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|first = ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]'' (1900)
 
|first = ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]'' (1900)
 
|gender =Female}}
 
|gender =Female}}
{{Quote |There's no place like home...|}}
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{{Quote |There's no place like home...|}}Dorothy Gale (1900)
Dorothy Gale (1900)
 
   
 
[[File:013-1~2~2~2~2~2~2~2.jpg|thumb|Dorothy and Toto in Kansas. By W. W. Denslow 1900.]]
 
[[File:013-1~2~2~2~2~2~2~2.jpg|thumb|Dorothy and Toto in Kansas. By W. W. Denslow 1900.]]
   
 
[[File:02-Judy-Garland-Wizard-of-Oz~2.jpg|thumb|Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale 1939.]]
 
[[File:02-Judy-Garland-Wizard-of-Oz~2.jpg|thumb|Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale 1939.]]
'''Dorothy Gale''' is a fictional character created by [[L. Frank Baum]], author and creator of the Oz Legacy. She is the orphan protagonist and adolescent heroine of Baum's first Oz book, ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]'', published in 1900 and which is considered one of the earliest American Fairytales written. The story begins with Dorothy, her name being the very first word of the very first chapter titled ''The Cyclone".''
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'''Dorothy Gale''' is a fictional character created by [[L. Frank Baum]], author and creator of the Oz Legacy. She is the orphan protagonist and adolescent heroine of Baum's first Oz book, ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]'', published in 1900 and which is considered one of the earliest American Fairytales written. The story begins with Dorothy, her name being the very first word of the very first chapter titled ''"The Cyclone".''
   
 
[[File:Dorothy-aleep-cyclone~2~2.jpg|thumb|Dorothy and Toto asleep in the storm. By W. W. Denslow 1900.]]
 
[[File:Dorothy-aleep-cyclone~2~2.jpg|thumb|Dorothy and Toto asleep in the storm. By W. W. Denslow 1900.]]
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[[File:Still-of-fairuza-balk-in-return-to-oz-(1985)-large-picture.jpg|thumb|Fairuza Balk as Dorothy Gale in ''Return to Oz'' 1985.]]
 
[[File:Still-of-fairuza-balk-in-return-to-oz-(1985)-large-picture.jpg|thumb|Fairuza Balk as Dorothy Gale in ''Return to Oz'' 1985.]]
 
*Dorothy's name is a loosely based version of "Theodore" which means "''Gift of the Gods''". "Dorothy", therefore, as a female companion to Theodore would translate to "''Goddess of Gifts''". ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' was written in 1900, so Dorothy was born before the twentieth century, in the late 1800s. In Baum's Oz series it states she was on June 10th. Coincidently, she shares her birthday with her iconic 1939 movie musical counterpart portrayed by [[Judy Garland]]. Like Garland, her Zodiac sign is ''Gemini''. Surprisingly, her last name "Gale" isn't revealed in Baum's original novel. Infact, it was not mentioned until the 1902 stage version of the story Baum created a few years after the book's publication and subsequent success; "''My name is Dorothy Gale. I'm one of the [[Kansas]] Gales. ''" To which the [[Scarecrow]] replies, "''Well, that explains your breezy manner. ''" In the later Oz books, Baum kept the last name but mercifully spared his readers the pun.
 
*Dorothy's name is a loosely based version of "Theodore" which means "''Gift of the Gods''". "Dorothy", therefore, as a female companion to Theodore would translate to "''Goddess of Gifts''". ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' was written in 1900, so Dorothy was born before the twentieth century, in the late 1800s. In Baum's Oz series it states she was on June 10th. Coincidently, she shares her birthday with her iconic 1939 movie musical counterpart portrayed by [[Judy Garland]]. Like Garland, her Zodiac sign is ''Gemini''. Surprisingly, her last name "Gale" isn't revealed in Baum's original novel. Infact, it was not mentioned until the 1902 stage version of the story Baum created a few years after the book's publication and subsequent success; "''My name is Dorothy Gale. I'm one of the [[Kansas]] Gales. ''" To which the [[Scarecrow]] replies, "''Well, that explains your breezy manner. ''" In the later Oz books, Baum kept the last name but mercifully spared his readers the pun.
[[File:Giphy-12.gif|thumb|Dorothy]]
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[[File:Giphy-12.gif|thumb|Dorothy 1939]]
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{{quote|Well, I think that it wasn't enough to just want to see Uncle Henry and Aunt Em, and it's that if I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own backyard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with. Is that right? |}}
 
{{quote|Well, I think that it wasn't enough to just want to see Uncle Henry and Aunt Em, and it's that if I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own backyard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with. Is that right? |}}
 
[[The Wizard of Oz]] (1939)
 
[[The Wizard of Oz]] (1939)
   
 
==Blame it on Toto!==
 
==Blame it on Toto!==
 
[[File:20190923_001542.jpg|thumb|180px|Dorothy 1985]]
{{Quote |Toto jumped out of Dorothy's arms and hid under her bed, and the little girl started to get him. Aunt Em, badly frightened, threw open the trap door in the floor and climbed down the ladder into the small, dark hole. Dorothy caught Toto at last and started to follow her aunt. When she was halfway across the room there came a great shriek from the wind, and the house shook so hard that she lost her footing and sat down suddenly upon the floor. A strange thing then happened. The house whirled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air. Dorothy felt as if she were going up in a balloon...|}}[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]] (1900)
 
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{{Quote |Toto jumped out of Dorothy's arms and hid under her bed, and the little girl started to get him. Aunt Em, badly frightened, threw open the trap door in the floor and climbed down the ladder into the small, dark hole. Dorothy caught Toto at last and started to follow her aunt. When she was halfway across the room there came a great shriek from the wind, and the house shook so hard that she lost her footing and sat down suddenly upon the floor. A strange thing then happened. The house whirled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air. Dorothy felt as if she were going up in a balloon...|}}
 
[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]] (1900)
 
[[File:015~2~2~2~2.jpg|thumb|Dorothy catches Toto in the eye of the cyclone. W. W. Denslow 1900.]]
 
[[File:015~2~2~2~2.jpg|thumb|Dorothy catches Toto in the eye of the cyclone. W. W. Denslow 1900.]]
[[Toto]] is actually the one to blame when he and Dorothy are swept away to Oz in the first place. If the sound of the cyclone hadn't sent him scrambling under the bed forcing Dorothy to fetch him, they would have been able to reach the storm cellar in time to be safe with Uncle Henry and Aunt Em. Life would have went on as it always did. But it weren't for Toto Dorothy would have remained just another irrelevant orphan girl living on a bleak and boring farm in the middle of nowhere.
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[[Toto]] is actually to blame when he and Dorothy are swept away to Oz in the first place. If the sound of the cyclone hadn't sent him scrambling under the bed forcing Dorothy to fetch him, they would have been able to reach the [[Cellar|storm cellar]] in time to be safe with Uncle Henry and Aunt Em. Life would have went on as it always did. But it weren't for [[Toto]] Dorothy would have remained just another irrelevant orphan girl living on a bleak and boring farm in the middle of nowhere.
[[File:Tumblr_ngr0g08JvR1u4p90no2_500.gif|thumb|Dorothy]]
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[[File:Tumblr_ngr0g08JvR1u4p90no2_500.gif|thumb|Dorothy 1985]]
==The Return of Dorothy: How Dorothy Gale Of Kansas Became A Princess of Oz==
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==The Return of Dorothy: How Dorothy Gale of Kansas Became a Princess of Oz==
 
{{Quote |This little girl, Dorothy, seemed to be just like any little girls you might know. She was loving and usually sweet-tempered, with chubby little hands, a round rosy face and big earnest eyes filled with awe. Life was a precious thing to Dorothy, and a magical thing, too, for she had encountered more mystical things in her short life than any other girl of her age. Her dear [[Aunt Em]] once said she thought the [[Fairies]] must have marked Dorothy's soul at her birth, because she had a habit of disappearing for long periods at a time, then suddenly reappearing again unharmed. It was as if Dorothy had always been protected by some unseen power. As for her old [[Uncle Henry]], he thought his little niece merely a dreamer, as her dead mother had been. He could not quite believe all the wild stories Dorothy told them of the magical place she called Oz, which she claimed to have visited several times. He did not think that she tried to deceive or lie to her uncle and aunt, but he guessed that she must've dreamed all of those astonishing adventures, and that the dreams had been so vivid and surreal to her, that Dorothy had honestly come to believe them all true. |}}[[The Emerald City of Oz]] (1910)
 
{{Quote |This little girl, Dorothy, seemed to be just like any little girls you might know. She was loving and usually sweet-tempered, with chubby little hands, a round rosy face and big earnest eyes filled with awe. Life was a precious thing to Dorothy, and a magical thing, too, for she had encountered more mystical things in her short life than any other girl of her age. Her dear [[Aunt Em]] once said she thought the [[Fairies]] must have marked Dorothy's soul at her birth, because she had a habit of disappearing for long periods at a time, then suddenly reappearing again unharmed. It was as if Dorothy had always been protected by some unseen power. As for her old [[Uncle Henry]], he thought his little niece merely a dreamer, as her dead mother had been. He could not quite believe all the wild stories Dorothy told them of the magical place she called Oz, which she claimed to have visited several times. He did not think that she tried to deceive or lie to her uncle and aunt, but he guessed that she must've dreamed all of those astonishing adventures, and that the dreams had been so vivid and surreal to her, that Dorothy had honestly come to believe them all true. |}}[[The Emerald City of Oz]] (1910)
   
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[[L. Frank Baum]]--(Circa 1907)
 
[[L. Frank Baum]]--(Circa 1907)
   
 
The many peoples Dorothy liberated and befriended had many more adventures after her departure. Each of her three traveling companions became the ruler of a country within the land.  The [[Scarecrow]] (with his new brains) temporarily became the King of Oz to rule over Oz's Imperial Capital a.k.a. the [[Emerald City]], until the long-lost rightful ruler, the [[Princess Ozma]], was eventually found. The [[Tin Woodman]] (with his new heart) replaced the [[Wicked Witch of the West]] and became the monarch emperor to rule over the [[Winkie Country]].  And last but not least, the [[Cowardly Lion]] (with his new courage) became King of the Beasts and went to live in the wildernesses of Oz to rule over the animal kingdom, later aided by his best beast friend the [[Hungry Tiger]].
{{Quote |Oh, but anyway, [[Toto]], we're home – home! And this is my room – and you're all here – and I'm not going to leave here ever, ever again, because I love you all! And...oh, Auntie Em, there's no place like home! |}}
 
''The Wizard of Oz'' (1939)
 
 
The many peoples Dorothy liberated and befriended had many more adventures after her departure. Each of her three traveling companions became the ruler of a country within the land.  The [[Scarecrow]] (with his new brains) temporarily became the King of Oz to rule over Oz's Imperial Capital a.k.a. the [[Emerald City]], until the long-lost rightful ruler, the [[Princess Ozma]], was eventually found. The [[Tin Woodman]] (with his new heart) replaced the [[Wicked Witch of the West]] and became the monarch emperor to rule over the [[Winkie Country]].  And last but not least, the [[Cowardly Lion]] (with his new courage) became King of the Beasts and went to live in the wildernesses of Oz to rule over the animal kingdom, later aided by his best friend the [[Hungry Tiger]].
 
   
 
Despite her vow to never leave home again, Dorothy made three more trips to the [[Land of Oz]] until ultimately deciding to reside there permanently. Each time Dorothy landed in a different enchanted neighbor country before returning to Oz proper.
 
Despite her vow to never leave home again, Dorothy made three more trips to the [[Land of Oz]] until ultimately deciding to reside there permanently. Each time Dorothy landed in a different enchanted neighbor country before returning to Oz proper.
   
*Dorothy is absent from ''[[The Marvelous Land of Oz]]'', the first Oz sequel, published in 1904, picks up shortly after the end of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''. It is hinted she is still in Kansas, recuperating at home with Toto after her adventure. Though mentioned several times, Dorothy does not make an official appearance until the third Oz book titled ''[[Ozma of Oz]]'', published in 1907. By the third book, [[Ozma]], the long-lost daughter of Oz's old deceased mortal king [[Pastoria]], has been found and reigns over the [[Emerald City]] and all the countries of the land. Ozma and Dorothy end up becoming best friends in the Oz series.
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*Dorothy is absent from ''[[The Marvelous Land of Oz]]'', the first Oz sequel, published in 1904, picks up shortly after the end of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''. It is hinted she is still in Kansas, recuperating at home with Toto after her adventure. Though mentioned several times, Dorothy does not make an official appearance until the third Oz book titled ''[[Ozma of Oz]]'', published in 1907. By the third book, [[Ozma]], the long-lost daughter of Oz's old deceased mortal king [[Pastoria]], has been found and reigns over the [[Emerald City]] and all the countries of the land. Ozma and Dorothy end up becoming best friends in the Oz series.
   
