Theyellow brick roadis a central element in the 1900 children's novelThe Wonderful Wizard of OzbyAmericanauthorL. Frank Baum.The road also appears in the several sequel Oz books such asThe Marvelous Land of Oz(1904) andThe Patchwork Girl of Oz(1913).
| Yellow brick road | |
|---|---|
| The Oz serieslocation | |
 Dorothy and her companions befriend theCowardly Lion,while traveling on the yellow brick road--illustration byW. W. Denslow(1900). | |
| Created by | L. Frank Baum |
| Genre | Classics children's books |
| In-universe information | |
| Type | Road paved with yellow bricks, leading to its destination--Emerald City |
The road's most notable depiction is in the classic 1939 MGM musical filmThe Wizard of Oz,loosely based on Baum's first Oz book. In the novel's first edition, the road is mostly referred to as the"Road of Yellow Bricks".In the original story and in later films based on it such asThe Wiz(1978),Dorothy Galemust find the road before embarking on her journey, as thetornadodid not deposit her farmhouse directly in front of it as in the 1939 film.
Road's history
editThe following is an excerpt from the third chapter ofThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz,in which Dorothy sets off to see the Wizard:
There were several roads nearby, but it did not take Dorothy long to find the one paved with yellow bricks. Within a short time, she was walking briskly toward theEmerald City;herSilver Shoestinkling merrily on the hard, yellow roadbed.
The road is first introduced in the third chapter ofThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz.The road begins in the heart of the eastern quadrant calledMunchkin Countryin theLand of Oz.It functions as a guideline that leads all who follow it, to the road's ultimate destination—the imperial capital of Oz calledEmerald Citythat is located in the exact center of the entire continent. In the book, the novel's main protagonist, Dorothy, is forced to search for the road before she can begin her quest to seek theWizard.This is because the cyclone fromKansasdid not release her farmhouse closely near it as it did in the various film adaptations. After the council with the nativeMunchkinsand their dear friend theGood Witch of the North,Dorothy begins looking for it and sees many pathways and roads nearby, (all of which lead in various directions). Thankfully, it doesn't take her too long to spot the one paved with bright yellow bricks.
Later in the book, Dorothy and her companions, theScarecrow,Tin WoodmanandCowardly Liondiscover that the road has fallen into disrepair in some parts of the land, having several broken chasms ending at dangerous cliffs with deadly drops. In the end of the book, we learn the road's history; unlike in theDisneyprequel filmOz the Great and Powerful(2013), the Emerald City and yellow brick road did not exist prior to Oz's arrival. WhenOscar Diggsarrived in Oz via hot-air balloon that had been swept away in a storm, the people of the land were convinced he was a great "Wizard" who had finally come to fulfil Oz's long-awaited prophecy. Since the recent fall of Oz's mortal KingPastoria,and the mysterious disappearance of his baby daughterPrincess Ozma,Oscar immediately proclaimed himself as Oz's new dominant ruler and had his people build the road as well as the city in his honor.
In the second Oz book,The Marvelous Land of Oz,Tipand his companionJack Pumpkinhead,likewise follow a yellow brick road to reach Emerald City while traveling from Oz's northern quadrant, theGillikin Country.[1]In the bookThe Patchwork Girl of Oz,it is revealed that there are two yellow brick roads from Munchkin Country to the Emerald City: according to theShaggy Man,Dorothy took the longer and more dangerous one inThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz.[1]
In the classic 1939 film, a red brick road can be seen starting at the same point as the yellow brick road and is entwined with it, despite seemingly going in a different direction. This version of the road does not exist in Baum's books. Also, at the cornfield where Dorothy meets and befriends theScarecrow,there is aforkin the yellow brick road leading in different directions. Luckily, they choose the correct one of the three branches that leads to Emerald City.
