“It was Toto that made Dorothy laugh, and saved her from growing as gray as her other surroundings. Toto was not gray; he was a little black dog, with long silky hair and small black eyes that twinkled merrily on either side of his funny, wee nose. Toto played all day long, and Dorothy played with him, and loved him dearly.”— L. Frank Baum in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
What
if there were no Toto in The Wizard of Oz? The
1939 film, based on L. Frank Baum’s Oz
series, tells the story of a young girl, Dorothy, and her physical and psychological
journey toward self-realization. Toto,
her beloved little dog, accompanies her throughout the movie.
In fact, without Toto, there would be no journey at all.
Toto is Dorothy’s guide in her search for meaning and satisfaction. He
symbolizes the soul and intuition that ultimately reveal the greater truths
of life.
Toto’s
role in the story is deceptively significant. He is the initiator of all the
trustful risk-taking without which it would be impossible for Dorothy to grow.
If she does not venture forth into the unknown and learn to rely on her
instincts and intuition (in the guise of Toto), Dorothy’s life will be confining
and boring.
To
illustrate, let us assume for a moment that there is no Toto in the story.
Here’s how it goes: Dorothy is in the kitchen helping Aunt Em make crullers
for the farmhands. They tidy up,
maybe go collect eggs from the chickens, and do a few other chores around the
farm when they notice that a tornado is heading in their direction.
With no lost dog for Dorothy to find, she, her aunt, Uncle Henry, and
the farmhands, make it to the storm shelter in plenty of time.
They wait out the twister, emerge, and check the damage in the wake of
the storm, salvaging what they can. Life goes on in flat, black and white Kansas.
They hardly ever see Miss Gulch except at the general store where she
is kind of uppity and rude but only mildly annoying. We all know people like that.
Soon after Dorothy turns nineteen, she marries the son of a neighbor,
who eventually inherits his family’s farm.
The story continues, and maybe Dorothy has children, and probably more
than one because being an only child, without even a pet, is definitely a drag
Yes, Dorothy remains in Kansas, sadder and definitely no wiser. More than likely,
she turns out a lot like her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry and without the humor,
imagination and faith in herself she would have gained had she embarked on her
adventure with Toto. Dorothy’s life without Toto may not be as frighteningly
bleak and tragic as life in Bedford Falls would have been without George Bailey
in Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life,
but it certainly wouldn’t have been as fulfilling or exciting or empowering
as it turns out in the real story.
That
an animal, a dog, has the role of “intuition” is no accident.
Dogs are the symbols of loyalty; they are man’s (and woman’s) companions. Dorothy, who is humble and good intentioned, values these qualities
in her dog above almost everything else. Toto may be the thing she trusts most in her life.
He certainly brings her the most joy.
This embodiment of intuition remains, whenever possible, at Dorothy’s
side.
Except for Toto, everyone in the story who tries to help Dorothy is incomplete.
Good intentioned though they are, all have impaired ability to competently direct
Dorothy on her path. They offer
assistance with their heads (the Scarecrow and Auntie Em), their hearts (the
Tinman and Uncle Henry), and their fears (the Lion and the Wizard himself) demonstrating
how we fallible human beings make life a lot more complicated than it needs
to be. Only Toto acts with the
pure and unfettered instinct that helps Dorothy find her way. He leads her to
the experiences she needs to get there. If allowed to operate freely, his precious
intuition directs her to self-realization, not necessarily perfection—but definitely
to greater compassion, self-esteem and humility.
This road to personal power serves as one of the underlying themes of
the story.
In
the first scene of The Wizard of Oz, Toto and Dorothy are running toward home.
Miss Gulch, on her bicycle in hot pursuit, intends to take Toto away
from Dorothy. Toto disturbed her
garden and chased her cat. She has a warrant from the sheriff to take Toto away to be
killed. Elmira Gulch has
worldly power; she owns most of the community.
The reasonable, kind-hearted Uncle Henry realizes that there is nothing
he can do about the situation, even if it is unjust. The ever practical and grounded Aunt Em exclaims, “You don’t
have the power to run the rest of us!” She is declaring her faith that the power
of evil is false and can be overcome. That is Aunt Em’s contribution to Dorothy,
who integrates that basic faith into her own character.
