“There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home.”

“There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home.” This is one of the most well known lines in cinema history. Although Dorothy spent most of her time in Oz trying to go home, who wouldn’t want to visit the Land of Oz? Even for just a day! Oz has everything a person could want: a yellow brick road to tell you where to go, an Emerald City, and, of course, great friends just waiting to be discovered. This semester my storybook focuses on the first book of the Oz series written by L. Frank Baum. This book was greatly popularized by the 1939 film titled The Wizard of Oz staring Judy Garland. This movie is my favorite childhood movie and is the inspiration for my storybook this semester. The main purpose of my storybook is to explore the evolution of Dorothy's character throughout her adventures in Oz. When she arrives in Oz, Dorothy is a meek little girl. However, throughout the book she makes friends, defeats the Wicked Witch of the West and eventually finds her own way home.

Although The Wizard of Oz is one of America’s greatest films, L. Frank Baum’s Oz and the story of Dorothy is very different than she is in the movie. The main difference I discovered in reading The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is that Dorothy herself is a more meek and gentle character than the movie. The greatest turn in the story is when she goes to the Wizard of Oz for help to return to Kansas. He tells her she must kill the Wicked Witch of the West, just as she had killed the Wicked Witch of the East. The death of the Wicked Witch of the East, however, had been pure accident. Dorothy is at first upset and tells the wizard that she could not possibly kill anyone. Even though she cries when the Wizard gives her this order, he tells her this is the only way he can help her. Dorothy has no choice but to set out on this quest, because she believes it to be her only way to return to Kansas. 

My first story in the storybook is a diary entry detailing Dorothy's arrival in Oz. I have entitled this story, "The Council of the Munchkins." The story is important to the entire project because many important details of the story are revealed in this chapter.In this chapter we see that the Good Witch kisses Dorothy on her forehead. This kiss from the Good Witch serves a greater purpose in Dorothy's adventures later in the book. This first entry emphasizes the meek child Dorothy was when she arrived in Oz.

In the second story, I explain the meeting between Dorothy and her three traveling companions: the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and the Lion. In this story the audience learns of the importance of the Good Witch's kiss and what her three traveling companions desire from the Wizard.

When Dorothy and her friends reach the Emerald City, she believes she is almost home. In the third story Dorothy and her friends find that the Emerald City is very gorgeous and has an interesting twist. When Dorothy finally talks to the Wizard she is in for a surprise!

In my fourth story, The Search for the Wicked Witch, Dorothy and her friends find themselves trapped by the Wicked Witch of the West and forced to be her slaves. In this chapter we learn from the Witch the power of Dorothy’s silver shoes and Dorothy is protected by the kiss from the Good Witch of the North. Dorothy becomes angry after the Witch steals one of her shoes and sets out to take her revenge. This story reveals many of the book’s twists, especially the first mention of the true power the shoes hold. This story essentially shows how far Dorothy's character has come. I choose this to be my last storybook entry because the purpose of my storybook was to show the evolution of Dorothy's character. I believe I accomplished showing the evolution of her character in the stories I chose. These stories represent her as a character and her accomplishments. 

To tell these stories, I chose the diary technique. I believe this is the most effective way to express my objectives for the project. My objectives are to follow the evolution of Dorothy's character from Dorothy arriving in the land of Oz to finding her own way home to Kansas. Dorothy arrived in Oz as a meek child and she leaves as a strong character. The diary format allows the reader to hear Dorothy's thoughts and feelings, along with her interpretation of events.

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The Council of the Munchkins
 
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