Chapters 7–12
Chapter 7: The Journey to The Great Oz
The group continues toward Oz but is troubled to hear “strange noises” coming from deep in the forest. The Lion whispers that Kalidahs, which are “monstrous beasts with bodies like bears and heads like tigers,” live in this part of the country. Suddenly, two Kalidahs appear, and the group hustles to cross a bridge they have constructed. The Lion turns and roars at the beasts, even though they outnumber and outsize him. When everyone in Dorothy’s group has safely crossed over, the Scarecrow instructs the Tin Woodman to cut the bridge. The Tin Woodman begins sawing at once, and just before the Kalidahs reach them, the bridge collapses. The beasts fall into the gulf.
As they continue their journey, they reach a river; the Tin Woodman begins to chop down small trees to make a raft as Dorothy rests and makes a meal of ripe fruit.
Chapter 8: The Deadly Poppy Field
When the raft is complete, the group boards, and the Tin Woodman and Scarecrow use long poles to guide it through the water. Soon, the Scarecrow is separated from the group when his pole becomes lodged in the mud, and he remains stuck atop it. After the friends reach shore, they employ the assistance of a Stork to retrieve the Scarecrow.
They continue walking and encounter a huge field of poppies but must hurry through the flowers; anyone who breathes the scent for too long falls asleep and cannot be awakened. Dorothy is quickly overcome with drowsiness and sits down to sleep; the Tin Woodman instructs the Scarecrow to help him get her back to the road of yellow bricks. When the Lion also begins to look quite sleepy, the others tell him that he must run as fast as possible out of the poppies because he is too big for them to carry.
The Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow carry Dorothy and Toto out of the flowers; when they are almost to safety, they pass the Lion, who has fallen asleep. Placing Dorothy beside the river, they wait for the fresh air to awaken her.
Chapter 9: The Queen of the Field Mice
The Tin Woodman notices a Wildcat chasing a little gray field mouse and decides to intervene; he cuts off the Wildcat’s head with one blow, which is a great relief to the little mouse. She thanks the Tin Woodman for saving her life and introduces herself as the Queen of all the Field Mice. The Queen’s subjects appear and ask if they can do anything to repay the Tin Woodman for his kindness, and he asks if they can help save the Cowardly Lion. After being assured that the Lion will not harm them, the Queen agrees and orders all her subjects to assemble immediately.
When Dorothy awakens, she watches the mice move the Lion to safety. Dorothy thanks the mice, and the Queen instructs them to simply return to the same spot and call out for assistance if they should ever need anything in the future.
Chapter 10: The Guardian of the Gate
The Lion awakens, and the group continues their journey toward Emerald City. As they get closer to their destination, they notice that their surroundings are increasingly green. When they reach the city gate, they observe that it is studded with emeralds. The guard who greets them is clothed in green and has greenish skin. When Dorothy explains that they have come to the city to meet with Oz, the guard warns them that if they have come on a “foolish errand,” the...
(This entire section contains 1289 words.)
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Great Wizard might destroy them all. The Scarecrow insists that their mission is not foolish and that they have been told that Oz is a “good Wizard.”
The guard requires each member of the group to wear spectacles to avoid being blinded by the brightness and glory of the Emerald City. Once these are locked on, they are allowed to enter.
Chapter 11:The Wonderful Emerald City of Oz
Inside the Emerald City, a soldier explains that each member will be seen privately; only one guest per day will be granted a visit.
Oz summons Dorothy on the first morning following their arrival. He appears as a huge head without a body and asks her why she has come. Dorothy explains that she wants to return to Kansas and needs his help. Oz notices her silver shoes, recognizing that they belonged to the Wicked Witch of the East; Dorothy explains that the witch died when Dorothy’s house fell on her. He also asks about the mark on her forehead, which is the kiss of the Witch of the North. Oz tells her he will help her if she kills the Wicked Witch of the West. Dorothy is greatly distressed by this prospect because killing someone is a task that she believes she can never do.
The following day, the Scarecrow is summoned for a meeting. This time, Oz appears as a lovely Lady. The Scarecrow explains that he wishes for brains, and Oz replies that he must kill the Wicked Witch of the West.
The Tin Woodman is called for his visit the following day, and Oz appears to be a terrible beast. When the Tin Woodman asks for a heart, Oz once again explains that he will need to kill the Wicked Witch of the West to receive assistance.
When the Lion is summoned the following day, Oz appears as a giant Ball of Fire. The Lion makes his request for courage, and he is told that he must kill the Wicked Witch of the West.
The group is disheartened as they realize that they must destroy the Wicked Witch of the West if they wish to see their desires granted. They decide to leave the following morning to begin their mission.
Chapter 12: The Search for the Wicked Witch
As Dorothy and her friends approach the Wicked Witch of the West, she sees them from afar and is greatly angered by their presence. She instructs wolves, crows, and bees to destroy the intruders, but the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow protect the group.
Livid, the Wicked Witch then calls upon a group of the Winkies, who are forced to be her slaves, and tells them to destroy the intruders. They must do her bidding, so they march to find Dorothy and her friends. When the Lion roars, they all run back to the castle as quickly as they can.
Desperate, the Witch retrieves her Golden Cap from the cupboard. Twice before she has used it to command the Winged Monkeys to obey her orders; this would be her final wish. She commands the monkeys to destroy all the intruders except the Lion, whom she plans to enslave.
The monkeys grab the Tin Woodman and drop him onto rocks, greatly damaging him. They pull all of the straw out of the Scarecrow and toss his clothes into the branches of a tall tree. They throw ropes around the Lion and fly him to the Witch’s castle. However, they refuse to harm Dorothy after seeing the mark of the Good Witch.
When the Witch sees the mark on Dorothy’s forehead, she is worried; these feelings intensify once she sees the shoes on Dorothy’s feet, and she becomes determined to possess them.
One day, the Witch successfully steals one of the shoes, which provokes Dorothy to call her an “evil creature.” When the Witch refuses to return the shoe, Dorothy throws a bucket of water on her. The woman cries out in fear and quickly begins to dissolve. Truly frightened, Dorothy apologizes as the Witch melts, then retrieves her stolen shoe and places it back on her foot.
Expert Q&A
In chapter 12 of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, what is the central idea and the associated literary technique?
In chapter 12 of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the central idea is that good is stronger than evil. The primary literary technique used to develop this idea is to cast the Wicked Witch of the West as the archetype of evil while Dorothy is cast as the archetypal innocent, representing the superior power of good.
What's a strong thesis statement for chapter 12 of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, using archetypes?
A strong thesis statement will introduce readers to how chapter 12 of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz helps the tale fit the quest story archetype. Within the chapter alone, Dorothy must overcome several obstacles toward achieving her greater goal, which is common to the quest story.