Toto has stirred up trouble, but his actions determine the direction
the plot will take. He is “a menace
to the community.” The seeking
and finding of truth can often be a threat to evil or unfair laws. Many menaces,
such as acts of civil disobedience, lead to change and growth. Dorothy tries
to take responsibility for Toto’s trespass by offering to keep Toto tied up
and taking the punishment herself, but this transgression is the springboard
for Dorothy’s going out on her own, a risk so essential to Dorothy’s growing
up and coming into her own.
Miss
Gulch, already to Dorothy a “wicked old witch”, puts Toto in a basket and rides
away with him on her bicycle. Intention
and survival instinct are not easily stopped. Dorothy cannot ultimately be separated
from her God-given intuitiveness. Toto
escapes from the basket to return to her. Her subsequent reunions with Toto
make that point throughout the story.
With his return this time comes a temporary sense of relief to Dorothy,
but her troubles are far from over.
What
is the significance of Dorothy singing the poignant “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”
in Toto’s presence? Dorothy
reaches for something. She is just becoming conscious that she can possess the
power to create a better life. When Toto is with her, she is able to visualize
that life and imagine that power. She
feels a strength and comfort that follows her wherever she goes. Without him,
she feels lost with little hope that she will ever belong anywhere at all.
Dorothy is singing this song to herself, and Toto is that confident part
of herself that she is learning to trust.
Running away seems like the only answer, so Dorothy and Toto set out
down the road. They run into a carnival “soothsayer,” sort of a good-intentioned
charlatan who is not the least bit clairvoyant but whose power lies in his compassion
and understanding. When Toto steals a hot dog, the man comments, “From one dog
to another.” There is a kinship between this “wizard” and Toto.
Both he and Toto are self-reliant and insightful, although the wizard
does put on some affectation. This transparency is part of his charm. Years
of experience have given him a sense of acceptance and wisdom.
Toto, in contrast, is pure innocent instinct.
He demonstrates natural trust and faith that life will turn out as it
does. So in his wisdom, the wizard acknowledges Toto’s importance while at the
same time revealing his own humility. Using good intentioned trickery (common
sense, not really the amazing psychic abilities that Dorothy perceives), he
convinces this reluctant girl to return to the farm where, despite her dissatisfaction,
she realizes that she is loved and needed.
Dorothy’s conscience prevails, and she and Toto head for home just as
a tornado is gaining force and heading toward the farm.
Dorothy and Toto are unable to get to the storm cellar in time
so, they run into the house, where Dorothy gets knocked unconscious by falling
debris. Toto remains sentient, transcending all logic and belief.
He represents the psyche’s intrinsic ability to take over in a crisis.
She awakens and holds Toto tightly as images pass by the window. In the uprooted
and spinning house, the twister brings them into that strange and colorful realm.
Dorothy and Toto are together. Through
all this craziness, he is there to comfort her.
The house lands in Munchkinland on top of the Wicked Witch of the East.
Glinda, the beautiful Witch of the North, materializes in a bubble.
One wicked witch is dead, but the evil is unvanquished as the other one
emerges, and she is worse than the one that was killed. “Who killed my sister?
Was it you?” Dorothy insists
that it was an accident, but there are no real accidents in this story, only
acts of unconsciousness.
“I’ll
get you, my little pretty—and your little dog, too!” Those chilling words!
More important than anything to Dorothy is that she not be separated
from Toto, who is everything to her. (Toto:
in toto is Latin for “in all.”
Was that an intentional allusion or an unconscious one on the part of
Baum? That is the first mention
of the name “Toto” in literature that I am aware of.)
Glinda
makes sure that the ruby slippers securely fit on Dorothy’s feet as the destroyed
witch’s feet curl up and disappear under the house. These ruby slippers, with
their high heels, are a symbol of maturity and of personal power. Still Dorothy
is unaware of this as she and Toto set out along the Yellow Brick Road on the
way to see the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz to help her return to Kansas.
Toto is the first to notice the Scarecrow, who, like Dorothy, is dissatisfied
with his plight in life. No brain,
so he “thinks.” He’s a victim of self-deception; the Scarecrow’s problem is
really a matter of indecision, not lack of brains. Brains or the ability to
find the answer to problems is obviously but ironically his greatest asset.
Next the Tin Woodsman absurdly perceives that he has no heart although
his imagination absolutely belies that as he conjures up the most romantic and
sentimental images imaginable in “If I Only had a Heart.”
Toto helps Dorothy understand her own heart and soul.