In Disney's 1985 live action semi-sequel to the 1939 movieReturn to Oz,Dorothy returns to Oz six months after being sent back home toKansasfrom her first visit. Upon her second arrival she finds the yellow brick road in ruins by the hands of the evilNome Kingwho also conquered the Emerald City. In the end, it is presumed that after she defeats him and saves the city and its citizens, the road is restored as well.
Real yellow brick roads
editThere are various accounts of what inspired the yellow brick road. One account says it is a brick road inPeekskill, New York,whereL. Frank BaumattendedPeekskill Military Academy.[2]Other accounts say it was inspired by a road paved with yellow bricks nearHolland, Michigan,where Baum spent summers.[3]Ithaca, New York,also makes a claim for being Frank Baum's inspiration. He opened a road tour of his musical,The Maid of Arran,in Ithaca, and he met his future wifeMaud Gage Baumwhile she was attendingCornell University.At the time, yellow bricks paved local roads.[4]Portions ofU.S. Route 54within the state of Kansas have been designated "the yellow brick road".[5]Dallas, Texas makes a claim that Baum once stayed at a downtown hotel during his newspaper career (located near what is now the Triple Underpass) at a time when the streets were paved with wooden blocks of Bois D'Arc also known as Osage Orange. Supposedly, after a rainstorm the sun came out and he saw a bright yellow brick road from the window of his room.[citation needed]
Two direct, published references to the origin of the yellow brick road came from Baum's own descendants: his sonFrank Joslyn BauminTo Please A Childand the other byRoger S. Baum,the great-grandson ofL. Frank Baumwho stated, "Most people don't realize that the Wizard of Oz was written in Chicago, and the Yellow Brick Road was named after winding cobblestone roads in Holland, Michigan, where great-grandfather spent vacations with his family."
The Vision Oz Fund was established in November 2009 to raise funds that will be used to help increase the awareness, enhancement, and further development of Oz-related attractions and assets inWamego, Kansas.The first fundraiser is under way and includes selling personalized engraved yellow bricks, which will become part of the permanent walkway (aka "The Yellow Brick Road" ) in downtown Wamego.[6]
In 2019, a commemorative yellow brick road was installed in Chicago'sHumboldt Parkat the site of L. Frank Baum's 1899 residence.[7]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^abL. Frank Baum,Michael Patrick Hearn,The Annotated Wizard of Oz,p 107,ISBN0-517-50086-8
- ^Banjo, Shelly (31 May 2011)."Historian Believes if You Follow the Yellow Brick Road, You End Up in Peekskill".The Wall Street Journal.Dow Jones & Company.Retrieved25 August2014.
- ^Castanier, Bill."Holland honors 'Wizard of Oz' author despite controversy".City Pulse.Retrieved15 May2022.
- ^"Facts & Trivia About Ithaca".VisitIthaca.com.Retrieved5 June2015.
- ^"K.S.A. 68-1029".Retrieved11 April2019.
- ^"Wamego Community Foundation".Thewcf.org. Archived fromthe originalon 17 April 2013.Retrieved22 April2013.
- ^Bloom, Mina (4 November 2019)."Yellow Brick Road Built Where L. Frank Baum Wrote 'Wizard Of Oz,' Delighting Humboldt Park Residents".Block Club Chicago.Retrieved30 January2024.
Further reading
edit- Dighe, Ranjit S. ed.The Historian's Wizard of Oz: ReadingL. Frank Baum's Classic as a Political and Monetary Allegory(2002)
- Hearn, Michael Patrick (ed). (2000, 1973)The Annotated Wizard of Oz.W. W. Norton & Co.ISBN0-393-04992-2
- Ritter, Gretchen. "Silver slippers and a golden cap:L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and historical memory in American politics. "Journal of American Studies(August 1997) vol. 31, no. 2, 171–203. online at JSTOR
- Rockoff, Hugh. "The 'Wizard of Oz' as a Monetary Allegory,"Journal of Political Economy98 (1990): 739-60 online at JSTOR