What is Jungian Theory/Critique?

    The Jungian approach to literary criticism encompasses a large array of terms and critiques. Simply put Jungian critique of literature has to do primarily with the archetypes of self, character archetypes, situational archetypes, and archetypal symbols within literature. It proceeds to analyze a certain character or multiple characters conscious and unconscious mind, as well as archetypical plots or stories present in many forms of media.










 

Carl Jung, creator of some of the best known psychological concept

What is the Wizard of Oz?

     The Wizard of Oz, a classic film that everyone and their mothers have watched. The film about a girl named Dorothy who travels the land of Oz to return to her Kansas home has lived in the hearts and minds of individuals both past, present and likely in the future as well. But what can Dorothy and the rest of the colorful cast teach us about ourselves? What deeper messages can the film reveal to us? Well, simply follow the proverbial yellow-brick road and all will be made clear.

Dorothy, The Witches and Jung

    
    Let’s jump right in with Dorothy Gale. As the main character of the film as well as the naïve girl that she is, she is the clear embodiment of the innocent character archetype. This is because her core desire is to get to paradise, which in this case is her home of Kansas. Her end goal in the film is to be happy and return back home, to the place she loves so much. She also embodies the classic hero archetype to some degree, being the protagonist in an archetypal monomyth story, more on this later. All good stories have some form of conflict or difficulty to overcome, this is often brought on by a particular character. In The Wizard of Oz, the part of the villain figure is played by that of the wicked witch of the west. She desires the destruction of Dorothy and her companions, as well as attaining the powerful ruby slippers. This is shown in the many ways in which she attempts to harm Dorothy and her allies. She attempts to light the scarecrow on fire on several occasions, sends a swarm of flying monkeys after them, and puts them to sleep in an attempt to halt their journey. All in all, not a good gal.

 

The witch sets the scarecrow on fire, this is a challenge Dorothy has to overcome

     Even with people like the wicked witch of the west residing in Oz there are plenty of “good” people as well. One such person is Glinda the good witch. She is the embodiment of the sage archetype, assisting and encouraging Dorothy along her journey. Glenda does so by advising Dorothy to keep her ruby slippers on, as it will protect her from the wicked witch of the west. She also tells Dorothy to follow the yellow-brick road to the emerald city, where the wizard that can help her get back home lives. She comes to her aid when the wicked witch places a sleep spell on her and in the end, ultimately helps Dorothy achieve her goal.

 

 

That’s Great...But So What?

   
     Let’s start things of with analyzing the kind of story that The Wizard of Oz is. The story that unfolds is often classified as a monomyth or ‘hero’s journey”, a type of archetypal plot. The plot is as follows. Firstly, is a call to adventure, Dorothy leaves the comfort of her home because she finds that Kansas is not where she wants to be, she’d rather be somewhere else, a place she thinks to be more beautiful and welcoming. After a series of events she finds herself in Oz, and this is where her journey begins. Secondly, is the road of trials, Dorothy undergoes many trials and tribulations throughout the film, mainly brought on by the wicked witch of the west. Next is to achieve the goal, Dorothy’s goal was to journey to the emerald city to find her way back home and at the end of her film she does so. The final part of the plot is to return home, to the ordinary world with a newfound lesson that can be applied to help improve the hero’s life or even the world itself. Dorothy completes the “hero’s journey” when she returns home and realizes that there is no place quite like it, and that it is where she belongs.
 
     By now you are asking yourself so what? Why is any of this significant? Well dear reader, Dorothy’s story is not unlike the lives of our own. We are the hero’s in our own stories with our own individual journey towards individuation, which is represented by the symbolic yellow-brick road. Along our journey we come in contact with obstacles like the wicked witch of the west, something that inhibits us from reaching our goal. From a Jungian perspective it would be an unconscious battle of our shadow, the darker, more malevolent parts of our psyche. But we also have ways to deal with that internal conflict using our persona. This is represented by Glinda the good witch, it is the ideal self we try to project into the world, what others deem acceptable, and what we strive to be.

The Witch represents Dorothy's shadow, the darker part of her psyche she is in conflict with

 
     Glenda is representative of the part of us that wants to be accepted, seen as beautiful, knowledgeable, and overall good. Lastly the end of Dorothy’s is representative of her, achieving individuation. The wicked witch of the west is defeated, symbolic of her coming to terms with her shadow. When the cowardly lion, tin man, and scarecrow achieve their goals, that represents transformation, it's the change that her ego undergoes on the way to individuation. The final process Dorothy undergoes is coming to terms with her persona. At the end of the film she begs for help from Glinda in order to return home to Kansas. Glinda replies by telling her that she doesn’t need her assistance and she had the power to achieve her goal by herself all along. This is symbolic of her acknowledging her persona and realizing she no longer requires it. In the end she achieves individuation, complete balance of all parts of the psyche. This is made clear when she returns home, and tells her family about what she learned in the land of Oz. Dorothy represents us and her journey represents our own lives. Her struggle represents our own day to day internal struggles. In conclusion, The Wizard of Oz teaches us about ourselves, to look a little deeper, and to come to terms with the different parts of our own psyche. It teaches us to go on our own journey’s, no matter how long or how difficult, and achieve our own goals, to achieve individuation.



The Witch is defeated and Dorothy comes to terms with her shadow




Dorothy no longer needs Glinda's help. This is her coming to terms with her persona.

                                                                                                                                                              (Here is  more info on Jungian theory and The Wizard of Oz synopsis can be found.)