 
'''''Ozma of Oz (1907)'''''
 
'''''Ozma of Oz (1907)'''''
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==Age of Dorothy Gale==
 
==Age of Dorothy Gale==
 
 
{{Quote |While Dorothy stood looking eagerly at the strange and beautiful sights, she noticed coming toward her a group of the queerest people she had ever seen. They were not as big as the grown folk she had always been used to; but neither were they very small. In fact, they seemed about as tall as Dorothy, who was a well-grown child for her age, although they were, so far as looks go, many years older...|}}[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]] (1900)
 
{{Quote |While Dorothy stood looking eagerly at the strange and beautiful sights, she noticed coming toward her a group of the queerest people she had ever seen. They were not as big as the grown folk she had always been used to; but neither were they very small. In fact, they seemed about as tall as Dorothy, who was a well-grown child for her age, although they were, so far as looks go, many years older...|}}[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]] (1900)
   
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==Appearance and Mannerisms==
 
==Appearance and Mannerisms==
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[[File:20200307_121229.jpg|thumb|left|287px|Dorothy Gale as she originally appeared in ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' illustrated by W.W. Denslow]]
   
{{Quote|Dorothy had only one other dress, but that happened to be clean and was hanging on a peg beside her bed. It was gingham, with checks of white and blue; and although the blue was somewhat faded with many washings, it was still a pretty frock. The girl washed herself carefully, dressed herself in the clean gingham, and tied her pink sunbonnet on her head. She took a little basket and filled it with bread from the cupboard, laying a white cloth over the top. Then she looked down at her feet and noticed how old and worn her shoes were. “They surely will never do for a long journey, Toto,” she said. And [[Toto]] looked up into her face with his little black eyes and wagged his tail to show he knew what she meant.|}}[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]] (1900)
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{{Quote|Dorothy had only one other dress, but that happened to be clean and was hanging on a peg beside her bed. It was gingham, with checks of white and blue; and although the blue was somewhat faded with many washings, it was still a pretty frock. The girl washed herself carefully, dressed herself in the clean gingham, and tied her pink sunbonnet on her head. She took a little basket and filled it with bread from the cupboard, laying a white cloth over the top. Then she looked down at her feet and noticed how old and worn her shoes were. “They surely will never do for a long journey, Toto,” she said. And [[Toto]] looked up into her face with his little black eyes and wagged his tail to show he knew what she meant.|}}
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[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]] (1900)
 
[[File:Hqdefault-9.jpg|thumb|left|Judy Garland as Dorothy 1939]]
 
   
Baum describes Dorothy to have a merry laugh, chubby little hands, big earnest eyes filled with awe, and a round, rosy, sunburned face from living on the hot prairies of Kansas. Baum doesn't define Dorothy's appearance exactly in his text such as height, hair color and weight, but leaves it mostly open for the reader's imagination and overall interpretation. Yet in Baum's third Oz book ''[[Ozma of Oz]]'', the character named [[Princess Langwidere]] of [[Ev]] calls Dorothy "''Not exactly beautiful but still has a certain style of prettiness"''. So this hints Dorothy isn't the most gorgeous girl, but she's charming and attractive nonetheless.
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Baum describes Dorothy to have a merry laugh, chubby little hands, big earnest eyes filled with awe, and a round, rosy, sunburned face from living on the hot prairies of Kansas. Baum doesn't define Dorothy's appearance exactly in his text such as height, hair color and weight, but leaves it mostly open for the reader's imagination and overall interpretation. Yet in Baum's third Oz book ''[[Ozma of Oz]]'', the character named [[Princess Langwidere]] of [[Ev]] calls Dorothy "''Not exactly beautiful but still has a very certain style of prettiness and loveliness"''. So this hints Dorothy isn't the most gorgeous girl, but she is absolutely charming, pretty and attractive nonetheless.
   
 
Dorothy was first originally illustrated by [[W. W. Denslow]] to appear to be a chubby six to twelve-year-old. Her thick, long darkish hair is styled in her trademark braided pigtails that remain untied, being allowed to naturally fall freely without any bows or ribbons; giving her a "rough around the edges" and realistic farm girl look. Baum stated that Dorothy only had one proper dress, which was gingham pattern of faded blue and white checks. Denslow illustrated this dress to have long sleeves, and a yoke neckline with no waist. She is also illustrated as wearing a large pink bonnet on her head as described in the story to keep the sun out of her face. Later on, when Dorothy is in the Emerald City, she traded in her worn out gingham dress for a pretty silk one with little jingle bells that dangled at the hem.
 
Dorothy was first originally illustrated by [[W. W. Denslow]] to appear to be a chubby six to twelve-year-old. Her thick, long darkish hair is styled in her trademark braided pigtails that remain untied, being allowed to naturally fall freely without any bows or ribbons; giving her a "rough around the edges" and realistic farm girl look. Baum stated that Dorothy only had one proper dress, which was gingham pattern of faded blue and white checks. Denslow illustrated this dress to have long sleeves, and a yoke neckline with no waist. She is also illustrated as wearing a large pink bonnet on her head as described in the story to keep the sun out of her face. Later on, when Dorothy is in the Emerald City, she traded in her worn out gingham dress for a pretty silk one with little jingle bells that dangled at the hem.
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The look and feel and tone of ''Return to Oz'' was intended to give its audience a more surreal and realistic point of view of the magical [[Land of Oz]] and all its inhabitants and characters. Unlike the 1939 film it presented Oz as a real place instead a mere cameo-dream. This take on Oz displayed all of the dark and nightmarish aspects from the Oz books that the musical left out. Its plot was loosely based on Baum's second and third Oz novels ''[[The Marvelous Land of Oz]]'', published in 1904 and ''[[Ozma of Oz]]'', published in 1907. During its theatrical release in summer 1985, it received disastrous reviews by the critics for being too scary and intense for children. Unfortunately, it wasn't successful and was considered a controversial flop. But despite its failure to appeal to the public in the 1980s, it has been praised as the most faithful Oz adaptation ever made. It has gained a huge cult following of fans from all over the world even 30 years after its original making, proving that it is much more than a dark, avant-garde children's film.
 
The look and feel and tone of ''Return to Oz'' was intended to give its audience a more surreal and realistic point of view of the magical [[Land of Oz]] and all its inhabitants and characters. Unlike the 1939 film it presented Oz as a real place instead a mere cameo-dream. This take on Oz displayed all of the dark and nightmarish aspects from the Oz books that the musical left out. Its plot was loosely based on Baum's second and third Oz novels ''[[The Marvelous Land of Oz]]'', published in 1904 and ''[[Ozma of Oz]]'', published in 1907. During its theatrical release in summer 1985, it received disastrous reviews by the critics for being too scary and intense for children. Unfortunately, it wasn't successful and was considered a controversial flop. But despite its failure to appeal to the public in the 1980s, it has been praised as the most faithful Oz adaptation ever made. It has gained a huge cult following of fans from all over the world even 30 years after its original making, proving that it is much more than a dark, avant-garde children's film.
   
=== The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 1986 Anime ===
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=== [[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (anime)|The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Anime TV Series 1986]]===
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[[File:Dorothy-anime.png|thumb|Dorothy, 1986 anime TV series]]Dorothy is voiced by Morgan Hallet in the English version and Sumi Shimamoto in the Japanese version. Dorothy is the main protagonist  in all four story arcs of the series, including the second story arc based on [[L. Frank Baum|Baum's]] novel ''[[The Marvelous Land of Oz]]'', even though she is not in the novel.
In this TV series-Japanese adaptation of the Oz books, Dorothy wears magic white shoes instead of ruby or silver.[[File:Mago-de-oz.jpg|left|thumb|The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Japanese Anime. 1986-1987.]]
 
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Dorothy does not move to [[land of Oz|Oz]] or become a princess in the series, although in the fourth story arc, based on Baum's novel ''[[The Emerald City of Oz]]'', she is teaching [[Ozma]] etiquette to prepare her to become Queen of Oz, and helps with her coronation. She returns to her home in [[Kansas]] again with the help of Ozma's magic at the end of the series, but is happy that she can return to Oz any time she wants with Ozma's help.
   
 
=== The Dreamer of Oz 1990 ===
 
=== The Dreamer of Oz 1990 ===
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===Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz===
 
===Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz===
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[[File:Dorothy Gale (Dorothy & The Wizard of Oz Cartoon).jpeg|thumb|357x357px]]
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In this new series, Dorothy is voiced by Kari Wahlgren, and made a Princess of Oz.
 
In this new series, Dorothy is voiced by Kari Wahlgren, and made a Princess of Oz.
   
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==Quotes==
 
==Quotes==
 
{{Quote |I Am Dorothy, Dorothy Gale...from [[Kansas]]...|}}Dorothy Gale (1900)
 
{{Quote |I Am Dorothy, Dorothy Gale...from [[Kansas]]...|}}Dorothy Gale (1900)
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{{Quote |Auntie Em, Do you know what Miss Gulch said she was gonna do to Toto?|}}
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''The Wizard of Oz'' (1939) & ''Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz'' (2011)
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{{Quote |...a place where there isn't any trouble? Do you suppose there is such a place, [[Toto]]? There must be. It's not a place you can get to by a boat or a train, it's far, far away, behind the moon, beyond the rain...|}}
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''The Wizard of Oz'' (1939) & ''Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz'' (2011)
   
 
{{Quote |...Somewhere over the [[Rainbow|rainbow]], way up high, there's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby...|}}
 
{{Quote |...Somewhere over the [[Rainbow|rainbow]], way up high, there's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby...|}}
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''The Wizard of Oz'' (1939) & ''Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz'' (2011)
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{{Quote |Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore. We must be over the Rainbow!|}}
 
''The Wizard of Oz'' (1939)
 
''The Wizard of Oz'' (1939)
   
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{{Quote |We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz!|}}
{{Quote |...a place where there isn't any trouble? Do you suppose there is such a place, [[Toto]]? There must be. It's not a place you can get to by a boat or a train, it's far, far away, behind the moon, beyond the rain...|}}
 
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''The Wizard of Oz'' (1939) & ''Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz'' (2011)
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{{Quote|Lions and Tigers and Bears...Oh My!|}}
 
''The Wizard of Oz'' (1939)
 
''The Wizard of Oz'' (1939)
   
 
{{Quote |...It wasn't a dream. It was a place. And you and you and you...and you were there! But you couldn't have been could you? No, [[Aunt Em]], this was a real truly live place and I remember some of it wasn't very nice, but most of it was beautiful--but just the same all I kept saying to everybody was "I want to go home," and they sent me home! Doesn't anybody believe me? |}}
 
{{Quote |...It wasn't a dream. It was a place. And you and you and you...and you were there! But you couldn't have been could you? No, [[Aunt Em]], this was a real truly live place and I remember some of it wasn't very nice, but most of it was beautiful--but just the same all I kept saying to everybody was "I want to go home," and they sent me home! Doesn't anybody believe me? |}}
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''The Wizard of Oz'' (1939)
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{{Quote|Oh, but anyway, Toto, we're home – ''home!'' And this is my room – and you're all here – and I'm not going to leave here ever, ever again, because I love you all! And... oh, Auntie Em, there's no place like home!|}}
 
''The Wizard of Oz'' (1939)
 
''The Wizard of Oz'' (1939)
   
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''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900)
 
''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900)
   
{{Quote |That's no illusion, Toto! RUN!|}}
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{{Quote |That's where we landed on the Wicked Witch of the East.|}}
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''Return to Oz'' (1985)
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{{Quote |Look, Toto. We can fix this.|}}
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''Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return'' (2014)
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{{Quote |If only I knew how to fix it all I would, if only one heart all alone did any good, but i feel so small... what can I do at all... when the world has turned upside down.|}}
 
''Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return'' (2014)
 
''Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return'' (2014)
   
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''Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return'' (2014)
 
''Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return'' (2014)
   
{{Quote |This doesn't look like the Oz I remember.|}}
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{{Quote |I can't believe it, Toto. We're really back in Oz!|}}
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''Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return'' (2014)
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{{Quote |Toto, this doesn't look like the Oz '''I''' remember.|}}
 
''Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014)''
 
''Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014)''
   
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{{Quote |Oz has its leaders and the don't need this to rule!|}}
{{Quote|Oh my. Wasn't the land of Dizz wonderful? Now let's all celebrate together. Up on your feet everybody, and dance, dance, dance! Ha-ha!|}}
 
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''Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return'' (2014)
''Minnie's The Wizard Of Dizz! 2013''
 
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{{Quote |I'd love to stay, but I do think I'm ready to go home.|}}
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''Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return'' (2014)
   
 
{{Quote |Oh my. Wasn't the land of Dizz wonderful? Now let's all celebrate together. Up on your feet everybody, and dance, dance, dance! Ha-ha!|}}
{{Quote|...It wasn't a dream. Um, You were Blue, and you were Red, and you were Yellow. You're all in color and all so beautiful! Oh, it was a lot better.|}}
 
 
''Minnie's The Wizard Of Dizz!'' (2013)
M&M's Commercial (2004)
 
   
 
{{Quote |...It wasn't a dream. Um, You were Blue, and you were Red, and you were Yellow. You're all in color and all so beautiful! Oh, it was a lot better.|}}
"''Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies...''"
 
 
M&M's Commercial: And You Were There (2004)
   
 
==Background==
 
==Background==
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==Oz Gallery==
 
==Oz Gallery==
'''''The Many Faces Of Dorothy...'''''
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'''''The Many Faces Of Dorothy'''''
[[File:DorothyGale3rdgen.png|thumb|141x141px]]
 
 
<gallery navigation="true" position="center" widths="150" spacing="small" orientation="square" captionalign="center" captionposition="below" captionsize="medium" bordersize="medium">
 
<gallery navigation="true" position="center" widths="150" spacing="small" orientation="square" captionalign="center" captionposition="below" captionsize="medium" bordersize="medium">
006-214x300.jpg|The first illustration of Dorothy Gale and Toto. By W. W. Denslow 1900.
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006-214x300.jpg|The first illustration of Dorothy Gale and Toto by W.W. Denslow 1900
 
IMG_20141028_184447.jpg|Judy Garland as Dorothy test-shot 1939
 
IMG_20141028_184447.jpg|Judy Garland as Dorothy test-shot 1939
Thewizardofoz6.jpg|Dorothy Gale in Silver Slippers. By artist Charles Santote.
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Thewizardofoz6.jpg|Dorothy Gale in Silver Shoes by artist Charles Santote
 
IMG_20141228_030456.jpg|The picture of Dorothy and Aunt Em that Dorothy carried in her basket in the 1939 film
 
IMG_20141228_030456.jpg|The picture of Dorothy and Aunt Em that Dorothy carried in her basket in the 1939 film
 
DorothyGale3rdgen.png
Wiz-1.jpg|Dorothy in Silver Shoes.
+
Wiz-1.jpg|Dorothy in Silver Shoes
 
IMG_20150109_084617.jpg|Dorothy Gale and Toto as described in ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''
 
IMG_20150109_084617.jpg|Dorothy Gale and Toto as described in ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''
 
IMG_20150101_012145.jpg|The Council with the Munchkins by Michael Hague
 
IMG_20150101_012145.jpg|The Council with the Munchkins by Michael Hague
 
The-Wiz-Live-Shanice-Williams-as-Dorothy.jpg|Dorothy and Toto in ''The Wiz Live!''
 
