Bordwell and Thompson define narrative as "a chain of events in cause-effect relationship occurring in time and space" (Film Art, 75). Referring to the chapter "Narrative as Formal System" and Terry McMillian's essay on The Wizard of Oz (dir. Victor Fleming, 1939), identify and describe three questions McMillian poses to the film's narrative. For instance, when does McMillian pose questions to the film's cause and effect logic? How do the characters' traits inform her understanding of the film's causes and effects? For McMillian, how does the film's presentation of story information generate curiosity or suspense?
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The young McMillan identified with Dorothy in the beginning of the movie—both felt isolated in a dismal, gray world where the only visible way out seemed to be escaping, or running away—although McMillan wondered where Dorothy was going, especially since McMillan herself didn’t know where she would go if she were running away as well (pg. 32-33). Later, when the tornado picked up Dorothy’s house and carried it off, McMillan was curious about where it would land—basically, she wanted to know where Dorothy would end up (34-35). On pg. 35, McMillan also wondered why the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion sought certain qualities: a heart, a brain, and courage. As she thought about it, though, she eventually recognized the qualities for which they stood (heart: emotion; brain: using it; courage: bravery in spite of fear).
The parts of the film that McMillan recounts are presented from Dorothy’s viewpoint; she saw and heard the same things that Dorothy did (with the exception of the tornado scene, after Dorothy is knocked out). With that in mind, Dorothy took courses of action that ran against McMillan’s idea of common sense—running back home upon discovering that Auntie Em might need her help, “dreaming” up a fantasy world in which there were still obstacles and difficulties, walking on the Yellow Brick Road instead of asking a ride from a Munchkin, etc. In actuality, these “shortcuts” would probably have shortened the movie considerably, having eliminated much of the potential for adventure. By deviating from what seemed the most obvious/easiest option, Dorothy’s decisions kept McMillan wondering about what would happen next.
Hannah Mann
At the beginning of the essay McMillan is telling how she related to Dorothy very well because McMillan felt they were both “isolated.” Throughout the beginning of the Wizard of Oz, McMillan is curious to what is going to happen to Dorothy, or where she is going to end up. McMillan looks at all the characters that Dorothy comes across as a positive to everything that happens throughout Wizard of Oz. Dorothy meeting the Lion, Tin Man, and the Scarecrow causes Dorothy to help them find what there searching for, which is courage, a heart, and a brain. From watching this, McMillan learned that she had a brain and that she is smart, and she had choices. McMillan looks at not having a heart, and it makes her realize that having a heart is very important, because it gives you emotion, and it allows your feelings to get hurt. The Lion needs courage, and that shows McMillan that she needs to have it so she can be strong, and stand up for what she wants to believe. All these traits showed McMillan that by Dorothy helping them find these, she was going to have more heart, be smarter, and she would have more courage.
It’s suspenseful to McMillan because she related to Dorothy so much. If Dorothy didn’t make it, was that to mean that McMillan wasn’t going to make it? McMillan felt like her and Dorothy were a lot a like, and McMillan just wanted to get away from her family. Not knowing what was going to happen to Dorothy made it suspenseful for McMillan.
Robert Aldrich
Young McMillan found herself relating the movie with her life for a key reason that a few have already noted. She felt isolated like most younger people feel like. Trapped in the world around her. There were key points that she could relate to herself, like when she saw the fortune teller that can be related to getting advice where ever younger generations can to hear something other than what parents tell us over and over. Also the tornado picking Dorothy up and taking here where it felt, like life does most of the time. There were traits other characters had that overall represented an entire person, like young McMillan. The three characters we can begin with are the three she meets up with. Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Lion. All three of them are searching for a specific quality that everyone seems to search for at some point in their life. Hear, Brain, and Courage. We all search for love, knowledge, and courage to fight the world around us.
The first thing we can think about is that yellow brick road. Once she lands, she is told to follow a yellow road. There is no specified end to the road only that she must take it. This adds suspense as to where might she go? What kind of trouble will she get into? Also when she meets her friends, they begin a journey against the wicked witch of the west and you are forced to wonder what might this add to the story. How will this effect their quest? Also when they enter the the emerald city your filled with wonder if they will get into the wizards chamber and speak with him, and when denied the suspense builds because that can't be the end, but how are they going to get Dorothy home? These are just a few points that build suspense, and a few traits that relate to the body mind and soul of a person, but over all the article connected key points between the movie and young McMillan's life through subtle ideals placed throughout the film.
Terry McMillan begins questioning The Wizard of Oz (dir. Victor Fleming, 1939) by relating with Dorothy. She identifies with Dorothy’s isolation on a farm and distance from the people around her. This common ground initiates Terry’s interest in the story. She understands Dorothy’s relationship with Auntie Em which connected her to Dorothy’s decision to run away. She is engrossed by the idea of escapism and through Dorothy is made curious to see what there is to escape to. Now that she is engulfed by Dorothy’s character Terry can critique her actions. Following this line of reasoning Terry is upset by Dorothy’s decision to return home after learning her Auntie Em was in danger. Ultimately her wish to search out the end of the road was greater than Dorothy’s.