Intimately connected to Dorothy’s primal instincts, Toto puts her in
touch with her own inborn knowingness by revealing the truth behind the numerous
illusions. Without Toto, Dorothy
would remain as naïve as ever. One
clear proof of how Toto reveals the actuality behind the deception throughout
the story is in the scene in which he exposes the Cowardly Lion.
He shatters the fearless façade of the Cowardly Lion, who can no longer
keep up his dishonesty. Dorothy
scolds the Lion “for picking on a poor little dog” after he chases Toto who
almost instantly points out the Lion’s cowardice. This is an instance of how
Toto is the catalyst that forces the truth to emerge.
Dorothy (with Toto), the Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Lion proceed
down the Yellow Brick Road to where they are hopeful that the Wizard of Oz can
provide them with what they lack. Shortly
after they get started, they encounter the Wicked Witch’s spell of the field
of poppies. Toto is the first to fall asleep.
Narcotics can dull intuitiveness; that is for sure.
Glinda conjures up the antidote, snow awakening the party, restoring
insight. The group continues toward the Emerald City.
“Somebody always helps that girl,” complains the Wicked Witch.
Good wins this first small tussle over Evil. Toto and the others awaken,
and off they go. With intuition renewed and intention refreshed, Dorothy, Toto,
the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion head toward the castle of the
Wizard of Oz.
The group approaches the Emerald City in Oz.
It is a land of blind faith, (of one dimension, of one color) and the
home of the Wizard, who Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Lion and the Tin Man have
come to believe, will solve their problems.
The doorkeeper (actually the Wizard himself) tells them that nobody SEES
the Wizard, but then he notices that they have started to lose hope and finds
compassion enough to change his mind and give them audience with “The Great
and Powerful Wizard of Oz.”
The blissfully ignorant citizens of the Emerald City lead them to refresh
themselves and tidy up. Unlike
the other characters, Toto is left as he is.
No costume changes at all! He is the only character that needs no alterations
in order to be presented to the Great Oz.
All the others manifest feelings of inadequacies, real or imagined and
need some “adjustment” before they face the Wizard of Oz .
The required task is to bring back the broomstick of the Wicked Witch.
Bewildered, fearful, and unsure of how they would accomplish this, off go Dorothy
and her friends. Meanwhile they
meet the Winged Monkeys, those picturesque perversions of instinct.
They are the Witch’s instinct—and a foil to Dorothy’s Toto.
Unnatural, they are almost powerless, though they initially do the Witch’s
will and abduct the party, including Toto.
But that is the full extent of their power.
These monkeys are sort of an ersatz instinct, and in the film portrayed
as scary-looking but kind of clueless. The Witch tries to direct them in contrast
to Dorothy who allows Toto to direct her.
The latter is a more effective arrangement. One of Dorothy’s most significant
strengths is her humility, her willingness to be helped by her own intuition
(i.e. Toto), whereas the Witch doesn’t really know whom or what to trust.
“Help, Toto!” Reaching out to him is the first thing Dorothy does whenever something goes wrong. “What a nice little dog,” understates the Witch as she unaware of Toto’s value. (Yes, he has it all: heart, courage, brains and the ability to ultimately help Dorothy save herself and the others.) Toto represents the Witch’s downfall; she can never really conquer him. Toto is the “thing about Dorothy” upon which the Witch blames all her problems. The Witch knows that by separating her from her dog, she can weaken Dorothy, take advantage of the situation and even dispose of her. A moment of truth emerges as the Witch asks Dorothy to sacrifice her ruby slippers for Toto, which she would willingly do, but by now, Dorothy is sufficiently self-aware to be able to hold on to both. She continues to have faith in her intuition and in her dog, and that gives her the power (that she is yet still not fully conscious of) so that the slippers hold fast to her feet.
Perhaps in a foreshadowing of her own demise, the Witch suggests that
Toto be drowned. “RUN TOTO RUN!” Dorothy yells as he escapes from the
castle. He climbs rocks and ledges
and does not give up until he accomplishes what needs to be done.
In the chamber without the actual presence of Toto in the scene with
her, Dorothy becomes more frightened, but she remains hopeful because Toto has
escaped from the Witch’s castle and can now orchestrate her rescue.
In the next scene, Toto finds the three characters who now, in their
predicament, are forced to confront their weaknesses and expose them for what
they really are—imagined projections.