The-Wiz-Live-Shanice-Williams-as-Dorothy.jpg|Dorothy and Toto in ''The Wiz Live!''
 
IMG_20141231_173348.jpg|Dorothy and Toto from the Marvel Comic Oz series
 
IMG_20141231_173348.jpg|Dorothy and Toto from the Marvel Comic Oz series
IMG_20141205_013305.jpg|Dorothy and Toto by W. W. Denslow circa 1900.
+
IMG_20141205_013305.jpg|Dorothy and Toto by W.W. Denslow circa 1900
Large-screenshot3.jpg|Return to Oz 1985.
+
Large-screenshot3.jpg|Return to Oz 1985
Ac17c217e10ab727c5c8ada68e9bddb4.jpg|Dorothy Gale.
+
Ac17c217e10ab727c5c8ada68e9bddb4.jpg|Dorothy Gale
103WizardofOz.jpg|Dorothy and Toto wear Green spectacles in Emerald City.
+
103WizardofOz.jpg|Dorothy and Toto wear Green spectacles in the Emerald City.
Wizardofoz-img-1.jpg|Dorothy Gale Anime.
+
Wizardofoz-img-1.jpg|Dorothy Gale Anime
 
156~2.jpg|Dorothy and Toto
 
156~2.jpg|Dorothy and Toto
I006~2.jpg|Dorothy Gale by John R. Neill.
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I006~2.jpg|Dorothy Gale by John R. Neill
5222479147_3dbfa429e2_b~2-1.jpg|Dorothy with Princess Mombi #1 in ''Return to Oz'', 1985.
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5222479147_3dbfa429e2_b~2-1.jpg|Dorothy with Princess Mombi#1 in ''Return to Oz'', 1985
 
IMG_20150111_194947.jpg|''Dreaming of Rainbows...''
 
IMG_20150111_194947.jpg|''Dreaming of Rainbows...''
 
IMG_20141224_224352.jpg|"''The Wiz''"
 
IMG_20141224_224352.jpg|"''The Wiz''"
 
IMG_20141228_190645.jpg|Fairuza Balk as Dorothy Gale
 
IMG_20141228_190645.jpg|Fairuza Balk as Dorothy Gale
 
IMG_20141028_184111-1.jpg|Princess Dorothy and Princess Ozma of Oz, Over the Rainbow...
 
IMG_20141028_184111-1.jpg|Princess Dorothy and Princess Ozma of Oz, Over the Rainbow...
IMG_20150108_034706.jpg|A modern day African-American Dorothy Gale.
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IMG_20150108_034706.jpg|A modern day African-American Dorothy Gale
 
51zQFUDx8RL._SY445_~2.jpg|This is Dorothy, the Magic begins...
 
51zQFUDx8RL._SY445_~2.jpg|This is Dorothy, the Magic begins...
 
IMG_20141231_170610.jpg|Garland as Dorothy
 
IMG_20141231_170610.jpg|Garland as Dorothy
 
IMG_20141122_221417.jpg|Dorothy and Toto by Evan Dahm
 
IMG_20141122_221417.jpg|Dorothy and Toto by Evan Dahm
IMG_20141117_094722.jpg|Dorothy and Toto alseep in the cyclone by Charles Santore
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IMG_20141117_094722.jpg|Dorothy and Toto asleep in the cyclone by Charles Santore
 
IMG_20141028_023807.jpg|Judy Garland Test Shots Circa 1938
 
IMG_20141028_023807.jpg|Judy Garland Test Shots Circa 1938
 
IMG_20141105_042036.jpg|Dorothy Gale in ''Return to Oz'' 1985
 
IMG_20141105_042036.jpg|Dorothy Gale in ''Return to Oz'' 1985
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IMG_20141027_005545.jpg|Dorothy, Toto, and the Scarecrow
 
IMG_20141027_005545.jpg|Dorothy, Toto, and the Scarecrow
 
IMG_20141027_041343.jpg|Trying on the Silver Shoes
 
IMG_20141027_041343.jpg|Trying on the Silver Shoes
The_Wizard_Of_Oz_by_Drew_Struzan.jpg|Ding Dong the Witch is Dead''!
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The_Wizard_Of_Oz_by_Drew_Struzan.jpg|Ding Dong the Witch is Dead!
 
File:IMG_20141027_031257.jpg|Dorothy and Princess Ozma in the Royal garden
 
File:IMG_20141027_031257.jpg|Dorothy and Princess Ozma in the Royal garden
 
IMG_20141027_031219.jpg|''It's All About Being Good, And Wearing The Right Shoes...''
 
IMG_20141027_031219.jpg|''It's All About Being Good, And Wearing The Right Shoes...''
 
IMG_20141027_031430.jpg|Dorothy Gale 1939
 
IMG_20141027_031430.jpg|Dorothy Gale 1939
206988-Dorothy-and-the-Witches-of-Oz.jpg|An adult Dorothy Gale moves to New York in ''Dorothy & the Witches of Oz'' film.
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206988-Dorothy-and-the-Witches-of-Oz.jpg|An adult Dorothy Gale moves to New York in ''Dorothy & the Witches of Oz'' film
 
IMG_20141125_214659.jpg|It's a Twister!
 
IMG_20141125_214659.jpg|It's a Twister!
 
IMG_20141029_150653.jpg|Walter Murch speaks to Fairuza Balk on the set of ''Return to Oz''.
 
IMG_20141029_150653.jpg|Walter Murch speaks to Fairuza Balk on the set of ''Return to Oz''.
480px-DorothyDG.jpg|The spirit of Dorothy Gale aka ''The First Slipper'', speaks to her. Granddaughter D.G. in Syfy's ''Tinman'' mini-series.
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480px-DorothyDG.jpg|The spirit of Dorothy Gale aka ''The First Slipper'' speaks to her granddaughter, D.G., in Syfy's ''Tinman'' mini-series.
 
480px-The-grey-world.jpg|Dorothy's Silver Shoes in Syfy's ''Tinman'' mini-series
 
480px-The-grey-world.jpg|Dorothy's Silver Shoes in Syfy's ''Tinman'' mini-series
 
Dorot.jpg|Dorothy melts Elphabla in ''Wicked''.
 
Dorot.jpg|Dorothy melts Elphabla in ''Wicked''.
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180px-Dorothy gale resize.jpg|Dorothy Gale by John R. Neill
 
180px-Dorothy gale resize.jpg|Dorothy Gale by John R. Neill
 
IMG_20141204_120219.jpg|Dorothy Gale and Toto by Lisbeth Zwerger
 
IMG_20141204_120219.jpg|Dorothy Gale and Toto by Lisbeth Zwerger
IMG 20140508 083133.jpg|Dorothy Gale by John R. Neill.
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IMG 20140508 083133.jpg|Dorothy Gale by John R. Neill
 
DOROTHY-1-1.gif|Dorothy, Billina, and Tik-Tok enter the ruined and abandoned Emerald City in ''Return to Oz''...
 
DOROTHY-1-1.gif|Dorothy, Billina, and Tik-Tok enter the ruined and abandoned Emerald City in ''Return to Oz''...
 
IMG_20141122_224151.jpg|''Legends of Oz''
 
IMG_20141122_224151.jpg|''Legends of Oz''
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Tumblr_lmne7mMM2Z1qiz3j8o1_400.gif|''There's No Place Like Home''
 
Tumblr_lmne7mMM2Z1qiz3j8o1_400.gif|''There's No Place Like Home''
 
IMG_20150202_183922.jpg|Dorothy daydreams.
 
IMG_20150202_183922.jpg|Dorothy daydreams.
IMG 20140609 110253.jpg|The Gale Farm by W. W. Denslow 1900
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IMG 20140609 110253.jpg|The Gale Farm by W.W. Denslow 1900
 
Dorothy-artbymaxschultz.jpg|digital collage by Max Schultz|link=http://society6.com/product/dorothy-of-kansas_print#1=45
 
Dorothy-artbymaxschultz.jpg|digital collage by Max Schultz|link=http://society6.com/product/dorothy-of-kansas_print#1=45
 
UnknownDorothyHat.jpg|Dorothy Gale Anime
 
UnknownDorothyHat.jpg|Dorothy Gale Anime
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Dfggytimage.jpg|Dorothy Gale AKA The Gray Gale AKA The First Slipper in "Tinman"
 
Dfggytimage.jpg|Dorothy Gale AKA The Gray Gale AKA The First Slipper in "Tinman"
 
Dorothy Codename Steam.png|Dorothy in the video game ''[[Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.]]''
 
Dorothy Codename Steam.png|Dorothy in the video game ''[[Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.]]''
 
Cyclones_to_Oz_1976_Mandarin_4-part_10_min_anime.jpg
  +
Img-114282-c9f88f5eef.jpg
  +
Dorothy Gale_(Dorothy & The Wizard of Oz Cartoon).jpeg| Dorothy Gale in the Dorothy & The Wizard of Oz
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
   
 
[[es:Dorothy Gale]]
 
[[es:Dorothy Gale]]
 
[[fr:Dorothy Gale]]
 
[[fr:Dorothy Gale]]
 
[[File:Cyclones_to_Oz_1976_Mandarin_4-part_10_min_anime.jpg|thumb|312px]]
 
 
[[Category:Oz Book Characters]]
 
[[Category:Oz Book Characters]]
 
[[Category:American visitors to Oz]]
 
[[Category:American visitors to Oz]]
 
[[Category:Heroines]]
 
[[Category:Heroines]]
 
[[Category:Traveler]]
 
[[Category:Traveler]]
  +
[[Category:Princesses]]
  +
[[Category:Females]]

Revision as of 03:53, 30 March 2020

"There's no place like home..."
―Dorothy Gale (1900)
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Dorothy and Toto in Kansas. By W. W. Denslow 1900.

02-Judy-Garland-Wizard-of-Oz~2

Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale 1939.

Dorothy Gale is a fictional character created by L. Frank Baum, author and creator of the Oz Legacy. She is the orphan protagonist and adolescent heroine of Baum's first Oz book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published in 1900 and which is considered one of the earliest American Fairytales written. The story begins with Dorothy, her name being the very first word of the very first chapter titled "The Cyclone".

Dorothy-aleep-cyclone~2~2

Dorothy and Toto asleep in the storm. By W. W. Denslow 1900.

Goddess of Gifts

Still-of-fairuza-balk-in-return-to-oz-(1985)-large-picture

Fairuza Balk as Dorothy Gale in Return to Oz 1985.

  • Dorothy's name is a loosely based version of "Theodore" which means "Gift of the Gods". "Dorothy", therefore, as a female companion to Theodore would translate to "Goddess of Gifts". The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was written in 1900, so Dorothy was born before the twentieth century, in the late 1800s. In Baum's Oz series it states she was on June 10th. Coincidently, she shares her birthday with her iconic 1939 movie musical counterpart portrayed by Judy Garland. Like Garland, her Zodiac sign is Gemini. Surprisingly, her last name "Gale" isn't revealed in Baum's original novel. Infact, it was not mentioned until the 1902 stage version of the story Baum created a few years after the book's publication and subsequent success; "My name is Dorothy Gale. I'm one of the Kansas Gales. " To which the Scarecrow replies, "Well, that explains your breezy manner. " In the later Oz books, Baum kept the last name but mercifully spared his readers the pun.
Giphy-12

Dorothy 1939

"Well, I think that it wasn't enough to just want to see Uncle Henry and Aunt Em, and it's that if I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own backyard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with. Is that right? "

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Blame it on Toto!

20190923 001542

Dorothy 1985

"Toto jumped out of Dorothy's arms and hid under her bed, and the little girl started to get him. Aunt Em, badly frightened, threw open the trap door in the floor and climbed down the ladder into the small, dark hole. Dorothy caught Toto at last and started to follow her aunt. When she was halfway across the room there came a great shriek from the wind, and the house shook so hard that she lost her footing and sat down suddenly upon the floor. A strange thing then happened. The house whirled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air. Dorothy felt as if she were going up in a balloon..."

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

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Dorothy catches Toto in the eye of the cyclone. W. W. Denslow 1900.

Toto is actually to blame when he and Dorothy are swept away to Oz in the first place. If the sound of the cyclone hadn't sent him scrambling under the bed forcing Dorothy to fetch him, they would have been able to reach the storm cellar in time to be safe with Uncle Henry and Aunt Em. Life would have went on as it always did. But it weren't for Toto Dorothy would have remained just another irrelevant orphan girl living on a bleak and boring farm in the middle of nowhere.

Tumblr ngr0g08JvR1u4p90no2 500

Dorothy 1985

The Return of Dorothy: How Dorothy Gale of Kansas Became a Princess of Oz

"This little girl, Dorothy, seemed to be just like any little girls you might know. She was loving and usually sweet-tempered, with chubby little hands, a round rosy face and big earnest eyes filled with awe. Life was a precious thing to Dorothy, and a magical thing, too, for she had encountered more mystical things in her short life than any other girl of her age. Her dear Aunt Em once said she thought the Fairies must have marked Dorothy's soul at her birth, because she had a habit of disappearing for long periods at a time, then suddenly reappearing again unharmed. It was as if Dorothy had always been protected by some unseen power. As for her old Uncle Henry, he thought his little niece merely a dreamer, as her dead mother had been. He could not quite believe all the wild stories Dorothy told them of the magical place she called Oz, which she claimed to have visited several times. He did not think that she tried to deceive or lie to her uncle and aunt, but he guessed that she must've dreamed all of those astonishing adventures, and that the dreams had been so vivid and surreal to her, that Dorothy had honestly come to believe them all true. "
The Emerald City of Oz (1910)
I052~2

Princess Dorothy by John R. Neill.

