The Comparison of Baum and Caroll's Stories

The texts 'Wizard of Oz' written by L. Baum and 'Alice in Wonderland' written by Lewis Carroll, both provide similar themes in terms of characters, fictional and magical creatures and the parallel worlds. Both books utilise elements from fairy tale traditions, and both protagonists are involved in a quest or pursuit. In both books, the main characters Alice and Dorothy, end up in crazy, fictional worlds where they befriend imaginary creatures and animals. Even though both characters are in a dream, they both face adversity and overcome their fears and uncertainties.

Dorothy is a bright and imaginative farm girl who lives in a small farmhouse in the Kansas prairies. The author illustrates her as a poor girl as she lives in a house with only one room for her family to share. Alice, on the other hand, seems to have had a good upbringing. She is educated and appears to have virtuous manners. Dorothy wants to escape her life and grow up, she sees herself as a helpless and unneeded little girl, controlled and compelled by the adults. In her dream, she is taken to Oz, a place far away from those who love her. The biggest realisation she has is the fact that she won't be a child forever. Providing a point of contrast, Alice is starting to change, and she doesn't enjoy it. She dreams of escaping to a place where she can remain a child, and things can be 'sillier' and nonsensical. She is not a fan of rules that hold her back. Her dream takes her to Wonderland, a silly place with no rules, where anyone is entitled to do almost anything. While Dorothy wants to grow up to fast, Alice wishes to stay the way she is.

In both novels the magical creatures that Dorothy and Alice cross paths with, they end up fraternising. Their adventures lead them to meet with people they never imagined they would. Alice began her journey in Wonderland alone but left as friends with the Cheshire Cat, the Gryphon and Mock Turtle, the Duchess and the Caterpillar. Like many of the characters in Alice in Wonderland, the Cheshire cat is an extremely puzzling individual, and it challenges the reader. Similarly, Dorothy started her journey in the Land of Oz alone but left as friends with the Scarecrow, a Tin Man, a Cowardly Lion and Glinda the Good Witch of the South. Both girls learnt valuable lessons from these characters.

Until the Caterpillar gives Alice the mushroom, she is unable to control how big or small she gets. Of course, children can't control their growth in real life, and children at the age of puberty are awkward; they feel too small for some things and too big for others. As Carroll depicts it, growing up is a painful and confusing process, and it doesn't necessarily have positive results. The Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland is the first character who tried to guide Alice on her journey. He also reminds Alice that changing in size and shape isn't always a bad thing, after all, one day he will transform into a butterfly, and it will be the best moment of his life! Glinda had a valuable lesson to teach Dorothy self-empowerment. Glinda was aiding Dorothy in her quest from a self-centred adolescent to an appreciative, family loving young woman. Both Alice and Dorothy create long-lasting friendships.

Furthermore, both authors deal with the concept of identity. In Alice in Wonderland, as Alice progresses through her dream, she loses her sense of identity and tries to piece it back together. When the Caterpillar asks Alice, 'who are you?', she is unable to answer.

'I— I hardly know, sir, just at present — at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.' When the Caterpillar asks again, Alice is irritated she has no answer.

Similar to this, the Scarecrow, Lion and the Tin Man aren’t aware of their true identity. The Scarecrow does not think he possesses brains, the Tin Woodman laments his lack of a heart, and the Lion believes he is not courageous and unfit to be king of the Jungle. This, however, is untrue. The Scarecrow is the most intelligent of them all, the Tin Man is filled with compassion and the Lion is full of nobility and bravery. For example, when the travellers come to a wide ditch, the Cowardly Lion volunteers to jump over it. Discussing the possibility of falling into the ditch, the Cowardly Lion responds, “‘I am terribly afraid of falling, myself. . . but I suppose there is nothing to do but try it.” The Lion does not realize that courage is acting despite fear. They all possess what they think they lack but are unable to see this for themselves creating a false sense of identity.

Alice and Dorothy both face obstacles on their journeys in different worlds. While Alice’s dreams take her to a place that is completely different and abnormal from what she is used to, Dorothy is taken to a strange far away land where she is separated from the ones she loves most. For Alice, Wonderland is an interesting world, an adventure. For Dorothy, Oz is not as important to her as going back home to her family. Wonderland, the place of madness. “We’re all mad here,” states the Cheshire cat.

Alice began her adventure by jumping down the rabbit hole. Throughout her journey, her curiosity leads her to question her identity, change sizes various times and learn about the strange rules in Wonderland. The Queen of Hearts, the dreadful bloodthirsty leader of Wonderland believes her solution to every problem is to order a beheading. Alice continually finds herself in situations in which she risks death, and while these threats never materialize, they suggest that death lurks just behind the ridiculous events of Alice in Wonderland. As the Queen screams “Off with its head!” she starts to understand that the risks she faces may not be ridiculous and absurd after all.

When Dorothy arrives at Oz via the cyclone, she is greeted by the Munchkins and the Good Witch of the North who seem welcoming. After collecting a pair of silver shoes from the dead witch, Dorothy sets off down the yellow brick road to find the Wizard of Oz, who is supposed to help her get home. On the road, she meets the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion who all join her in her quest. Dorothy and her new friends encounter some challenges along the way, including rabid beasts, giant ditches, a roaring river, and a deadly poppy field.