The Wizard Of Oz
Read the following extract carefully:
The Lion thought it might be as well to frighten the Wizard, so he gave a large, loud roar, which was so fierce and dreadful that Toto jumped away from him in alarm and tipped over the screen that stood in a corner. As it fell with a crash they looked that way, and the next moment all of them were filled with wonder. For they saw, standing in just the spot the screen had hidden, a little old man, with a bald head and a wrinkled face, who seemed to be as much surprised as they were. The Tin Woodman, raising his axe, rushed toward the little man and cried out, “Who are you?”
“I am Oz, the Great and Terrible,” said the little man, in a trembling voice. “But don’t strike me—please don’t—and I’ll do anything you want me to.”
Our friends looked at him in surprise and dismay.
“I thought Oz was a great Head,” said Dorothy.
“And I thought Oz was a lovely Lady,” said the Scarecrow.
“And I thought Oz was a terrible Beast,” said the Tin Woodman.
“And I thought Oz was a Ball of Fire,” exclaimed the Lion.
“No, you are all wrong,” said the little man meekly. “I have been making believe.”
“Making believe!” cried Dorothy. “Are you not a Great Wizard?”
“Hush, my dear,” he said. “Don’t speak so loud, or you will be overheard—and I should be ruined. I’m supposed to be a Great Wizard.”
“And aren’t you?” she asked.
“Not a bit of it, my dear; I’m just a common man.”
“You’re more than that,” said the Scarecrow, in a grieved tone; “you’re a humbug.”
“Exactly so!” declared the little man, rubbing his hands together as if it pleased him. “I am a humbug.”
“But this is terrible,” said the Tin Woodman. “How shall I ever get my heart?”
“Or I my courage?” asked the Lion.
“Or I my brains?” wailed the Scarecrow, wiping the tears from his eyes with his coat sleeve.
“My dear friends,” said Oz, “I pray you not to speak of these little things. Think of me, and the terrible trouble I’m in at being found out.”
“Doesn’t anyone else know you’re a humbug?” asked Dorothy.
“No one knows it but you four—and myself,” replied Oz. “I have fooled everyone so long that I thought I should never be found out. It was a great mistake my ever letting you into the Throne Room. Usually I will not see even my subjects, and so they believe I am something terrible.”
“But, I don’t understand,” said Dorothy, in bewilderment. “How was it that you appeared to me as a great Head?”
“That was one of my tricks,” answered Oz. “Step this way, please, and I will tell you all about it.”
He led the way to a small chamber in the rear of the Throne Room, and they all followed him. He pointed to one corner, in which lay the great Head, made out of many thicknesses of paper, and with a carefully painted face.
“This I hung from the ceiling by a wire,” said Oz. “I stood behind the screen and pulled a thread, to make the eyes move and the mouth open.”
“But how about the voice?” she inquired.
“Oh, I am a ventriloquist,” said the little man. “I can throw the sound of my voice wherever I wish, so that you thought it was coming out of the Head. Here are the other things I used to deceive you.” He showed the Scarecrow the dress and the mask he had worn when he seemed to be the lovely Lady. And the Tin Woodman saw that his terrible Beast was nothing but a lot of skins, sewn together, with slats to keep their sides out. As for the Ball of Fire, the false Wizard had hung that also from the ceiling. It was really a ball of cotton, but when oil was poured upon it the ball burned fiercely.
Before Oz is revealed, he is known as the "Great and Terrible." This extract, however, abruptly exposes him as a "little old man" and a "humbug."
Your Task
Discuss how the author uses contrast and character reactions to create a strong sense of irony in this pivotal scene.
💡 Writing Tips
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When identifying irony, look for the discrepancy between appearance and reality. Think about:
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- What was the prevailing belief about Oz? What language was used to describe him previously?
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- How is his physical appearance and behavior different from this expectation?
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- How do the characters' exclamations (e.g., "I thought Oz was...") directly highlight this contrast?
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- What is the emotional effect of this sudden revelation on the reader and the characters?
📝 Sample Answer
The author masterfully employs contrast and character reactions to generate powerful irony in this scene. Previously, Oz was an unseen, awe-inspiring, and feared figure, referred to as the "Great and Terrible." The visitors expected a formidable being, perhaps a giant head, a beautiful lady, a terrible beast, or a ball of fire—each manifestation conveying immense power and mystery. However, the unexpected tipping of the screen reveals a "little old man, with a bald head and a wrinkled face," who speaks in a "trembling voice" and pleads, "But don't strike me—please don't." This immediate physical and vocal contrast between his fearsome reputation and his vulnerable reality is highly ironic. The travelers' astonished exclamations – "I thought Oz was a great Head," "I thought Oz was a lovely Lady," etc. – directly highlight the profound discrepancy between their expectations and the pitiful reality. Their 'surprise and dismay' underscore the humorous yet disappointing irony of their long journey culminating in the discovery that the all-powerful wizard is, as the Scarecrow declares and Oz admits, nothing but a "humbug," a deceptive trickster. The entire revelation subverts the established grandeur, creating a sense of both comedic relief and profound disappointment through this striking use of situational irony.
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