This would probably never have happened had Toto not found them and pointed
out the opportunity. Their desire to save Dorothy mobilizes them. This is a
turning point in the characters’ lives.
Up until now, they had each perceived that they were missing something
integral to their wholeness: brains, heart, courage, and being satisfied to
live in the moment. They had come to believe lies about themselves. Finally here
they are forced to act without worrying or ruminating about their weaknesses.
There’s no time for that. For
only Toto is this never even an issue. The others lack the one thing that only
Toto possesses—complete trust in life and a ready sense of what to do next.
He just acts. Toto then leads them to Dorothy where they are forced to
use the very assets they think they need (courage, heart and brains) to get
to the chamber where she is captive. Dorothy
seizes Toto and runs. When Dorothy
is united with Toto, she feels complete.
There is a sense of relief that she has come home to herself.
When the Witch throws fire at the Scarecrow, Dorothy throws a bucket
of water to save the Scarecrow. (Is
that why later on Dorothy tells the Scarecrow that he’s the one she’ll miss
most of all?) The interdependence among people as it is shown among the main
characters is another underlying theme of the story. Dorothy’s act fortunately
not only extinguishes the fire; it also dissolves the Witch in sort of an anti-Baptism. Toto “does the honors” with the ritual of pawing at the remains
of the Witch to tangibly affirm that she has really been reduced to nothing
but her cloak and that good has finally triumphed over evil. Fear is dead, self-trust
is restored, and the danger is finally over.
With the Witch’s broomstick, the group returns to Oz to collect their
reward, but the Wizard, who reneges on his promise—that is until Toto reveals
the truth, dashes their hopes. “Pay
no attention to that man behind the curtain!” roars the Wizard.
Through this action, Toto indicates to the Scarecrow, the Tinman, the
Cowardly Lion and Dorothy that they have been looking to the wrong source for
their fulfillment and self-acceptance.
Toto is the guru! This persistent
little terrier has revealed that the truth is found through intuition.
After Oz admits to being an incompetent Wizard but a good man, the deception
starts to unravel. His intentions
are kind. Even he discovers more
of his own power by acknowledging his humanity. The strength of the Wizard as
a man is his ability to find empathy for the human condition, but he is human
and every bit as flawed as anyone else. Now he is able to allow others to discover
and accept their humanity. He also points out their assets. Toto has stripped
the mendacity from this by pulling aside the curtain.
The
Wizard’s words disclose that he was not, until this time, really aware of the
extent of his power. He finally admits his self-doubts and fear.
Ironically, he gains power by Toto’s forcing him to tell the truth.
He tells the story of how he initially landed in Oz by accident and was
scared (“I was petrified”). He wasn’t sure what to do next. The citizens of
Oz were looking for someone in whom to have faith, so he inflated himself to
the pompous Wizard of Oz.
The Wizard promises Dorothy that he will personally take her to Kansas,
the thought of which delights her. The
balloon reads: “State Fair Omaha.” Is
it possible that even if Dorothy and Toto did fly off in the Wizard’s balloon,
they’d have ended up in Nebraska instead of Kansas?
Once again, Toto determines the plot by jumping out of the balloon to
chase a Siamese cat. He forces Dorothy to depend on herself, as she would never
consider leaving without Toto. The
balloon and Wizard rise as Dorothy pleads with the Wizard to return for her
and Toto. The Wizard admits, “I
don’t know how it works!”—In truth he is no more powerful than Dorothy is herself!
Glinda returns as a reminder and as an inspiration to her.
“You have always had the power.”
“Toto, too?” “Toto,
too.” Glinda acknowledges that Toto is essentially a part of Dorothy, a young
woman who has grown up and no longer needs to depend on others to find her way
“home.” With Toto by her side,
she is forced to depend on herself, and that always brings her home, always
brings her to the truth.
“There’s no place like home. There’s
no place like home!” She clicks her heels together with Toto clutched in her
arms.
“Toto, we’re home!”
“We dream lots of silly things,” says Aunt Em, ever the pragmatist. Little does she know that this “dream”, this perhaps near death experience of Dorothy’s, has helped her grow tremendously as a person and bond even more tightly with Toto, her source happiness and imagination. With Toto’s help, she has learned to trust her intuition and to use her experience to realize that she is loved and that she has everything she needs. Without Toto’s existence and guidance, none of this would have ever happened.
@copyright Jill Arnel 2000