WIZARD OF OZ (that is, Baum's book much more than MGM's film) has indeed
been interpreted as "about" Midwestern Progressivism - Oz being
Washington D.C., William Jennings Bryan represented in there somewhere
(the wizard I think), the scarecrow, the tin man and the cowardly lion
representing something like farming, industry, and hunting.  when i reread
the book, though, with this in mind, I could see the implications there,
but not too deeply integrated into the story structure - that is, if it is
a Midwestern allegory, it's not an incredibly well-articulated allegory
 
ray privett
 
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