Chapter 7 - 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 7 the Journey to Great Oz they were obliged to camp out that night under a large tree in the forest, for there were no houses near. The tree made a good thick covering to protect them from the dew. But the tin Woodman chopped a great pile of wood with his axe, and Dorothy built a splendid fire that warmed her and made her feel less lonely. She and Toto ate the last of their bread, and now she did not know what they would do for breakfast. If you wish, said the lion, I.

I will go into the forest and kill a deer for you. You could roast it by the fire, since your tastes are so peculiar that.

You prefer cooked food, and then you will have a very good breakfast. Don't. Please don't, begged the tin woodman. I should certainly weep if you killed a poor deer, and then my jaws would rust again. But the lion went away into the forest and found his own supper, and no one ever knew what it was for. He didn't mention it, and the scarecrow found a tree full of nuts and filled Dorothy's basket with them so that she would not be hungry for a long time. She thought this was very kind and thoughtful of the scarecrow, but she laughed heartily at the awkward way in which the poor creature picked up the nuts. His padded hands were so clumsy and the nuts were so small that he dropped almost as many as he put into the basket. But the scarecrow did not mind how long it took him to fill the basket, for it enabled him to keep it away from the fire as he feared a spark might get into his straw and burn him up. So he kept a good distance away from the flames and only came near to cover Dorothy with dry leaves when she lay down to sleep. These kept her very snug and warm, and she slept soundly until morning.

When it was daylight, the girl bathed her face in a little rippling brook, and soon they all started toward the Emerald City. This was to be an eventful day for the travelers. They had hardly been walking an hour when they saw before them a great ditch that crossed the road and divided the forest as far as they could see on either side. It was a very wide ditch, and when they crept up to the edge and looked into it, they could see it was also very Deep, and there were many big jagged rocks at the bottom. The sides were so steep that none of them could climb down, and for a moment it seemed the journey must end. What shall we do? Asked Dorothy despairingly. I haven't the faintest idea, said the tin woodman, and the lion shook his shaggy mane and looked thoughtful. But the scarecrow said, we cannot fly, that is certain.

Neither can we climb down into this great ditch. Therefore, if we cannot jump over it, we must stop where we are.

I think I could jump over it.

Said the cowardly lion, after measuring the distance carefully in his mind. Then we're all right, answered the scarecrow.

For you can carry us all over.

On your back, one at a time.

Well, I'll try it, said the lion.

Who will go first?

I will, declared the scarecrow, for if.

You found that you could not jump over the gulf, Dorothy would be killed, or the tin woodman badly dented on the rocks below. But if I am on your back, it will not matter much, for the fall will not hurt me at all.

I am terribly afraid of falling myself.

Said the cowardly lion.

But I suppose there is nothing to do but try it. So get on my back, and we.

Will make the attempt. The scarecrow sat upon the lion's back, and the big beast walked to the edge of the gulf and crouched down.

Why don't you run and jump?

Asked the scarecrow.

Because that isn't the way we lions.

Do these things, he replied. Then, giving a great spring, he shot through the air and landed safely on the other side. They were all greatly pleased to see how easily he did it. And after the scarecrow had got down from his back, the lion sprang across the ditch again. Dorothy thought she would go next, so she took Toto in her arms and climbed on the lion's back, holding tightly to his mane with one hand. The next moment it seemed as if she were flying through the air. And then, before she had time to think about it, she was safe on the other side. The lion went back a third time and got the tin woodman. And then they all sat down for a few moments to give the beast a chance to rest, for his great leaps had made his breath short, and he panted like a big dog that has been running too long. They found the forest very thick on this side, and it looked dark and gloomy. After the lion had rested, they started along the road of yellow brick, silently wondering each in his own mind if ever they would come to the end of the woods and reach the bright sunshine again to add to their Discomfort. They soon heard strange noises in the depths of the forest, and the lion whispered to them that it was in this part of the country that the calidas lived. What are the Kalidahs? Asked the girl.

They are monstrous beasts with bodies like.

Bears and heads like tigers, replied the lion.

And with claws so long and sharp they could tear me in two as easily as I could kill Toto. I'm terribly afraid of the Calidas.

I'm not surprised that you are returned, Dorothy. They must be dreadful beasts. The lion was about to reply, when suddenly they came to another gulf across the road. But this one was so broad and deep that the lion knew at once he could not leap across it. So they sat down to consider what they should do, and after serious thought, the scarecrow said, here's a great tree.

Standing close to the ditch. If the tin woodman can chop it.

Down so that it will fall to.

The other side, we can walk across it easily.

That is a first rate idea, said the lion.

One would almost suspect you had braids.