"My loyal friends--the children of the World, are responsible for these new "Oz Books". Their sweet little letters plead to know more about Dorothy Gale; and they ask ever so eagerly: "What became of the Wizard after he left?" and "What did Princess Ozma do afterward? "--meaning, of course, after she became the Ruler of Oz in The Marvelous Land of Oz. And some of them suggest plots to me, saying: "Please have Dorothy and Toto go to the Land of Oz again"; or, "Did Princess Ozma and Dorothy Gale meet, and did they have many adventures together?" I am glad to say that, yes, indeed, Dorothy did go back to that magical place and it is my duty as the Royal Historian of Oz to satisfy the demands of my Oz fans who desperately want to know more. I do enjoy telling these stories as much as the children enjoy reading them. Well, here is more about Dorothy, and about our old friends the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman and about the Cowardly Lion, and Princess Ozma, and all the rest of the Ozians. I do sincerely hope I shall get some more of those very inspirational letters from my faithful readers, telling me just how much they love Oz and all of its enchanting characters."

L. Frank Baum--(Circa 1907)

The many peoples Dorothy liberated and befriended had many more adventures after her departure. Each of her three traveling companions became the ruler of a country within the land.  The Scarecrow (with his new brains) temporarily became the King of Oz to rule over Oz's Imperial Capital a.k.a. the Emerald City, until the long-lost rightful ruler, the Princess Ozma, was eventually found. The Tin Woodman (with his new heart) replaced the Wicked Witch of the West and became the monarch emperor to rule over the Winkie Country.  And last but not least, the Cowardly Lion (with his new courage) became King of the Beasts and went to live in the wildernesses of Oz to rule over the animal kingdom, later aided by his best beast friend the Hungry Tiger.

Despite her vow to never leave home again, Dorothy made three more trips to the Land of Oz until ultimately deciding to reside there permanently. Each time Dorothy landed in a different enchanted neighbor country before returning to Oz proper.

  • Dorothy is absent from The Marvelous Land of Oz, the first Oz sequel, published in 1904, picks up shortly after the end of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It is hinted she is still in Kansas, recuperating at home with Toto after her adventure. Though mentioned several times, Dorothy does not make an official appearance until the third Oz book titled Ozma of Oz, published in 1907. By the third book, Ozma, the long-lost daughter of Oz's old deceased mortal king Pastoria, has been found and reigns over the Emerald City and all the countries of the land. Ozma and Dorothy end up becoming best friends in the Oz series.

Ozma of Oz (1907)

After the strain of having to rebuild a new farmhouse to replace the one carried away by the cyclone in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Uncle Henry's doctor orders him to take a break from all the hard work and labor of running a farm. Accompanied by his niece, Dorothy, they go on a sea voyage to Australia, leaving Aunt Em and Toto back in Kansas to look after the new farm. A fierce storm arises in the night and the strong winds, rain, and lightning toss the little ship violently over the waves. Dorothy and a yellow farm hen named Billina are accidentally thrown overboard. A wooden chicken coop that floating nearby saves their lives but they drift far off course and wash up upon the shores of Ev, an undiscovered, enchanted island located off the Oz continent, neighboring the magical land.  Both Oz and Ev are separated from the rest of the world by the Deadly Desert.

Come the sunrise, Dorothy and Billina crawl out of the coop to find they are on dry land. They find lunch pail trees full of food. They narrowly escape the bad-mannered creatures, the Wheelers. Dorothy finds a little golden key in the sand which unlocks a secret, hidden chamber close by. Inside they discover Tik-Tok, a mechanical man made of copper who runs on clockwork, able to walk, talk and think only when wound up.

Tumblr nm4a7krzdh1saaip8o9 250-1

O-Z

The three then visit the palace of the royal family and meet the pampered, vain, and badtempered Princess Langwidere, who, in a tantrum imprisons them in her palace tower.  Princess Ozma, the new ruler of Oz, rescues them.  Ozma, who by coincidence just happened to cross over the Deadly Desert from Oz to Ev on a Magic Carpet (thanks to the magical aid of Glinda the Good). Ozma's mission had originally been to rescue the Royal Family of Ev, who recently had been enslaved by the wicked Nome King.

Nor was Ozma traveling alone.  Aiding her were the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion who was accompanied by his new best friend the Hungry Tiger. The three Ozian kings immediately recognized their friend Dorothy and rescued her and her company from Langwidere. After successfully defeating the Nome King and winning his Magic Belt in a rigged guessing game, Ozma and Dorothy free the Royal Family. Everyone escapes the Nome King  because Bellina's eggs prove to be as fatal to Nomes as water was to the Wicked Witch of the West.

In the process of bringing Dorothy back to the land of Oz to reunite with all her other Ozian friends, Ozma and Dorothy became best friends, and Ozma invites Dorothy to come live in Oz permanently as an official Princess of Oz.  Missing her family, Dorothy regrefully declines a life of luxury in the Royal Palace of Oz within the Emerald City. but Billina the hen chose to stay and live there.  Dorothy chooses to return to Kansas to be with Toto, Uncle Henry and Aunt Em, but promises to Oz for visits from time to time. (Ozma of Oz)

Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (1908)

This time her return to our world sent Dorothy to Australia to be reunited with Uncle Henry. At the end of their Australian visit they they boarded ship to San Francisco. This time they were accompanied by Eureka, a stray white kitten they found and adopted on the way. In San Francisco, Dorothy met her cousin, Zeb Hugson, and his horse, Jim, who extended an invitation to visit their home. On the way to Hugson's Ranch an earthquake unexpectedly dropped Dorothy, Zeb, Eureka, and Jim deep into the cracks of the earth, eventually leaving them in another realm. Here, in a city made of all glass, was located the Land of the Mangaboos, whose the inhabitants ware not flesh and blood, but vegetables.

To her great surprise, Dorothy was reunited with none other than Oscar, the wonderful Wizard himself, who had fallen through when his balloon crashed and the earthquake hit. It did not take long to learn that the Mangaboo were not nice people at all, driving the uninvited visitors from their country. Thus began a subterranean journey through the Valley of Voe, where the company encountered the Braided Man on Pyramid Mountain; were briefly imprisoned by Gargoyles, and encountered a cavern full of Dragonettes. Eventually, cavern came to an end at which time Dorothy finally remembered that she was able to signal Ozma for help when it was an absolute emergency. Upon receiving the distress call Ozma quickly used the power of the Magic Belt (a tool of the Nome King) to bring them all to Oz. Where they spent a few days visiting and recuperating before deciding to return to San Francisco.

The Road to Oz (1909)

Some time later in August, the old and homeless Shaggy Man appeared at the Gale farm in Kansas. He was asking Dorothy for directions to Butterfield, the next closest town on the sun-baked prairie. Dorothy agreed to show him the way, and with Toto accompanying her (for the first time since the first book) the two left the farm with the Shaggy Man and set out to Butterfield. However, after walking for only a short time they somehow unknowingly entered another dimension and found themselves lost in an unknown enchanted land and clearly not in Kansas anymore. During this adventure the three met a cute little boy named Button-Bright who had been digging a little hole in the ground all by himself to pass the time. He told them that he had also accidentally lost his way, so Dorothy and Shaggy man invited Button Bright to come along with them on their trip. Soon, the group met the mystical and beautiful daughter of the Rainbow called Polychrome, who had accidentally fallen off her bow and Dorothy had become so enchanted by her, she asked Polychrome to stay with them. When Dorothy and all her new friends eventually passed through Foxville, where King Dox told them that Ozma's birthday party was in a few days. The travelers then made it their goal to find a way to Oz and passed through Dunkiton, met Allegro da Capo, escaped from the Scoodlers, and successfully crossed the Deadly Desert in a boat built by Johnny Dooit.

Arriving in the Land of Oz just in time, the travelers attended Ozma's birthday party, where a lavish banquet was held with the real Santa Claus as an honored guest. After the banquet, the Wizard performed many magic tricks for the party, and Santa Claus even took a tour of the Emerald City while riding upon the Sawhorse. After the celebration, Dorothy and Toto were returned safely home. (The Road to Oz)

The Emerald City of Oz (1910)

At the beginning of this story, it is made quite clear that Dorothy is in the habit of freely speaking of her adventures to her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. Neither of them believes a word of her stories, but consider her a dreamer, like her dead mother. Later, it is revealed that the new farmhouse that Uncle Henry had to build after the destruction that the cyclone caused on the farm back in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, has left Henry in terrible debt. He has taken out a mortgage and if he cannot repay his creditors, they will seize the farm. He is not afraid for himself, but both he and his wife, Aunt Em, fear very much for their niece's future. Dorothy quickly arranges with Princess Ozma to take them to the land of Oz, where they can all escape their troubles and will be safe. Using the power of the Magic Belt, Ozma transports them to the Royal Palace of Oz. There the Gales were given beautiful apartment suites to live in and were surrounded by many luxuries to enjoy, including a vast and complex wardrobe of fine jewelry and costumes of the most elegant fabrics. However, Uncle Henry and Aunt Em later chose to live a more simple, humble existence (for Oz at least) in a home on the outskirts of the Emerald City, as they were not used to city life and all the extravagance that came with it. Despite leaving the city, Henry and Em now live happy and content lives in Oz, and like their niece have become aristocratic immortals under the Royal Reign of Ozma. (The Emerald City of Oz)

(Princess Dorothy)

  • Dorothy's stories in Oz don't stop there, after moving to Oz permanently she does go on to have many more fantastical adventures in Baum's Oz books and the continued series started by authors John R. Neill and Ruth Plumly Thompson after Baum's death.
"Dorothy dressed herself in a long pretty sky-blue gown of rich silk, trimmed with a string of real pearls and sapphire gems. The buckles of her satin shoes were also sky blue and outlined with pearls shared with sapphires, and more of these priceless pieces were on a lovely silver coronet which she wore upon her forehead. “For,” said her friend Ozma, “from this time forth, my dear, you must assume your rightful rank as a Princess of Oz, and being my chosen companion you must dress in a way befitting the dignity of your position..."

The Emerald City of Oz (1910)

  • As a princess in Oz, Dorothy surprisingly maintains her innocent personality. Although she is proud of her title and position, she doesn't let it ruin her spirit. She instead remains as optimistic and wholesome as the Kansas girl she is at heart. Dorothy rather humbly accepts control of the Emerald City, hesitant to make rules on her own. She doesn't let power go to her head during these times and that is one of the many reasons why the citizens of Emerald City and the Ozians in general all love her.
"When the citizens of the Emerald City heard that Dorothy Gale had returned to Oz, everyone was quite eager to see her, for the little Kansas girl was an acclaimed heroine and a general favorite to the Ozians and rightfully so. For this little girl alone, had killed not only one, but two Wicked Witches who once dwelled in Oz not so long ago..."

The Emerald City of Oz (1910)

Age of Dorothy Gale

"While Dorothy stood looking eagerly at the strange and beautiful sights, she noticed coming toward her a group of the queerest people she had ever seen. They were not as big as the grown folk she had always been used to; but neither were they very small. In fact, they seemed about as tall as Dorothy, who was a well-grown child for her age, although they were, so far as looks go, many years older..."
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)
12257 1-1

Fairuza Balk as Dorothy 1985

Dorothy Gale is just like any other little country girl of her time, ordinary, average and a well grown child for her age. She is a full blooded American girl who has been brought up and raised in the heart of America. Her exact age is never given in the original book, and is not given in any of the sequel Oz books by Baum. Despite this mystery, Dorothy's official Birthday is said to be June 10th and it does hint how old Dorothy might be; Baum does clearly state that Dorothy is just a mere child, a "little girl" from Kansas, not a teenager nor young adult. So, her character is no older than twelve being that she obviously has not reached her teen years. In Baum's later Oz novel, The Lost Princess of Oz, published in 1917, it is stated that the character Betsy Bobbin is one year older than Dorothy, and the character Trot is a year younger. Then in the continued series The Giant Horse of Oz, by Oz author Ruth Plumly Thompson, published in 1928, it states that Trot is ten years old. That would make Dorothy Gale eleven years old by the time she goes to permanently live in Oz.

Appearance and Mannerisms

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Dorothy Gale as she originally appeared in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz illustrated by W.W. Denslow

"Dorothy had only one other dress, but that happened to be clean and was hanging on a peg beside her bed. It was gingham, with checks of white and blue; and although the blue was somewhat faded with many washings, it was still a pretty frock. The girl washed herself carefully, dressed herself in the clean gingham, and tied her pink sunbonnet on her head. She took a little basket and filled it with bread from the cupboard, laying a white cloth over the top. Then she looked down at her feet and noticed how old and worn her shoes were. “They surely will never do for a long journey, Toto,” she said. And Toto looked up into her face with his little black eyes and wagged his tail to show he knew what she meant."

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

Baum describes Dorothy to have a merry laugh, chubby little hands, big earnest eyes filled with awe, and a round, rosy, sunburned face from living on the hot prairies of Kansas. Baum doesn't define Dorothy's appearance exactly in his text such as height, hair color and weight, but leaves it mostly open for the reader's imagination and overall interpretation. Yet in Baum's third Oz book Ozma of Oz, the character named Princess Langwidere of Ev calls Dorothy "Not exactly beautiful but still has a very certain style of prettiness and loveliness". So this hints Dorothy isn't the most gorgeous girl, but she is absolutely charming, pretty and attractive nonetheless.

Dorothy was first originally illustrated by W. W. Denslow to appear to be a chubby six to twelve-year-old. Her thick, long darkish hair is styled in her trademark braided pigtails that remain untied, being allowed to naturally fall freely without any bows or ribbons; giving her a "rough around the edges" and realistic farm girl look. Baum stated that Dorothy only had one proper dress, which was gingham pattern of faded blue and white checks. Denslow illustrated this dress to have long sleeves, and a yoke neckline with no waist. She is also illustrated as wearing a large pink bonnet on her head as described in the story to keep the sun out of her face. Later on, when Dorothy is in the Emerald City, she traded in her worn out gingham dress for a pretty silk one with little jingle bells that dangled at the hem.