The characters Dorothy meets who are in search of a heart, a brain, and courage introduce what a heart, a brain, and courage represent to McMillan. She analyzes each of these qualities and through this analysis forms a figurative bond between herself, the Tinman, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion. She questions the narrative by questioning these characters and what they represent. Terry understands this trio to stand for what all “good” people strive for. She also questions the finality of the film. After all those terrible things Dorothy goes through she ends up making it to the end. She survives every challenge. Terry wonders if this is the same in real life and ultimately decides it is. She comes to the conclusion that good always prevails over evil eventually and has structured her life around that basic principle.
Nathaniel Winter
McMillan poses several questions regarding the narrative of The Wizard of Oz. She questions several temporal order aspect of the film, beginning with the introduction of Professor Marvel. McMillan states that, “[She] knew this man was going to be important, [she] just couldn’t figure out how” (McMillan, 34). Professor Marvel is indeed important later on in the film, as he plays the “Wizard of Oz.” McMillan had no way of knowing this as a child, thus making her assumption Marvel would be important all the more impressive. McMillan is also able to divine that Dorothy would be locked out of the storm shelter before it happens, again circumventing the traditional temporal structure of the narrative. McMillan also questions some of the spatial relationships in the film, especially as they relate to her own life in Michigan. What McMillan finds the most incredible of Dorothy’s story is her desire to return so quickly to Kansas. McMillan’s strongest desire is to experience a new part of the world and then decide if it was worth returning home. Dorothy’s spatial relations, from Kansas to Oz and back, represent McMillan’s greatest dream: the desire to explore her own space and decide where she would live. McMillan draws some very interesting parallels between Dorothy’s life and her own.
The young McMillan described her being able to relate to Dorothy in the sense that they both felt alone in their worlds. Away to escape this feeling of isolation was to runaway. Although McMillan liked this idea of being able to escape she was very curious to where she herself would go if she escaped. “At the time, I truly wish I could spin away...surreal as Oz” (McMillan 35). The tornado brought Dorothy to this new place; in life things happen and we are put into situations we don’t understand and places we are not familiar with. McMillan wanted to explore Oz more and unlike Dorothy, she wanted to see if this place was worth staying.
Dorothy meets three characters; the Lion who seeks courage, the Tin Man who wishes he had a brain, and the Scarecrow who wants a heart. While on this journey on seeking the things each of them long for it helped McMillian realize what each of the qualities really were representing. It wasn’t the idea that they just wanted them because others had them but because of what they meant to our lives. Having a heart allows us to express emotion and experience the world. The brain allows us to determine right from wrong. While courage gives you the ability not to never be afraid but able to over come those fears to push forward.
By McMillian ability to relate with Dorothy created this sense of curiosity, this created the suspense that McMillian experienced. This idea of suspense is created because it keeps the audience entertained. Choices are made throughout the film that might seem illogical in order to create suspense. It gives you a better idea of the world that is being created and through different scenarios what is going to come out of it.
Zachery Holder
McMillian’s questions from the Wizard of Oz were aroused from her connection with Dorothy. She could relate to her in the way that she felt alone and how she wanted to run away. When she saw the film she immediately put herself in the protagonist’s shoes and had questions such as where would I run to if I could run away? And where does the yellow brick road end? And why didn’t Dorothy want to stay in Oz. This movie was a way for McMillian to live out her fantasy; she acted as though Dorothy was living out her true desires. The Film generates curiosity and suspense since McMillian is connecting so much with Dorothy, and she feels the tasks and toils that Dorothy has to go through are similar to the ones in her own life.
-Ryan Bender
The author Terry McMillan seemed to have a connection with the character Dorothy. McMillan could relate to Dorothy from her own experiences with her family. No one would ever listen to Dorothy or care about what she said. Like when Dorothy couldn’t find her dog no one else really seemed to care or want to help. McMillan, like many who were watching the film for the first time, did not realize that when Dorothy walked outside and everything was in color that it was only a dream. Terry said that this looked like paradise; it looked as if the only way to escape our normal stressful world would be to dream up your own world. McMillan also pointed out the aspect of friendship in the film. The Tin Man, the Lion, and the Scarecrow always hung in with Dorothy and made sure that she was protected. Even though she had just met all of these characters they were still willing to stick up for her. I felt that it was very important that McMillan could easily relate to this story. I feel that is what often makes narrative films so special. When you can put yourself in the position of the character you feel like your actually part of the film. This makes narrative film seem more like an experience rather than just a video that you sit and watch.
