Narrative in Wizard of Oz

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 Victor Fleming's 1939 film Wizard of Oz is, in my opinion, one of the greatest instances of a narrative structure. It makes extensive use of the Tzvetan Todorov approach, which is one of the five phases of narrative structure that I have seen in a film.  Such phases are: A situation of equilibrium, Something causes the balance to be upset, such an action or catastrophe, Characters establishing objectives to address issues, the characters try to accomplish their objectives and get over challenges to bring back order and After the issue is handled and a decision is made, balance is often restored.

The main character Dorothy's journey from Kansas to Oz and back again in The Wizard of Oz demonstrates how well this narrative follows this format. Her living in Kansas is the balance at the start of the movie. Then, when a twister whisks her off to the land of Oz, the balance is upset. Dorothy then decides to meet "The Wizard," who might be able to assist her, in order to create goals for returning home. After travelling to Oz to meet the wizard, she makes friends along the way and overcomes challenges like "The Wicked Witch of the West." When the situation is finally resolved and Dorothy is able to return home, she wakes up in Kansas and notes that she is relieved to be home.

                                                                

                                                                        


The motivations and drives of the characters influence the story as a whole, which is a major factor in narrative structure. According to David Boardwell, the way in which characters motivate this cause-and-effect logic through their desires and needs is dependent upon narrative development.This is incredibly effectively reflected in The Wizard of Oz, as Dorothy's trip is driven by her unwavering desire to get home, which causes all the consequences in the film. The Wicked Witch's opposing desire to obtain Dorothy's Ruby slippers in order to gain greater power, as we shall see, is what initially causes the challenges she overcomes, and it is these divergent motivations of the two protagonists that tell the narrative.

As the movie opens, a young Dorothy longs to travel "Over the Rainbow" from Kansas to a better life. But when Dorothy wakes up and realises there's "No place like home," the denouement—which depicts the story's overall conclusion—becomes the "main point" of the film—revealing the theme or message the director has been emphasising to his audience throughout.




Refereces: 

Shmoop Editorial Team (2008) The wizard of oz point of view, Shmoop. Available at: https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/movie/wizard-of-oz/analysis/point-of-view (Accessed: 11 January 2024).

(2017) My analysis of the film ‘The wizard of oz’ - hubpages. Available at: https://discover.hubpages.com/entertainment/Analysis-of-Film-The-Wizard-of-Oz (Accessed: 11 January 2024).

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