In the rest of the Oz books by Baum, the characters including Dorothy herself, are all drawn by john R. Neill and she is illustrated to be a thin, ten to twelve year old who has short blonde hair styled in a blunt bob. Neill's Dorothy also appeared to be a fashion forward young lady for her time, having good taste in clothing despite being described as a poor country farm girl. In the books, it is suggested that Dorothy matured and developed a fashion sense since her first trip to Oz. As it would be nearly four years until Baum would allow the character of Dorothy to return to the magical realm of Oz again. And once Dorothy is finally brought back into the Oz series, it's as if she's had a makeover.

Neill's Dorothy was illustrated wearing pretty dresses and fancy hats or oversized bows in her hair. And usually seen in polished dress-shoes, sometimes even carrying a matching fan or parasol to cool off with, or shade herself while in the hot sun. John R. Neill paid homage to W. W. Denslow's illustration of Dorothy Gale and Toto, specifically in Baum's fifth Oz novel The Road to Oz published in 1909. When Dorothy visits the Tin Woodman's castle, Dorothy stops to admire a tin statue made of her and Toto, appearing exactly as they did during the first adventure in Oz. The statue itself resembles Denslow's version of Dorothy.

  • Oz writer and illustrator Eric Shanower would later go on to base his own version of his Oz books, and comics on Neill's illustrations. His Dorothy also is shown to have short blonde hair, unbraided, in a short bob.
Dorothy

Dorothy and Toto from Legends of Oz

  • In the 2014 CGI fantasy film, Legends of Oz, Dorothy's Return, Dorothy's appearances is modernized and she wears a blue denim overall dress with brown leather country cowboy boots.

THREE TIMES A CHARM: The Silver Shoes From Oz---Not So "Ruby" After All...

  • Main Article Page: See Silver Shoes for further detailed information.
"You are very kind, but there must be some mistake. I have not killed anything in all my life!" said Dorothy. "Your house did, anyway," replied the little old woman, with a merry laugh, "and that is the same thing my child, see!" she continued, pointing her wand to the corner of the farmhouse. "That is all that is left." Dorothy looked, and the little girl gave a little cry of fright. There, indeed, just under the corner of the great beam the fallen house rested on, were two stocking feet shod in Silver Shoes with pointed toes. "

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

Baum intended the original character for Dorothy Gale to wear shoes of SILVER!!!! The Ruby Slippers were a mere invention for the 1939 musical movie as they felt red would stand out better on screen rather than silver in the primitive color process used during that era. Since Technicolor was something that was considered very new in that time, being used in films such as Gone With the Wind, (also made in 1939) they wanted to take advantage of the distinctive variety of colors that would be seen in the Oz picture, believing red would simply look better and be more "attention grabbing" to the audience.

The difference between the novel and film: In the MGM movie, after Dorothy clicks the heels of the Ruby Slippers, she wakes up in Kansas on her bed again while concluding that her trip to Oz was a mere dream or surreal delusion.

In Baum's book, Dorothy wore Silver Shoes designed in an Arabian/Dutch style with pointed toes and maryjane styled buckles. When Dorothy clicks her heels to go home, she holds Toto tightly in her arms and closes her eyes. Dorothy is then instantly lifted into the air and carried away. The shoes then took three steps, each step made within the wink of an eye and after rolling over upon the grass several times, when Dorothy reopens her eyes she finds herself on the great prairies of Kansas, but also barefoot in her stockings, the Silver Shoes...lost forever.

The explanation for this is that since the Silver Shoes are enchanted items they are stripped of the magic that holds them to Dorothy's feet when leaving the enchanted universe of Oz, explaining how they happened to slip off and drop into the Deadly Desert below during the flight back home. Since the desert turns any living thing that touches it to sand, once the shoes fell into the desert they ultimately were out of reach and became untouchable. Now, one might ask how it was that Dorothy herself didn't fall right into the desert too since the shoes magic would not work out of Oz. This is because she specifically commanded the pair to take her safely to Aunt Em who was in Kansas. Therefore the magic was obliged to do as it was commanded, even as the shoes went falling off and lost between the two realms that separates and divides Oz from all of the outside world to protect it and it's people from possible invasion and discovery.

"Dorothy now took Toto up solemnly in her arms, and having said one last good-bye she clapped the heels of her shoes together three times, saying: “Take me home to Aunt Em!” Instantly she was whirling through the air, so swiftly that all she could feel or hear was the wind whistling past her ears. The Silver Shoes took but three steps, and then she stopped so suddenly that she rolled over upon the grass several times before she knew where she was. At length, however, she sat up and looked about her. “Good gracious!” she cried. For she was sitting on the broad Kansas prairie, and just before her was the new farmhouse Uncle Henry built after the cyclone had carried away the old one. Uncle Henry was milking the cows in the barnyard, and Toto had jumped out of her arms and was running toward the barn, barking loudly. Dorothy stood up and found she was in her stocking feet, for the Silver Shoes had fallen off in her flight through the air and were lost forever in the desert..."

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

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Dorothy loses the Silver Shoes when she's teleported back to Kansas in three steps!

  • The Silver Shoes from Oz are the first magical item introduced in the story. Unlike the 1939 movie many other charmed items are placed into the plot of the book, for example: the magic Golden Cap. And even in Baum's other continuing Oz novels such as a Magic Belt, Ozma's Magic Picture and most notably the magic Powder of Life.

Dorothy Gale's Pets

  • Toto the "eventually" talking dog.

Interestingly, after the Gales leave Kansas to live in Oz permanently, it is revealed in Baum's eighth Oz book titled Tik-Tok of Oz, published in 1914, that Toto could talk. Since Oz is located in an enchanted realm filled with real magic, Toto had the ability to speak the entire time, even in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In the first story, he came to Oz while aloft in the Kansas cyclone with his mistress, Dorothy. When the farmhouse they were in landed, he was automatically given the ability to say actual words. But apparently, Toto simply prefers to only bark as he is so used to using barking as his way of communicating instead of speaking human words or sentences like all the other animals in Oz. Toto also chose not to talk so that he didn't lead on. Thus, gaining valuable clues and information in chaotic or stressful situations from those who did not think he could repeat to others what was said.

  • Billina the yellow talking Hen.

Billina was introduced in Baum's third Oz book titled Ozma of Oz, published in 1909. She is a yellow hen tossed overboard in a storm when Uncle Henry is traveling overseas on a ship to visit relatives in Australia while accompanied by his niece Dorothy, who was also thrown overboard when the storm hits. Dorothy, along with Billina were castaways, but found refuge in a chicken coop which drifted away to the shores of the enchanted land of Ev, a country that happened to neighbor Oz.

Billina is Dorothy's animal companion for this adventure, she temporarily fills in the role that Toto served in the first Oz book. Billina is portrayed as a very spunky, talkative chicken, with natural sass and attitude. She was originally named Bill because, she tells Dorothy, "no one could tell whether I was going to be a hen or a rooster ". Dorothy insists on changing the hen's name to a feminine form, and adds the "ina" to the end of Bill. Dorothy and Billina have several adventures before she defeats the evil Nome King, as only a hen can as Nomes are poisonous to eggs, as the Wicked Witch of the West was to water. At the end of the novel, Billina chose to stay in Oz permanently and settled in the Royal Palace of Oz within the Emerald City, which is under Princess Ozma's reign. Billina gives births to multiple baby hens whom she names all the boys "Daniel ", and the girls all Dorothy in Dorothy Gale's honor.

  • Eureka the pink and purple talking Kitten.

Eureka is a beautiful female kitten who was originally of all pure white. She was an abandoned stray but luckily, she was found by Uncle Henry, who he gave to Dorothy as a traveling gift, telling her that the name means "I have found it! " She is introduced in Baum's fourth Oz novel Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, published in 1910.

Eureka is portrayed to be a mischievous kitten, one who is feisty and catty, yet deep down she has a heart of gold. Dorothy starts out carrying Eureka in a small cage on a train with her to San Francisco to visit her relatives on their farm called Hugson's Ranch. While riding with Bill Hugson's nephew who is also Dorothy's cousin Zeb Hugson, an earthquake hit and opens a large chasm in the ground. Eureka falls down into the earths bowels and enters another dimension with Dorothy, Zeb, and his cab horse, Jim. The group found themselves in the glass city inhabited by the vegetable people called the Mangaboos. The strange lights in the Magaboos' magic carven make Eureka appear to be pinkish-purple. Thus, staining her permanently, and she becomes known as Eureka, the pink (sometimes purple) kitten.

Speckles is just an ordinary hen on Uncle Henry's Kansas farm that Dorothy took a liking to, yet not much is known about her except that she hatched a new brood of chickens.

  • Imogene the Cow

In The 1903 stage version of The Wizard of Oz and in Eric Shanower's The Giant Garden of Oz, Dorothy also owns a cow named Imogene.


Brains, Heart, & Courage: Character Analysis of Dorothy Gale

Specifically, before her arrival in Oz, Dorothy Gale leads an isolated life that is focused on her dog Toto and on her hardworking Uncle Henry, a seemingly very poor farmer, and his wife, Aunt Em, a submitting housewife. Dorothy is therefore somewhat of a strict homebody, who never leaves nor has ventured off of the bleak Kansas prairies. Nevertheless, she interacts in a civil manner, knowing how to be polite and behaving generously and honestly with others, despite her isolated lifestyle. Dorothy has a tendency to focus on pressing matters but has the patience to hold onto her dreams and is determined to make them come true. She cares about family and friends and is loyal to both, such as her Oz friends and Toto. Dorothy Gale is the very essence of the young at heart, especially for Americans and represents the childlike quality in us all.

Dorothy also finds the good in everything and continued believing in herself as well as others. Dorothy remains positive, humble, being usually sweet-tempered, compassionate and mature beyond her years. She is an optimistic dreamer, like her dead mother, and Aunt Em has suggested that the "Fairies" marked her soul at birth, since she has been protected and unharmed in all of her amazing and dangerous adventures through many strange and bizarre places. Dorothy symbolizes the Spiritual Orphan. She has no memory of her parents and differs from other female protagonists in European culture and other Fairytales because she does not need a prince or a man to rescue her. Many historians have said that Dorothy is the American version of Alice Liddell of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Like Alice, Dorothy was a little girl longing for something other than the boring routine of everyday life. Even after becoming an official Princess of Oz, Dorothy remained unspoiled and non-materialistic by all of the lavish riches and magical items surrounding her in the Royal Palace of Oz.

Dorothy is known to never look anyone or anything over. This is how she became friends with the Scarecrow, seeing him wink at her as she was passing by when on the Yellow Brick Road. She saw him as more than just a sack of straw and saved him from his bleak existence in the Munchkin cornfield. Soon after, Dorothy came across the Tin Woodman, seeing him more than just a rusted piece of tin deep within the Munchkin woods, and she saved him also. And when Dorothy and her newfound friends came across the Cowardly Lion in the dark forest, she saw him being so much more than a mere coward and bully. Dorothy saw the brains, heart, and courage in all three of her Oz friends, even though they could not see it in themselves.

And just like her three friends, Dorothy is smart, loving and brave.

BRAINS...

In the original book of 1900, when Dorothy set out on her journey to see the Wizard, she was smart enough to fill her basket with bread and butter from the cupboard of her farmhouse to keep her and Toto fed on the way to the Emerald City, keeping a white cloth over it to keep the bread from drying out. She even filled a pail of water to keep herself hydrated. Later, when she had defeated the Wicked Witch of the West, Dorothy took the magic Golden Cap that she had owned as she believed it may have come in handy. The charm compelled the creatures called Winged Monkeys, and the monkey we're all obliged to obey their masters' orders three times and three times only. Dorothy was smart enough to speak the incantation and ask the leader of the Winged Monkey to fly her back home to Kansas. But to her dismay, they were unable to cross over the Deadly Desert that surrounded Oz and could not leave the realm even if they desired to do so. Magical creatures cannot enter in the realms of civilized countries or lands such as America. This resulted in Dorothy having to travel to the south and seek out the help of the beautiful good sorceress named Glinda.

HEART...

When Dorothy first came to the magical Land of Oz, she was eager to find a way back to her home, as she was concerned for her uncle and aunt were okay back in Kansas after the cyclone hit and carried her away. This made Dorothy a thoughtful person, thinking of others safety and well-being other than just her own. And showed her throughout the story as remaining unselfish because she was worried that Aunt Em would go into mourning over Dorothy's long disappearance, and Uncle Henry not being able to afford the damage that the cyclone caused on the farm and the crops. In the iconic 1939 movie, Judy Garland's Dorothy was also ultimately unselfish. Despite running away from her unhappiness and troubles at home; when Dorothy discovered that her Auntie Em had been grief-stricken and dying of a broken heart, Dorothy realized she had made a mistake and spent the entire movie trying to find a way back home to get to her sick Auntie Em, as she was guilt-ridden.

COURAGE...

Despite being only a mere child, Dorothy is brave for a girl who was orphaned at a young age. She has confidence and a sense of self and will fight for what she believes in. For example: while halfway to the Emerald City, the Cowardly Lion is brought into the story; when he tried to attack Dorothy and her traveling friends in the forest, he also attempted to bite Toto. Dorothy was brave enough to defend her little dog, not fearing the Cowardly Lion, who Baum describes as being nearly as large as a full grown horse in size. Despite this Dorothy was not too scared to do the right thing and stand up for her helpless dog. In all of Dorothy's adventures in Oz, she seemed to have a maturity beyond her years and managed to take care of herself and Toto the best she possibly could. Dorothy was also portrayed as a natural hero unintentionally. She is seen overcoming being imprisoned for weeks and enslaved by the Wicked Witch of the West. This alone makes Dorothy a survivor.

Dorothy's character and personality traits are also generally of innocence and optimism. For she did not intentionally kill the Wicked Witch of the West on purpose, and when she learned that her farmhouse had accidentally killed the Wicked Witch of the East, Dorothy asked if there was anything that could be done to assist the crushed woman as she lay under the beam of the fallen house. Another positive and kind trait of Dorothy is that she is always very forgiving, for when she and her friends in Oz discovered that the great Wizard was nothing more than an old Humbug named Oscar Diggs, Dorothy forgave him and felt that he wasn't such a bad man, after all, just a very bad Wizard.

