5 Reasons The Wizard Of Oz Is One Of The Most Progressive Books Ever

5. Men In Oz Are Either Incompetent, Lazy, Or Selfish

Think back to The Wizard of Oz - if you've not read the book, the movie will suffice. Every man of power in the story is useless. First, you have the Wizard, Oscar Diggs. He is a stage magician who traveled around in circuses, performing tricks, and riding in hot air balloons to amaze the crowd, (it was the late 1800s, and all Americans had to entertain themselves with was booze and beating up the Irish). When he arrives, he immediately takes control of a large chunk of the country, and hides away, lest he be found out to be a fake.

He's not the only one, however. The Scarecrow agreed to go with Dorothy, not to keep her safe, or to be her guide, nor even to just keep her company. His only motivation in going was that he could get a brain out of it. Had such a prospect not been possible, he would have been perfectly content to let an eleven year old girl wander a strange and dangerous land on her own. It's the same reason the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion join her.

In fact, the only people in Oz who aren't absolutely useless are the women, be it the good witch of the north, Glinda in the south, the Wicked Witch of the west, or later Ozma. These were all women who ruled sections of the country, much like the wizard, but unlike him, had the skills and power to back up whatever they were going to do. The only reason the Wicked Witch eventually died was because of her hubris in trying to control Dorothy.