The Many Wizards of Oz

Catalog description

The Wizard of Oz is one of our most enduring - and durable - American fantasies. The book has been adapted or translated by nearly every culture in the world. This course will investigate the longevity of this classic tale. What drives our fascination with the tale of a lost child? What attracts us to the idea of the wizard? Is The Wonderful Wizard of Oz a cautionary tale, a story of everyday heroes, a premonition of the horrors of the 20th-century, or all of the above? We'll investigate the many iterations of this powerful fable, from the original novel to its musical counterparts. Students will have the opportunity to write a research-based analysis of a version or versions of the story, or to work creatively on a memoir or short story project. This course will coincide with the release of the second "act" of Wicked, which we'll attend together.