In Disney's 1985 cult classic film Return to Oz, The Nome King tries to manipulate and bribe Dorothy with a deal. He tells Dorothy that she could give up, and save herself and he will use the magic of the Ruby Slippers and send her back home again. He even promises to erase Dorothy's memories of Oz so she will never think of Oz ever again. Dorothy, having a confident character and sense of self, rejects the Nome King's offer and decides to do the right thing to help her friends who are all in trouble. Thus, continuing her brave quest of trying to save a nearly forgotten Oz and it's doomed people.

Immortality of Princess Dorothy

""But," said Dorothy, after a moment's thought, "Aunt Em has told me that the witches were all dead--years and years ago." "Who is Aunt Em?" inquired the little old woman. "She is my aunt who lives in Kansas, where I came from..."
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

Because the universe where the Land of Oz lies is filled with fairy magic, Princess Dorothy is forever immortal like all living things in Oz. Therefore she nor anyone else who reside there have to die. And with the help of Glinda, Princess Ozma, stopped the aging process in Oz forever. No one ever becomes deathly-ill or dies unless they are bad and evil like the Wicked Witches who once dwelled in Oz before Dorothy killed them. In Baum's later Oz books, Dorothy is in her late teens and even early twenties in the dozen sequels. But due to Oz's enchantment, Dorothy doesn't look a day older than she appeared to be when she decided to live in Oz as royalty decades prior, a truly disturbing element.

  • In the Oz book by author Ruth Plumly Thompson titled The Lost King of Oz, published in 1925, Dorothy is accidentally transported to Hollywood. When she arrives she begins to grow rapidly into a middle-aged adult woman in her mid 30's. While in Hollywood, she also meets Humpy, a friendly live stunt dummy, whom she brings back to Oz where she immediately forms back into her normal childlike self.

Family Tree of Dorothy Gale

  • As many Historians believe that Dorothy Gale was inspired by Alice Liddell from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass; unlike Alice, Dorothy did not live an upper-class and pampered Victorian lifestyle.

Dorothy has a rather fuzzy history, and while not necessarily dysfunctional, Dorothy does have a broken upbringing but otherwise little to no backstory. All Baum tells us about the history of Dorothy is that she is apparently an only child whose parents have died. We do not even know if Dorothy remembers them. She seemed to be a content if lonely little girl living in Kansas, she seems to have no friends her own age and is most likely home-schooled. Whether or not her Aunt and Uncle are blood-related is also unclear.

Most likely, Dorothy's Uncle Henry is her blood relative. In Baum's third Oz novel, Ozma of Oz, Dorothy and Henry are on a ship to see family in Australia to take a break from farming on doctor's orders due to the stress that the cyclone has brought upon Henry. Aunt Em stays behind in Kansas to look after the farm. In Baum's fourth Oz book, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, Dorothy is with Uncle Henry in California at Hugson's Ranch, on their way home from Australia, Dorothy having visited friends in San Francisco. She strikes up an acquaintance with Hugson's nephew and her second cousin, Zeb of Hugson's Ranch. These are probably Uncle Henry's relatives also. In the first chapter, Zeb tells Dorothy that his own uncle, Bill Hugson, married "your Uncle Henry's wife's sister". This seems to cement that Dorothy's blood relative is indeed Uncle Henry, since if she was related to Aunt Em, Zeb would have said "your Aunt Em's sister". Furthermore, in the second chapter of The Emerald City of Oz, Baum writes, "As for Uncle Henry, he thought his little niece merely a dreamer, as her dead mother had been." The wistful tone of this passage might be taken to suggest that Uncle Henry is Dorothy's mother's brother.

Unlike many versions of the story, in the original book Dorothy's Aunt Em does not seem to have a close relationship with her niece. She appears to be unable to find the joy in the small and simple things in life that Dorothy (being a child) still could. However, at the very end of the story, when Dorothy and Toto are sent home, Aunt Em is happy to see Dorothy has come back to her, indicating that she does have love for Dorothy after all.

In the opening chapter of his first Oz book, L. Frank Baum famously informs the reader that Dorothy is an orphan who lives with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry (In the 1902 stage adaptation of the book, she has a still-living father). Her family name, Gale, isn't mentioned in the books until the third one, Ozma of Oz. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are never identified as Gales in any of the Oz books (Henry is called "Henry Gale" in the 1939 movie based loosely on the first book).

In the 1985 Disney film Return to Oz, Henry's last name is "Blue". This result makes Dorothy's family relationship undetermined. However, Aunt Em mentions a sister named Garnet, who wouldn't be related to Dorothy directly.

In Syfy's Tinman miniseries, it is eventually revealed the character of D.G. is Dorothy Gale's great granddaughter. D.G. is sent to Oz in present day, over one hundred years after the real Dorothy came and made history by being the very first "Slipper" to cross over into the "Outer Zone" aka Oz.

In Disney's 2013 Oz-prequel to the 1939 musical Oz the Great and Powerful, the film is set thirty to forty years prior to when Dorothy's story takes place. A pre-Wizard Oscar Diggs aka "Oscar Oz", has an on again off again lover by the name of "Annie Gale" in Kansas. This hints that it is highly possible Annie is Dorothy's mother. She is also wearing a gingham dress of checks just like her unborn daughter Dorothy one day will.

In March Laumer's book Uncle Henry and Aunt Em in Oz and its companion, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry in Oz, their last name is Mankato. Also, differing accounts of Dorothy's parentage are given in both, and in the fourth-wall breaking A Farewell to Oz, Laumer himself asks her which account is true. Her answer is unfortunately not given. Elsewhere in Laumer's sub-series, she marries Zippiochogollak and has a son with him who goes on to teach at the Wogglebug's university.

In Aunt Em and Uncle Henry in Oz, Dorothy's mother, Ida Blake, was Aunt Em's sister. She ended her engagement to a man who worked in the main bank in Topeka after she fell in love with Robert Gale, who was helping to settle a strike at Ida's father's shoe factory. Angered, her ex-fiancé did everything he could to ruin the Blake family financially. Later, Ida's brother Charlie returned from a sea voyage and told Dorothy's parents of finding pearls on a South Seas island, convincing them that they could all get rich. Dorothy was left with Uncle Henry and Aunt Em, but after Bobby and Ida sailed away, they were never heard from again.

In Uncle Henry and Aunt Em in Oz, Dorothy's father, Lewis, was Uncle Henry's brother, and her mother, Marie, was Aunt Em's sister. Dorothy went to live with her aunt and uncle after her mother died. Soon afterwards, her father married the richest woman in Topeka, who couldn't stand to have Dorothy around, so her aunt and uncle continued to raise her. Mr. Gale's new wife helped him became president of one of the richest and most powerful banks in Topeka, and while under her influence, he foreclosed the mortgage on Uncle Henry's farm.

Baum's Character Inspiration

"Dorothy Gale" is a certified household name, it is the name belonging to one of the most beloved and well known characters of all time. But also one of the least discussed names of fiction. This is most likely due to Baum giving Dorothy little to no backstory. However, Oz's Dorothy was not the first Dorothy of L. Frank Baum's work. In Baum's first children's book titled Mother Goose In Prose, published in 1897 there is also another Dorothy who later would be unofficially identified as Dorothy Gale in Baum's Oz book. The name of Dorothy in general was also a very popular name at the time and many fictional characters were being given it. Such as Charles E. Carryl's Fairytale titled The Admiral's Caravan, published in 1891. Despite this fact, Baum later insisted that he did not base the character of Dorothy Gale on anyone in particular.

Many Historians believe that Baum's original influence on the creation of Oz's "Dorothy" appears to be the Alice of English author Lewis Carroll's Wonderland & Looking Glass books. It is highly possible that Baum took some of the personality traits of Alice and morphed them into his own for his character. He ultimately Americanized the character who would become known as Dorothy Gale.

Despite Baum stating Dorothy is not based upon anyone real, the name of Dorothy was most likely chosen in homage to Baum's own real-life niece, 'Dorothy Louise Gage', who died in infancy. Baum's wife was very attached to her and was deeply grieved by her death, so there is speculation that Baum inserted her name into his stories as a memorial. Elements of Dorothy Gale's character are possibly derived from 'Matilda Joslyn Gage', Dorothy's grandmother. Dorothy Gage is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Bloomington, Illinois.

Lee Sandlin, writes that L. Frank Baum read a disaster report of a tornado in Irving, Kansas, in May 1879 which included the name of a victim, Dorothy Gale, who was "found buried face down in a mud puddle."

Book Appearances

Dorothy does not appear in The Marvelous Land of Oz, Captain Salt in Oz, or The Silver Princess in Oz.

Other Oz-Related Books

In Magic Land

Magic Land is the Russian version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, originally titled: Волшебник Изумрудного Города.

The book was written by Russian author Alexander Melentyevich Volkov, published in 1939, the same year the MGM film starring Judy Garland as Dorothy was made. The adolescent girl protagonist based and modeled upon Dorothy Gale is named Ellie Smith. (Sometimes spelled Elly Smith in some printing versions) And the dog that serves as Toto is named Totoshka.

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Ellie Smith with her Magic Land Friends.

In this version, much of the story is the same as Baum's original story with only a few changes in the plots and most of the character's names are translated into Russian form.

Magician of Oz and sequels

Dorothy meets Jamie Diggs, the great-grandson of the Wizard at Glinda's palace. She receives a special gift of his friendship by Ozma, which represents the central theme of the book. Dorothy, along with Toto, accompanies Jamie who is declared the new Royal Magician of Oz, on his journey to battle the Army of Trees and casts her own Spell of the Stone Morels against the army of Morel Mushrooms who have sided with the Fighting Trees. (Magician of Oz)

Dorothy reunites with Jamie and meets his best friend, Buddy, when they arrive by balloon in the Emerald City. She joins them and even Ozma as they travel by balloon to explore the dark hole beneath the covered bridge in Winkie Country where the Shadow Demon was reborn. Her encounter with him while travelling by boat along the Winkie River provides Jamie a critical clue that sends him and Buddy to Mount Munch in order to save the Hyups from the Shadow Demon. (Shadow Demon of Oz)

Dorothy meets Jamie's mother, Amanda, along with two Hyups, Darlene and Heavenly. They travel to the Emerald City and reunite with the rest of Jamie's family and friends, all of whom have been transported to Oz by means of a magic box. Dorothy joins everyone as they travel south to the banks of the Munchkin River to watch the climatic battle against Cobbler the Dog, the mechanical pet of Tik-Tok, who was possessed by the evil remains of the Wicked Witch of the East. (Family of Oz)

Dorothy of Oz

Roger S. Baum continues the Oz series of his great-grandfather...

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Dorothy of Oz original book cover 1989

Roger S. Baum is the great-grandson of L. Frank Baum. In this story, the tale starts in Kansas. While Toto is barking at the chickens and Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are working on the farm, Dorothy is making her bed in the morning and takes a peek out her bedroom window to see a bright and beautiful rainbow in the distance. With Toto at her side, she rushes outside to try and catch it. When she finally reaches it, she then sees Glinda the Good Witch inside it. She tells Dorothy that she must return to Oz so that she can save her friends from an evil jester. She retrieved the Silver Shoes that Dorothy lost in the Deadly Desert on her flight back home from Oz after the first trip. She tells Dorothy that the desert has weakened the power of the shoes' magic, so they can only work two more times to take her to Oz and then back again before the charm officially dies. Dorothy uses them for her and Toto to go back to Oz and let the adventure begin. ("Dorothy of Oz")

Gregory Maguire's The Wicked Years 1995--2011

"She was up and running in an ungainly way, and her three goofy companions followed in a mounting panic. As the first few drops of rain fell, the Witch caught sight, not of the girl's face, but the shoes. Her sister's shoes! They sparkled, even in the darkening afternoon. They sparkled like yellow diamonds in the sun, embers of blood, and thorny stars..."
―introduction to Wicked (1995)

Author Gregory Maguire combined both the original character of 1900's Dorothy by Baum and the 1939 version of Dorothy portrayed by the late Judy Garland while adding his own traits into the character making it work for the story of Wicked. In Maguire's story she is portrayed as a good-natured child. She is practical, single-minded and even slightly boring. She also has a tendency to burst into song, which the Ozians find irritating to the point she is able to use it as a threat later in the book series.

Baum's Dorothy was around ten to twelve years old. Maguire also keeps her a mere child like in the original book, while also adding some of the personality traits and mannerisms of Judy's iconic portrayal of her who was sixteen when she played the role. And much like in the original story by Baum, Maguire confirms that her experience in Oz was indeed a real place and not a dream like it appeared to be in the 1939 film version.

In Wicked, Dorothy is not the focal point of the plot even though she does play a rather small but very important role, but only because the story could not exist without her. Dorothy is mentioned several times but is only involved in the chaos and drama towards the end of Maguire's tale. Dorothy is seen as a mere outsider who cannot read Oz's unique writing system, knows nothing about Oz's complex politics and overall system, laws or history.

Dorothy is oblivious to the world around her, as everything seems so magical and alien to her. Although she is well-meaning, mature for her age and very compassionate beyond her years, her innocence and unyielding desire to return to Kansas, causes a domino effect in the result of negative outcomes. And much-unwanted trouble and heartache for the main character of the book, Elphaba Thropp.

It is Elphaba's bad reputation as Dorothy does not know any better to think of Elphaba for anything other than what everyone else in Oz views her as, which is "Wicked". Even though Elphaba is not actually so, just misunderstood. But Dorothy, however, is not aware of this until she meets Elphaba in the Vinkus aka the "Winkie Country" at the Kiamo Ko castle when the Wizard sends Dorothy to kill her. In the 1939 film, the Wicked Witch of the West is a counterpart for the Kansas mayor named Almira Gulch who Dorothy calls a "Wicked Old Witch". However, in Wicked there is no indication if the character of Almira Gulch exists.

In both Baum's original children's book of 1900 and Maguire's 1995 mature revision, Dorothy attends a banquet party in Oz and spends her first night on the Yellow Brick Road at the house of a wealthy Munchkin named Boq who is the richest one in Oz. He held this celebration in honor of her for killing the Wicked Witch of the East and setting the Munchkins free from her bondage.

