but she knew that only the great Oz could help her get to Kansas again, so she bravely resolved not to turn back. She bade her friends goodbye and again started along the Road of Yellow Brick. When she had gone several miles, she thought she would stop to rest, and so climbed to the top of the fence beside the road and sat down. There was a great cornfield beyond the fence, and not far away she saw a scarecrow placed high on a pole to keep the birds from the ripe corn. Dorothy leaned her chin upon her hand and gazed thoughtfully at the scarecrow. Its head was a small sack stuffed with straw, with eyes, nose, and mouth painted on it to represent a face. An old pointed blue hat that had belonged to some munchkin was perched on his head, and the rest of the figure was a blue suit of clothes, worn and faded, which had also been stuffed with straw.

On the feet were some old boots with blue tops such as every man wore in this country, and the figure was raised above the stalks of corn by means of a pole stuck up its back. While Dorothy was looking earnestly into the queer painted face of the scarecrow, she was surprised to see one of the eyes slowly wink at her. She thought she must have been mistaken at first, for none of the scarecrows in Kansas ever wink, but presently the figure nodded its head to her in a friendly way. Then she climbed down from the fence and walked up to it while Toto ran around the pole and barked.

Good day, said the scarecrow in a Rather husky voice.

Did you speak? Asked the girl in wonder.

Certainly, answered the scarecrow.

How do you do?

I'm pretty well, thank you, replied Dorothy politely. How do you do?

I'm not feeling well, said the Scarecrow with a smile.

But it's very tedious being perched up here night and day to scare away crows.

What? Can't you get down? Asked Dorothy.

No, for this pole is stuck up my back. If you will please take away the pole, I shall be greatly obliged to you.

Dorothy reached up both arms and lifted the figure off the pole for being stuffed with straw.

It was quite light, thank you very.

Much, when he had been set down on the ground.

I feel like a new man.

Dorothy was puzzled at this, for it sounded queer to hear a stuffed man speak, to see him bow and walk along beside her. Who are you? Asked the Scarecrow when he had stretched himself and yawned.

And where are you going?

My name is Dorothy, said the girl, and I am going to the Emerald City to ask the great Oz to send me back to Kansas.

Where is the Emerald City?

He inquired.

And who is Oz?

Why, don't you know? She returned in surprise.

No, indeed, I don't know anything. See, I'm stuffed, so I have no.

Brains at all, he answered sadly. Uh oh, said Dorothy. I'm awfully sorry for you.

Do you think, he asked, if I go to Emerald City with you, that Oz would give me some brains?

I cannot tell, she returned. But you may come with me if you like. If Oz will not give you any brains, you. You will be no worse off than you are now.

That is true, said the Scarecrow. You see, he continued confidentially, I don't.

Mind my legs and arms and body being stuffed, because I cannot get hurt if anyone treads on my toes or sticks a pin into me. Doesn't matter, for I can't feel it. But I do not want people to call me a fool. And if my head stays stuffed with straw instead of with brains, as yours is, how am I ever to know anything?

I understand how you feel, said the little girl, who was truly sorry for him. If you will come with me, I'll ask Oz to do for you all he can.

Thank you, he answered gratefully.

They walked back to the road. Dorothy helped him over the fence, and they started along the path of yellow brick for the Emerald City. Toto did not like this addition to the party at first. He smelled around the stuffed man, as if he suspected there might be a nest of rats in the straw, and he often growled in an unfriendly way at the Scarecrow. Don't mind Toto, said Dorothy to her new friend. He never bites.

Oh, I'm not afraid, replied the Scarecrow.

He can't hurt the straw. Do let me carry that basket for you. I shall not mind it, for I can't get tired.

I'll tell you a secret, he continued.

As he walked along.

There's only one thing in the world I'm afraid of.

What is that?

Asked Dorothy, the Munchkin farmer who made you?

No, answered the Scarecrow.

It's a lighted match.

Now let's use storygrid first principles to analyze the scene.

A story event is an active change.

Of a universal human value for one or more characters. As a result of conflict, one character's desires clash with another's, or an environmental shift changes the value positively or negatively.

A working scene contains at least one story event. To determine a scene's story event, ask these four Socratic questions.

What are the characters literally doing? That is, what are their micro on the ground actions?

Dorothy and Toto leave with provisions and set out on the yellow brick road. They spend the night with a grateful Munchkin family and the next morning set off again. On the road they meet a Scarecrow.

Who is interested in going with them to Oz to get some brains.

Question number 2 what is the essential.

Tactic of the characters?

That is what macro behaviors are they.

Employing that are linked to a universal human value?

Dorothy sets off on a long walk to the city of emeralds.

Question 3 what universal human values have.

Changed for one or more characters in the scene? Which one of those value changes is most important and should be included in.

The story grid spreadsheet?

Dorothy and Toto set out alone on the path, get assistance from a happy.

Munchkin family, and take on a fellow traveler in search of help the next day.

When in doubt, the story grid rule.

Of thumb is to highlight the value.

That best aligns with the progress of.

The global human value at stake in the story.

The Wonderful wizard of Oz is an.

Action story which has a global value at stake of life death.

Throughout the story grid spreadsheet, we'll track the ways life is threatened or enhanced.

Scene by scene.

As Dorothy and Toto have allies now, the Munchkin family and the Scarecrow. Their universal human value of being alone.

Has shifted into the enhanced positive of finding an allied group. So we'll track alone to together as the value shift. Question number 4 what story event sums up the scene's on the ground actions, essential tactics, and value change?

We will enter that event in the.

Story Grid spreadsheet After setting off for.

The City of Emeralds, Dorothy and Toto find allies in a Munchkin family and the Scarecrow.

Now let's examine how the scene abides.

The five Commandments of storytelling.

What's the inciting incident?

Dorothy prepares to leave the Munchkin house.

What's the turning point?

Progressive complication.

Dorothy frees the Scarecrow from his pole. What's the crisis?

It's a best bad choice. If she allows the Scarecrow to come with her, he may prove to be a liability. If she doesn't invite him to come, she and Toto will have to face the dangers of the territory alone. What's the climax?

Dorothy invites the Scarecrow to come with her and Toto. What's the resolution?

The Scarecrow comes and carries Dorothy's basket for her.

Thanks for listening and please join Dorothy, Toto, and me on the next leg.

Of our fantastic journey. If you're writing or thinking about writing.

A story about a heroic journey, you'll be interested in Sean Coyne's upcoming online seminar devoted to helping writers understand and.

Use the heroic journey in their own work. It's a macro and micro examination of why these stories speak to us so.

Compellingly and how to use the heroic journey to level up Your writing using StoryGrid specific tools.

It includes a trip to the Shire to do a macro analysis of J.R.R. tolkien's the Hobbit, with a few detours.

To Oz and Emerald City along the way. Go to www.storygrid.comhero to find out more. We'd love to see you there. This is this has been Bib Bailey for the Story Grid Masterwork podcast. I'll see you next time, my pretties.