-Logan Lovett
In Terry McMillans article, Terry relates to the character of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. She relates in the sense that both are isolated from their world around them. Terry watches this movie with an understanding of Dorothy’s character and her actions. Terry also relates to the other characters in The Wizard of Oz; The Lion, The Scarecrow, and Tin man. The lion has no courage, and it helps Terry understand that she should have more courage in her own life and stand up to things like she did to her mother. The scarecrow doesn’t have a brain, but this makes Terry realize that she is a smart girl and has to utilize her brain. Unlike the Tin Man, Terry has a heart and must use it to the fullest. These characters are extensions of Terry’s own personal self and they accompany Dorothy whom she relates to in the story. The suspense in this film is created because Mcmillan wants to escape much like Dorothy does in Oz. However, she doesn’t know where Dorothy is going to end up, and she won’t know where she will end up if she were to run away herself. This idea in the narrative helps creates suspense in both the film and Terry’s own life.
Kyle Probst
McMillin asks Dorothy a question, “Why didn’t you just keep going?” This is her personal opinion because she grew up in a similar environment to Dorothy and wanted out. The Cause of Dorothy leaving was that her life was dull, causing the story to be about her thrilling adventure in Oz. Afterwards Dorothy is whisked home by her ruby red slippers and this is what Terry McMillin doesn’t understand at first. McMillin creates an image for herself that if she were Dorothy putting down roots in Oz would be in her best interests and that’s what she would do. She also stated “I accepted the fact that the girl was definitely lost and just wanted to get back home.” (McMillin, 35)
Auntie Em is the authoritarian figure in The Wizard of Oz, McMillin describes her mother to be the same way, barking orders, enforcing consequences and never saying please. “So when Dorothy’s auntie Em dismisses her and tells her to find somewhere where she’ll stay out of trouble.” (32) McMillin asks, “is there in fact such a place” (32) The effect of Auntie Em’s statement is awe inspiring for McMillin “I was always on the lookout for paradise” says McMillin and the characters relations led to more perceptive interpretations of the films cause’s and effect’s.
McMillan finds significance in the heart, courage, and a brain that Dorothy is helping the Lion, Scarecrow and Tin Man find. She gives examples of herself using all these characteristics. She demonstrates courage when she asks her mother to say “please.” McMillan uses her brain clearly when she said, “even a fool could hear that it was some kind of drudgery.” “I did not want to grow up and have to depend on someone else for my happiness or be miserable or have to settle for whatever I was dished out.” (31) She made up her mind, and chose to do something with her life at an early age. Her emotions demonstrate her heart when she talks about the more privileged white girls and wonders why she can’t always have what they have and always be happy as they are. The morals of the Wizard of Oz are what McMillan grew up on and she demonstrates them in her life and her writing.
The first question McMillan asks in her essay, The Wizard of Oz, was who else Dorothy had to play with besides her dog. With this question McMillan describes how she related to Dorothy in the way of loneliness or isolation. Later in her recount of the movie, The Wizard of Oz, McMillan wondered where Dorothy was going as she was running away. She thought there wasn’t anywhere for Dorothy to go. She also thought where herself might go if she were to run away. McMillan related to Dorothy in a lot of ways because she felt her life as a child was unjust or unfair. Next, McMillan’s curiosity questioned where Dorothy’s house was going to land when it stopped spinning during the tornado. When McMillan seen the dreamland the house dropped in she realized that the only way to escape was “to dream up another world, create your own.” She later recounts a childhood pastime as locking the her siblings out of the house when her mother was gone to escaped to a dreamland of her own.
Many of Dorothy’s traits were admired by McMillan as a child because she was able to connect her life with the life of Dorothy. The house McMillan lived in was similar to the house of Dorothy’s. The treatment McMillan received from her mother was similar to the treatment Auntie Em gave Dorothy. The isolation as described above.
McMillan later presenting her curiosity for the movie when Dorothy met the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion. She began to question why they were missing something she had never given any thought to before. McMillan began to realize the importance of having a brain, a heart, and courage. She began using traits such as respect to others, not be selfish, and to have courage.
Mcmillan identifies well with Dorothy. They both live rather dull lives which is represented in the movie by the black and white segment in the beginning. Both Dorothy and McMillan want to escape from the lonliness and isolation of their lives. The character of Auntie Em parrallels the personality of McMillan's mother who is described as bossy and domineering. This plays a factor in the relationship shared between Dorothy and McMillan and their combined desire to enter the land of Oz and meet interesting and friendly new characters. The scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion were all representing different qualities that Dorothy needed to find within herself: bravery, intellect, and virtue. The point at which Dorothy and McMillan differ is when Dorothy wants to go home to Kansas so quickly after ariving in Oz. McMillan would rather stay and experience a new environment. McMillan wanted to do more exploring of the place called Oz
McMillan identified with Dorothy, the movie starts with a feeling of isolation in the dust bowl fields in a gray colorless land where sadness seems to reign above all. Macmillan wanted to find out where Dorothy is going and where herself wants to go. Always Macmillan used Dorothy's point of view to describe certain parts of the film. It was almost as though MacMillan wants to be Dorothy, see and hear and even feel what she does. MacMillan is conflicted though because Dorothy is not thinking on the same lines as Macmillan. Why does her mind make a fake world with so much pain and unrest? why was it so hard to make it to the emerald city? And what's the deal with all the supporting characters needing certain items? But all the time Macmillan waits and watches because these differences and similarities make the story interesting for Macmillan.
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