This was not portrayed accurately in the 1939 film but in Wicked it is revealed that the two characters discussed the etymology of Dorothy's name. Boq finds it interesting that it is the reverse of her land's "King" Theodore — which means "Gift of the Gods" — and that it means "Goddess of Gifts". This fact causes many of the superstitious Ozians to look at her as a saint in the flesh. And much like a disciple sent to Oz to fulfill a prophecy by the "Unnamed God". The fact that she wears Nessarose's magic shoes make the Ozians even more superstitious of her. And the coincidence her last name is the same of the Wizard's Army aka the "Gale Force" makes her nearly untouchable. Her disposition was so incredible to the Ozians, they imagined at one point that she must be an assassin, disguised as a "Gullible Sweetheart".

"Grimmerie? I don't know what your talking about. I am all alone in this strange land, don't make me do this!" Cried the girl. "I would give you the shoes, if I could. But they won't come off! I think Glinda put a spell on them, I've been trying to get them off for days and days. My socks are so sweaty it's not to be believed!"

Wicked (1995)

Wicked...

Towards the end of the novel, Elphabla finally orders her Flying Monkeys to capture and bring Dorothy and Brrr The Cowardly Lion to the Kiamo Ko castle. And just like in Baum's original book the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman are left behind in the dark, unforgiving night.

After an uncomfortable and disastrous meal, Elphaba pulls Dorothy into one of the castle's towers in an attempt to straighten things out. While also assuming she had to be tied into the tapestry of conspiracies in Oz, she confesses that the Wizard sent her to kill Elphaba, but Dorothy, being a mere child, simply cannot bring herself to do such a terrible task. Elphaba commands her to hand over the slippers, but they are enchanted under the protection of Glinda and will not come off. Dorothy explains that the Wizard himself even tried to pry them off before sending her to the Vinkus in exchange to be sent back home. Despite her efforts, they will not come off, Dorothy is magically locked tight inside of them, for better or worse.

As it became apparent, Elphaba briefly realizes that Dorothy reminds her much of herself, as both Dorothy and Elphaba are misunderstood, outsiders. Elphaba finally sees that Dorothy is just an innocent human girl from a different place who had been thrown into a world that she knew nothing about. But then Elphaba becomes physiologically and emotionally crippled by Dorothy's honest pleas for forgiveness for killing her sister.

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Elphaba Thropp confronts a frightened Dorothy in Wicked.

This pushes Elphaba to her psychological breaking point. She finally snaps and goes insane and this is when Elphaba accidentally sets herself on fire due to not paying attention to her surroundings. The hot sparks from a nearby candle caught on her long robes and black cape, setting her ablaze. Dorothy, seeing her in trouble, tries to save the woman and put out the fire by grabbing a nearby bucket of water that was collecting rainwater from a leak. Dorothy, not knowing water is fatal to Elphaba, tosses the bucket at her without a second thought. To her horror, it tragically melts her away, killing her by accident instead of helping her as Dorothy thought it would.

Son Of A Witch...

In the sequel Son of a Witch, the story picks up right after Elphaba's tragic death. Liir, (Elphaba's oddball son), accompanies Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and Brrr the Cowardly Lion back to the Emerald City to see the Wizard again after successfully completing their task.

While traveling through the Vinkus, Dorothy and the group all meet a shapeshifting Princess who is also the head leader of her native tribe. The Princesses name is Nastoya who appeared to the group as a human girl but was originally an elephant at birth. Nastoya explains to them all that because of the Wizard and his prejudice veiws against Animals, she disguised herself and vailed her true form as a clever shield of protection. Yet Nastoya confesses she is finding it increasingly difficult to switch forms which leads her to believe she is dying.

As so, Nastoya shockingly morphs herself and transforms right infront of Dorothy and her companions which is described to be revolting to watch as Nastoya's skin stretches and her bones shift and body mutates. Seeing this, Dorothy nearly vomits in her apron and Toto passes out in a nervous fit. In the third and final book of the Wicked series Out of Oz, it is revealed that an old Witch called "La Mombey" was the sorceress who placed the spell on her.

When Dorothy reaches the Emerald City Liir is told to wait outside the Wizard's palace while Dorothy and her friends step inside to speak with Oz. Despite her promise to come back to say goodbye before returning to Kansas, Dorothy forgets about Liir and leaves without a proper farewell, leaving Liir heartbroken. Despite this, Liir does not hold it against her because he understands how eager she was to get back home.

It is rumored by the Ozians that when Dorothy was sent home, she was seen descending up into the sky waving her apron and carrying that "damn fool dog".

A Lion Among Men...

In the third book in the Wicked series A Lion Among Men, Brrr the Cowardly Lion meets Dorothy when he abandons city life to live in the wilderness of Oz. He meets her on the yellow brick road when she is already accompanied by the Scarecrow and Nick Chopper the Tin Woodman. Brrr then goes with them to the Emerald City and to Kiamo Ko to kill Elphaba.

Out Of Oz...

"It would take Dorothy Gale and her relatives three days to reach the mountains by train from Kansas, the conductor told them. No matter what the schoolteacher had said about Galileo, Copernicus and those other spoilsports, any cockamamie theory that the world was round remained refuted by the geometrical instrument of a rattling train applied to the spare facts of a prairie. Dorothy watched eagles and hawks careering too high to cast shadows, she watched the returning larks and bluebirds, and she wondered what they knew about the shape of the world and if they would ever tell her. "

Out of Oz (2011)

In the fourth and final book of the Wicked series Out of Oz, it is explained that Dorothy is teleported home, flying over the magical Land of Oz and back to Kansas thanks to the power of Nessa's beautiful slippers. Unfortunately, she loses them when they fell off her feet on the flight back somewhere in between the universe that separates Oz from the civilized world. And just like in the original book by Baum, they are never recovered. Nevertheless, Dorothy reappears on the horizon, shoeless but still in one piece on the prairie, and of course, holding Toto in her arms.

Due to her extended disappearance and unexplainable survival from the cyclone, the other local children at the schoolhouse Dorothy attends, completely shun her and label her a freak of nature for riding the winds of a twister and living to tell about it, nonetheless suddenly reappearing out of nowhere months later.

To keep herself from feeling lonely, Dorothy takes up singing to hide the fact that no one at school would talk to her. And her tales of Oz only make her seem completely crazy, thus making her unmarriageable and "ungodly".

Six years later, Dorothy and Toto are unexpectedly sent to Oz by fate once again. But now she is approximately sixteen years old. Even though it has been less than a decade since her first visit in her world, it has been around twenty to thirty years in Oz's time.

Back in Kansas, Dorothy's relatives never believe her stories about Oz and criticize her for having her head in the clouds and sabotaging her future. To help her forget about Oz, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry decide to take a trip to San Fransisco on vacation. However, after sightseeing, Dorothy ends up being trapped with Toto in a motel elevator when an earthquake hits (believed to be the same California earthquake from 1906).

When the building collapses the elevator falls into the bowels of the Earth and into another dimension. It falls from the sky, accidentally lands on a cow, and kills it. And Toto is somehow lost in the process when he falls out of the elevator doors which are cracked just enough for him to slip through.

Dorothy is buried alive under all the rocks and pieces of the Earth that the earthquake brought down along with the elevator. Luckily, it is found by nearby locals who dig up and save her. She suffers from a temporary state of amnesia and a bump on her head which gives her a near concussion. She is taken in by strangers and nursed back to health. She spends many months recuperating from the traumatic event and slowly gains her memory back.

When Dorothy's health strengthens she realizes she is back in the Land of Oz again, specifically in the country of the Glikkus tribe. She learns that Oz has fallen into war and the Glikkun trolls extradite her to Munchkinland's new capital, Bright Lennins, where the new Eminence has her stand trial for the murders of saint Nessarose and saint Elphaba Thropp, calling it "regicide." She is imprisoned against her will and is used as a mere scapegoat who was left accountable for the deaths of the two Thropp sisters who died decades prior. And sure enough, the overall court case finds her guilty and she is sentenced. But to her surprise her old friend, Brrr aka the Cowardly Lion, came to her aid. He is also accompanied by Mr. Boss and Little Daffy who helped rescue her from her harsh sentence. They then immediately high tail it out of Munchkinland before "things get ugly". Eventually Brrr is made the governor of Oz until the long lost Princess Ozma comes of age to take the throne.

Dorothy is finally reunited with Toto whom she thought was dead and the Grimmerie book is used to send them back to San Francisco to see if Aunt Em and Uncle Henry survived the earthquake or not.

Birds of Prey by Bastian Phillips

Dorothy is the main antagonist of the non-canon Oz novella, Birds of Prey. Her appearance is much like that of the Judy Garland in the 1939 film adaptation, except her ruby slippers are replaced with a silver necklace adorned with a ruby. Dorothy is called "Gale" throughout the story, and she is presented as a vampire.

Wicked Musical

In the hit Broadway musical version of Maguire's book, also titled Wicked, Dorothy is never seen despite being referred to and talked to on stage. Only a silhouette is seen of a girl behind a screen who's presumed to be her, tossing a bucket of water on Elphaba aka The Wicked Witch of the West.

Dorothy: This Side Of The Rainbow

Dorothy Gale is all grown up in her self-reflective memoir...

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Vincent Begley's Book

Author Vincent Begley wrote a novel based off of the character of Dorothy. It is a Memoir that is written as if she was a real person. =It tells the world about her past, before she lived on the Kansas farm, and what happened after her trip to Oz.

This novel wasn't very successful, but most likely due to the fact it came out around the same time as Gregory Maguire's Wicked, which we all know was a huge success.

WAS (Novel)

WAS is a 1992 adult parallel Oz novel by author Geoff Ryman, in which the magical Land of Oz never existed as a real place. Instead, the novel explores the tragic, but very moving life of "Dorothy Gael" (in this version her last name really is spelled Gael), in 1800's Kansas, whose traumatic experiences with Aunt Emily and Uncle Henry after her mother's death lead her to create an imaginary and idealized world in her mind based on some of her real-life experiences as a way of coping with her harsh reality. ("Was")

Dorothy Must Die!

Dorothy Must Die is a 2014 young adult book by Danielle Paige and her debut novel. It shows a corrupt Dorothy who has usurped control of Oz and is hoarding all of it's magic for herself with the aid of Glinda and an equally corrupt the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion. A prequel, No Place like Oz, was released as an Ebook and showed the start of her corruption. At sixteen years old, she has grown tired of her Kansas life and is sent back to Oz via a new pair of red magic shoes made for and given to her by Glinda, an obvious homage to the iconic Ruby slippers. Once there, she becomes addicted to the power of the shoes and overthrows Princess Ozma.

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Book Cover

Dorothy Gale of Broadway

The first musical adaption of Oz was a Avant-Garde version loosely based upon the book and produced by Baum and Denslow (with music by composer Paul Tietjens) in Chicago in 1902 and moved to New York in 1903. Dorothy was portrayed by Theater Actress Anna Laughlin. In this stage version of Oz, many elements were left out due to being impractical for the time. For example: Dorothy does not wear Silver Shoes or any type of magic footwear.

The Wizard of Oz 1902 musical extravaganza Anna Laughlin as Dorothy

Anna Laughlin as Dorothy in the Avant-Garde Stage adaption of Baum's Oz book of 1900.

It used many of the same characters, and was aimed more at adult audiences. It had a long, successful run on Broadway. Baum added numerous political references to the script, mentioning President Theodore Roosevelt, Senator Mark Hanna, and John D. Rockefeller by name. Many existing songs that had nothing to do with the story were interpolated. Baum followed with two additional Oz musicals, The Wogglebug (1905) and The Tik-Tok Man of Oz (1913). Both were panned as rehashes rather than sequels; although Tik-Tok did better than The Wogglebug, neither made it to Broadway.

Film & Television Appearances

The Wizard of Oz 1939

Judy Garland is Dorothy Gale!

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Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale and Terry as Toto

Judy Garland was fifteen at the time she portrayed the twelve-year-old Kansas farm girl who gets swept away to Oz via cyclone. She turned sixteen on the set during the shooting of the movie as she began to develop into a curvy young woman. Despite being technically too old to play Dorothy as Baum intended his character in the book to be a little girl, even as a teenager Judy did portray a very good Dorothy of Kansas that captivated the world for decades to come. With her wide-eyed expression of an adolescent girl, Judy was perfect for the role. Thanks to her talented singing voice, she beat many other young actresses for the lead role such as Shirley Temple who was a loyal fan of Baum's Oz books, and was more close to the look and age of Baum's description of Dorothy. Judy was put on a strict diet and even given barbiturate drugs which would lead on to a life long battle of personal demons.

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Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, 1939

During shooting, Judy was forced to wear a special type of corset under her costume. It flattened out her curves by painfully binding her breasts down flat against her chest to make her appear as a twelve-year-old girl who was more innocent, underdeveloped and younger than her real-life age.

Journey Back to Oz 1974

In this animated little version of the Oz stories, Dorothy is swept back to Oz to find an evil Witch who wants to take over the land and the Emerald City. In this version, she is voiced by none other than Judy Garland's daughter, Liza Minnelli.

In fact, all the characters are voiced by an all-star cast such as the voice talents of the late Mickey Rooney and Margaret Hamilton.

Dorothy of The Wiz 1974-2015

In a different place, in a different time, different people around me, I would like to know of that different world, and how different they find me. And just what's a Wiz, is he big, will he scare me? If I ask to leave will the Wiz even hear me? How will I know then, if I'll ever get home again?- The Wiz (1974)

Dorothy toto pubshot

Stephanie Mills (1974)

Dorothy was portrayed by singer and actress Stephanie Mills in The Wiz. The production was such a success that it won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Viewers and critics loved Mills so much, that she reprised the role in 1984 and 1993.