In your head and instead of straw. The woodman set to work at once, and so sharp was his axe that the tree was soon chopped nearly through. Then the lion put his strong front legs against the tree and pushed with all his might, and slowly the big tree tipped and fell with a crash across the ditch with its top branches on the other side.

They had just started to cross this queer bridge when a sharp growl made them all look up, and to their horror they saw running toward them two great beasts with bodies like bears and heads like tigers.

They are the kalidahs, said the cowardly.

Lion, beginning to tremble. Quick. Cried the scarecrow.

Let us cross over.

So Dorothy went first, holding Toto in her arms. The tin woodman followed, and the scarecrow came next. The lion, although he was certainly afraid, turned to face the Kalidahs, and then he gave so loud and terrible a roar that Dorothy screamed, and the scarecrow fell over backward, while even the fierce beast stopped short and looked at him in surprise. But seeing they were bigger than the lion and remembering that there were two of them and only one of him, the callidus again rushed forward, and the lion crossed over the tree and turned to see what they would do next. Without stopping an instant, the fierce beasts also began to cross the tree, and the lion said to Dorothy, we are.

Lost, for they will surely tear us to pieces with their sharp claws. But stand close behind me and I will fight them as long as I am alive.

Wait a minute, called the scarecrow. He had been thinking what was best to be done. And now he asked the woodman to chop away at the end of the tree that rested on their side of the ditch. The tin woodman began to use his axe at once, and just as the two calidas were nearly across, the tree fell with a crash into the gulf, carrying the ugly, snarling brutes with it, and both were dashed to pieces on the sharp rocks at the bottom.

Well, said the cowardly lion, drawing a long breath of relief, I see we.

Are going to live a little while longer, and I am glad of it, for it must be a very uncomfortable thing not to be alive. Those creatures frighten me so badly that my heart is beating yet.

Ah, said the tin woodman sadly, I wish I had a heart to beat. This adventure made the travelers more anxious than ever to get out of the forest, and they walked so fast that Dorothy became tired and had to ride on the lion's back. To their great joy, the trees became thinner the farther they advanced, and in the afternoon they suddenly came upon a broad river flowing swiftly just before them. On the other side of the water, they could see the road of yellow brick running through a beautiful country with green meadows dotted with bright flowers, and all the road bordered with trees hanging full of delicious fruits. They were greatly pleased to see this delightful country before them. How shall we cross the river? Asked Arthy.

That is easily done, replied the scarecrow. The tin woodman must build us a raft so we can float to the other side.

So the tin woodman took his axe and began to chop down small trees to make a raft. And while he was busy at this, the scarecrow found on the riverbank a tree full of fine fruit. This pleased Dorothy, who had eaten nothing but nuts all day, and she made a hearty meal of the ripe fruit.

But it takes time to make a raft, even when one is as industrious and untiring as the tin woodman. And when night came, the work was not done. So they found a cosy place under the trees where they slept well until the morning. And Dorothy dreamed of the Emerald City and of the good wizard Oz, who would soon send her back to her own home again.

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 or an.

Environmental shift changes the value positively or negatively. A working scene contains at least one.

Story event to determine a scene. Story event, answer these Four Socratic questions. Question number one. What are the characters literally doing? That is, what are their micro on the ground actions? Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman.

And the lion solve a series of.

Challenges along the yellow brick road that threaten to stop their progress.

Question number two what is the essential tactic of the characters? That is, what macro behaviors are they employing that are linked to a universal human value?

The crew is relying upon one another as members of a team.

The individual with the best skill set.

To solve the problem takes a leadership role and the others take supporting roles. Question number three. 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?

All of the challenges the crew faces are life threatening and they successfully avoid.

Death on every occasion.

When in doubt, the storygrid 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. The value shift is clear, morally threatened to skillfully alive. Question number 4 what story event sums up the scene's on the ground actions.

Essential tactics and value changes?

We will enter that event in the storygrid spreadsheet. The Scarecrow displays keen insight and the lion displays considerable courage as the group navigates closer to the Emerald City.

Now let's examine how the scene abides.

The five commandments of storytelling. What's the inciting incident?

Dorothy has run out of food. What's the turning point? Progressive complication. Answer There is a gap in the road.

The Calidas attack.

The river separates them from the Yellow brick road. What's the crisis? Answer? It's the best bad choice.

Should the lion risk his life to.

Jump over the gap? Or should he save himself and leave his companions stranded? What's the climax? The lion jumps over the chasm with each of his friends on his back. And the rest of the hurdles are.

Faced with similar aplomb. What's the resolution?

Together, the group is able to keep moving forward.

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 has been Bib Bailey for the Story Grid Masterwork podcast. I'll see you next time. My prettiest.