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Diana Ross (1978)

In the film version, the role was given to singer and actress Diana Ross. She was far from Baum's description. She was criticized for being far too old to play the childlike character. The role was going to be given to Mills, but Ross begged for it. It was only when she took interest in Motown's film did eventual distributor Universal Studios take interest also. In the film Dorothy is portrayed to be a shy twenty-four-year-old kindergarten teacher who is lost in life. She is scared of the world and has no direction of her future. Her trip to Oz is a late-coming of age story as she faces her fears head-on.

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Ashanti (2008)

In 2008, the Off-Broadway City Center held a more urban, modern day musical production of The Wiz starring pop singer and R&B star Ashanti as Dorothy, reviving her role from The Muppets' Wizard of Oz . She received critical distain for the performance.

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Shanice Williams (2015)

Shanice Williams portrayed Dorothy Gale in NBC's 2015 special The Wiz Live!, while Stephanie Mills, who played Dorothy in the 70's Broadway run, played Aunt Em. In this story, Dorothy has just moved to Kansas from Omaha, Nebraska, after her parents died. When she struggles adjusting to her new town and school, she decides to try and run away back to Omaha. However, a tornado whisks her to Oz instead. There, she embarks on an adventure that helps her realize, "Home isn't where you live, it's where you love." At the end, she decides to stay in Kansas. Williams has expressed an interest in reprising the role of Dorothy on Broadway, and called this special, "an experiment auditioning", that she feels surprised and honored to have landed.

Return to Oz 1985

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Dorothy as seen in Return to Oz with Billina

In 1985, child actress Fairuza Balk would be the next girl to wear the iconic ruby slippers. Her first film was a television film called The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, directed by George Shaeffer. The next role she was to play was Dorothy in Disney's Return to Oz, now considered an official cult classic. She would later go on to have a rather successful acting career and star in many other films such as The Craft and The Waterboy.

Return to Oz is a semi-sequel film to the 1939 musical movie. Balk stars as the insomniac and melancholy Dorothy who can't stop thinking about her adventures in Oz and everyone she befriended or encountered there.

The look and feel and tone of Return to Oz was intended to give its audience a more surreal and realistic point of view of the magical Land of Oz and all its inhabitants and characters. Unlike the 1939 film it presented Oz as a real place instead a mere cameo-dream. This take on Oz displayed all of the dark and nightmarish aspects from the Oz books that the musical left out. Its plot was loosely based on Baum's second and third Oz novels The Marvelous Land of Oz, published in 1904 and Ozma of Oz, published in 1907. During its theatrical release in summer 1985, it received disastrous reviews by the critics for being too scary and intense for children. Unfortunately, it wasn't successful and was considered a controversial flop. But despite its failure to appeal to the public in the 1980s, it has been praised as the most faithful Oz adaptation ever made. It has gained a huge cult following of fans from all over the world even 30 years after its original making, proving that it is much more than a dark, avant-garde children's film.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Anime TV Series 1986

Dorothy-anime

Dorothy, 1986 anime TV series

Dorothy is voiced by Morgan Hallet in the English version and Sumi Shimamoto in the Japanese version. Dorothy is the main protagonist  in all four story arcs of the series, including the second story arc based on Baum's novel The Marvelous Land of Oz, even though she is not in the novel.

Dorothy does not move to Oz or become a princess in the series, although in the fourth story arc, based on Baum's novel The Emerald City of Oz, she is teaching Ozma etiquette to prepare her to become Queen of Oz, and helps with her coronation. She returns to her home in Kansas again with the help of Ozma's magic at the end of the series, but is happy that she can return to Oz any time she wants with Ozma's help.

The Dreamer of Oz 1990

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Courtney Barilla as Dorothy Gale. (circa 1990).

The Dreamer of Oz is the L. Frank Baum biopic from 1990. It is a made for television film that stars John Ritter as Baum, the author who wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and thirteen sequel Oz books. Annette O'Toole starred as his supportive and beautiful wife, Maud, and Rue McClanahan as his tough and stern mother-in-law, Matilda Gage. Then child actress Courtney Barilla starred as the real-life Dorothy.

The film tells how the book became a success and what gave Baum his inspiration when creating Oz and its characters.

The Muppets' Wizard of Oz 2005

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R&B Singer Ashanti as Dorothy Gale (2005)

In circa 2005, Walt Disney made for TV Oz special starring the legendary Muppets!

Dorothy is played by pop star and R&B singer Ashanti. In this version, she is a teenage orphan who works at Aunt Em's local diner. But she dreams of a glamorous life of the rich and famous and is eager to leave her small town trailer park existence behind, but only if she can finally get discovered and prove she has true talent.

After a tornado picks up her trailer and takes it to the realm of Oz, she embarks on a quest wearing Manolo Blahnik silver shoes in hopes of becoming a superstar and make all her dreams come true.

Syfy's Tinman 2007

In Syfy's TV miniseries Tinman, Dorothy is long dead. But her great-granddaughter, D.G., is swept away to the Outer Zone aka Oz now in present day and a hundred years later from when Dorothy aka the "First Slipper" first arrived. D.G. must find her real family and discover the history of who she truly was and is before Oz is taken over by darker forces more close to home than D. G. realizes.

Starring Zooey Deschanel, Neal McDonough, Alan Cumming, Raoul Trujillo, Kathleen Robertson, and Richard Dreyfuss, the miniseries is a continuation of the classic story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with science fiction and additional fantasy elements added. It focuses on the adventures of a small-town waitress named D.G. who is pulled into a magical realm ruled by the tyrannical sorceress Azkadellia. Together with her companions Glitch, Raw, and Cain, DG journeys to uncover her lost memories, find her true parents and foil Azkadellia's plot to trap the O.Z. in eternal darkness.

Dorothy and the Witches of Oz 2011

In this version, Dorothy is a children's author who moves to New York City to become a successful children's writer only to realize that her stories about Oz are more than just a fragment of her imagination. Dorothy is played by actress Paula Ana Redding.

Legends of Oz-Dorothy's Return 2014

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Legends of Oz (2014)

In this CGI animated film, Dorothy is given a more modern look as she trades her iconic blue and white look of gingham for denim overalls of blue and cowboy boots. She is Voiced by actress and singer Lea Michele, Dorothy Gale returns to Kansas to find it devastated. Dorothy then finds a new way to get back to the Land of Oz only to discover that her old friends-the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion-and the entire Land of Oz are all in grave danger. On Dorothy's new journey through Oz, she meets new friends like a china doll princess, a marshmallow man named Marshal Mallow, a large owl named Wiser, and an ancient tree-turned-tugboat named Tugg. With the help of her new friends, they band together against a wicked Jester who wants to control Oz by turning important people into marionettes. This movie is loosely based on the book Dorothy of Oz by Roger S. Baum.

Once Upon A Time

Main Article: Dorothy Gale

In the popular ABC TV show, Once Upon A Time, Dorothy gets carried to the :and of Oz via cyclone. When she introduces herself, she is thought to be the destined one to fulfill a important part of a prophecy regarding Oz's Witches from the South, West, North, and East. Zelena, aka the Wicked Witch of the West, felt threatened from Dorothy's arrival and became jealous of the girl which caused her skin tone to turn green, "green with envy". Later--when Zelena frightened Dorothy with a ball of flaming fire in her hand she tossed a bucket of well water at the Witch to put it out, but also melted her. Thinking Zelena was dead, Glinda the Good Witch of the South, took Dorothy to the Emerald City to seek the Wizard who was Zelena in disguise after surviving Dorothy's water attack. Zelena had turned the Wizard into a Flying Monkey to punish him for his dishonest ways.

Disguised as the Wizard, Zelena also gave Dorothy the magic silver shoes, and told Dorothy to click the heels together three times to be teleported back home and to get her out of the picture.

Lost In Oz 2015

In this modern animated take on L. Frank Baum's story, Dorothy Gale is joined by her best friend Toto as they explore the land of Oz. Dorothy makes new friends and battles enemies, as she tries to find her way home again. Dorothy is voiced by actress Ashley Boettcher.

That's 70's Show-Tornado Prom Episode

In the popular TV Sitcom That's 70's show, the conceited and vain Jackie Burkeart has a dream on her prom night which happens to be on the night a tornado hits her town. She dreams that she is Dorothy with her stuffed unicorn as Toto. Her look is based off of the 1900 illustrations by W. W. Denslow from the original book by Baum.

Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz

Dorothy Gale (Dorothy & The Wizard of Oz Cartoon)

In this new series, Dorothy is voiced by Kari Wahlgren, and made a Princess of Oz.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Barnyard Studios)

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Dorothy and Toto in Barnyard Studio's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

An independent and yet faithful adaption of Baum's envision of Oz. In this version Dorothy Gale is played by child actress Mariellen Kemp who's appearance as Dorothy stays extremely loyal to Baum's original character as well as all the other characters in this production of the 1900 book.

In Comic Literature

Marvel Comics...

The Classic American Fantasy Adventure gets the Merry Marvel treatment! Eisner Award-winning writer/artist Eric Shanower (Age of Bronze) teams up with fan-favorite artist Skottie Young (New X-Men) to breathe new life into L. Frank Baum's beloved story.

When Kansas farm girl Dorothy Gale and her pet dog Toto have swept away to the magical Land of Oz in a cyclone, she fatally flattens a Wicked Witch, liberates a talking Scarecrow, a man made of tin, a scaredy-cat Lion and is hailed by the Ozians as a great sorceress! But all Dorothy really wants to know is: how does she get home again?

Lost Girls...

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Lost Girls

Lost Girls is a graphic novel of erotic literature depicting the sexually explicit adventures of three important female fictional characters of the late 19th and early 20th century: Alice from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Dorothy Gale from The Wizard of Oz and Wendy Darling from Peter Pan. They meet as adults in 1913 and describe and share some of their erotic adventures with each other. The story is written by Alan Moore and Illustrated by Melinda Gebbie.

In writer Alan Moore's book titled Lost Girls, while trapped in her house during a cyclone, Dorothy Gale begins masturbating and experiences her first orgasm at the age of sixteen.

Dorothy survives the cyclone and later she has sexual encounters with three Kansas farm hands. Throughout most of the story, she refers to her "aunt" and "uncle", whom she later admits were her step-mother and step-father, who discover her affairs with the farmhands. Her step-father takes her to New York City, (a metaphor of Emerald City) under the pretense of seeking psychological help from a therapist. (Who is a metaphor for the Wizard), But on their way he has sex with Dorothy repeatedly. Dorothy feels guilty of destroying her father's marriage, (a metaphor for destroying the Wicked Witch) and runs away forever to travel the world and find a home. (A metaphor for "There's No Place Like Home").

Oz-Squad...

Oz Squad

Dorothy with the rest of the Oz Squad

Dorothy, now an adult years after her childhood adventures, has returned to the United States with her friends, the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman and Cowardly Lion. Unfortunately, some of their old enemies have returned as well, including the Wicked Witch of the East, now known as Rebecca Eastwich. (Oz Squad)

During this era, Dorothy has a son with Ozma, who they name Ozzy. (Oz Squad: March of the Tin Soldiers)

A Gothic Dorothy...

Dorothy comic

Dorothy is a jaded teenager who gets swept with her car to the Land of Oz. There, she meets a robotic dog named Toto, as well as her other companions. (Dorothy)

The Twisted Land of Oz (Spawn-Toys)

The Land of Oz gets pretty Twisted...

In a very dark and grim story, this adult and gothic version of The Wizard of Oz is indeed a twisted one. Dorothy is portrayed as a very innocent orphan who is also a fully developed yet sexually frustrated young girl in her late teens who has swept away to the land of Oz, a mysterious and psychotic realm of dark entities, sexual slavery, rape, mutant creatures and tortured souls.

Quotes

"I Am Dorothy, Dorothy Gale...from Kansas..."
―Dorothy Gale (1900)
"Auntie Em, Do you know what Miss Gulch said she was gonna do to Toto?"

The Wizard of Oz (1939) & Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz (2011)

"...a place where there isn't any trouble? Do you suppose there is such a place, Toto? There must be. It's not a place you can get to by a boat or a train, it's far, far away, behind the moon, beyond the rain..."

The Wizard of Oz (1939) & Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz (2011)

"...Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high, there's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby..."

The Wizard of Oz (1939) & Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz (2011)

"Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore. We must be over the Rainbow!"

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

"We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz!"

The Wizard of Oz (1939) & Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz (2011)

"Lions and Tigers and Bears...Oh My!"

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

"...It wasn't a dream. It was a place. And you and you and you...and you were there! But you couldn't have been could you? No, Aunt Em, this was a real truly live place and I remember some of it wasn't very nice, but most of it was beautiful--but just the same all I kept saying to everybody was "I want to go home," and they sent me home! Doesn't anybody believe me? "

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

"Oh, but anyway, Toto, we're home – home! And this is my room – and you're all here – and I'm not going to leave here ever, ever again, because I love you all! And... oh, Auntie Em, there's no place like home!"

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

"Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer's wife..."

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

"That's where we landed on the Wicked Witch of the East."

Return to Oz (1985)

"Look, Toto. We can fix this."

Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014)

"If only I knew how to fix it all I would, if only one heart all alone did any good, but i feel so small... what can I do at all... when the world has turned upside down."

Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014)

"You guys. Dragging me into a giant rainbow, really? It scared me."

Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014)

"I can't believe it, Toto. We're really back in Oz!"

Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014)

"Toto, this doesn't look like the Oz I remember."

Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014)

"Oz has its leaders and the don't need this to rule!"

Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014)

"I'd love to stay, but I do think I'm ready to go home."

Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014)

"Oh my. Wasn't the land of Dizz wonderful? Now let's all celebrate together. Up on your feet everybody, and dance, dance, dance! Ha-ha!"

Minnie's The Wizard Of Dizz! (2013)

"...It wasn't a dream. Um, You were Blue, and you were Red, and you were Yellow. You're all in color and all so beautiful! Oh, it was a lot better."

M&M's Commercial: And You Were There (2004)

Background

  • In Doctor Who, the seventh Doctor's companion, Dorothy Gale McShane (nicknamed "Ace") was named after Dorothy. Furthermore, like how a storm had sent the latter to the Land of Oz, a time storm sent Ace to an alien planet.

Oz Gallery

The Many Faces Of Dorothy