Dorothy Gale

"I am Dorothy Gale from Kansas..."

―Dorothy Gale (1900)

"...somewhere over the Rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true..."

―Dorothy Gale (1939)

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

―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

"When Dorothy stood in the doorway of the farmhouse, and looked around, she could see nothing but the great gray prairie on every side. Not a tree nor a house broke the broad sweep of flat country that reached to the edge of the sky in all directions..."

―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

A Little Girl From Kansas...

"...Kansas she says is the name of the Star..."

―Munchkins of (1939)

Dorothy Gale is a fictional character invented by L. Frank Baum, author and creator of the Oz legacy. She is the main character of Baum's first Oz book titled 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' and is introduced in the first chapter as the story's child protagonist. Dorothy is a little girl from Kansas who also is an orphan living at a small and joyless farm on the prairies in circa 1900 with her Uncle and Aunt who are her guardians. She was transported to the magical Land of Oz in a Kansas cyclone that swept her up while aloft in the prairie farmhouse with her pet dog named Toto, who also accompanied Dorothy on her trip to Oz.

Baum's Character Inspiration

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' and 'Looking Glass' books. It is highly possible that Baum took some of the personality traits of Alice and morphed them into his own. He ultimately Americanized the character who would become known as Dorothy.

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." The fictional Dorothy's last name is never mentioned in 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' (1900) or 'The Marvelous Land of Oz' (1904), which are the first two Oz books, Marvelous being Wonderful's sequel.

Gale is finally disclosed in the third book by Baum in the story of 'Ozma of Oz' (1907).

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..."

―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

Dorothy Gale is just like any other little country girl of her time, ordinary, average, and a well-grown child for her age. Her exact age is never given in the original book. Her age is not given in any of the Oz books that were written by L. Frank Baum for that matter. Despite this mystery, 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 most likely has not reached her teen years. In the iconic MGM film, the legendary actress and singer, the late Judy Garland was made to be twelve when she portrayed the character of Dorothy Gale. Her age is never mentioned in the movie but her age on set was twelve. Garland herself was sixteen at the time the movie was made. Therefore she wore a special custom made corset under her costume dress that painfully bound her bosom and curves flat to give her a much more undeveloped, youthful appearance.

In Disney's 1985 live-action fantasy film 'Return to Oz', which intended to be much more loyal to the original Oz books and stayed faithful to Baum's source material. Dorothy was played by then child actress Fairuza Balk who was ten during filming. In Baum's later Oz novel, 'The Lost Princess of Oz', 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 Giant Horse of Oz', it states that Trot is ten years old. That would make Dorothy Gale exactly eleven.

The Land of Oz is enchanted with immortality, nobody has to die or age if they do not wish to. So overall, Dorothy Gale is probably going to remain closely around being ten, eleven or twelve years in age.

Dorothy Gale's Appearance

"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)

"At that moment Dorothy saw lying on the table the Silver Shoes that had belonged to the Wicked Witch of the East..."

―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

Baum describes Dorothy as having a round, rosy and slightly sunburnt face from living on the prairies, chubby little hands, big earnest eyes filled with awe, and a merry laugh. Dorothy was first originally illustrated by W. W. Denslow to appear to be a chubby six to twelve-year-old with her darkish hair styled in her trademark braided pigtails, wearing her iconic gingham dress of faded blue and white checks shod in her charmed Silver Shoes with pointed toes.

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 bob.

Neill's Dorothy also appeared to be a fashion forward young lady for her time, having good taste in clothing despite being 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. Neill's Dorothy was illustrated wearing pretty dresses and fancy hats or oversized bows in her hair. And usually seen in dress-shoes and sometimes even carring a fan and parasol to cool off with, or shade herself while in the hot sun.

In Baum's later Oz books that served as sequels to the original book of (1900), 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' (1909).

Three Times A Charm-The Silver Shoes, Not So Ruby After All...

Baum's Dorothy wore shoes of SILVER!!!!

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The House landed on a Wicked Witch!

In the original story, Dorothy Gale's charmed footwear which she used to send her and Toto home again at the very end of her journey, were NOT made out of sparkling rubies with bows covered in gems. In fact the shoes were not red at all, but made of real solid silver with pointed toes. The only thing the Ruby Slippers and the Silver Shoes both have in common is that they were once owned by the Wicked Witch of the East and will automatically take it's wearer wherever they wish to go by clicking the heels together three times and commanding the pair to teleport them to their desired destination.

Since the Shoes are enchanted, charmed items, they cannot be taken out of the realm of Oz which is filled with the fairy magic of Fairy Queen Lurline. The pair must stay were they belong. When leaving Oz they are stripped of the magic. This explains why Dorothy lost them on her way home again when crossing over the Deadly Desert, as the shoes magic will not work in a civilized country. Therefore falling off of Dorothy's feet and as a result, ultimately lost forever in the desert between the land of Oz and Kansas. Since Oz is an uncivilized place, the shoes can only be used within they're own region which is in the land of Oz.

The Silver Shoes are the first magical item introduced in Oz. Other charmed items are placed into the plot of the book, for example: the Golden Cap. And even in Baum's other continuing Oz novels such as magic belts, magic whistles, ruby keys, magic mirrors and most notably the magic Powder of Life.

Please see Silver Shoes for further detailed information.

Dorothy Gale's Pets

Toto the "eventually" talking dog.

After moving to Oz permanently, it is revealed that Toto had the ability to talk. In fact, since Oz in general is a fantasy land filled with fairy magic, Toto had the ability to speak the entire time, even when he came to Oz the first time with his mistress Dorothy. Toto prefers to only bark as he is so used to using barking as his way of communicating instead of speaking actual words or sentences like all the other animals in Oz, he also chose not to talk so that he didn't lead on.

Billina the talking Hen

Billina is a yellow hen tossed overboard in a storm with Dorothy Gale in Baum's third Oz book Ozma of Oz (1909).

She is Dorothy's animal companion for this adventure, the role that Toto the dog serves in the first book. A spunky, talkative chicken, Billina 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. Billina endures several scares with the Kansas farmgirl before they defeat the Nome King as only a hen can as Nomes are poisonous to eggs. At the end of the novel, Billina chooses to stay in Oz Permintally and settles in the Emerald City under Princess Ozma's rule. Billina gives births to multiple baby hens whom she names the boys all 'Daniel', and the girls all Dorothy in Dorothy Gale's honor.

Eureka the talking Cat

Eureka is a white kitten found by Dorothy Gale's Uncle Henry, that he gives to her telling her that the name means "I have found it!" She is introduced in Baums forth Oz novel Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (1910)

Dorothy carries Eureka in a small cage on a train with her to San Francisco to visit her relatives on Hugson farm. While riding with Bill Hugson's nephew Zeb, an earthquake opens a large chasm in the ground, and Eureka falls in the earths bowels and straight into another dimension with Dorothy, her cousin Zeb, and Jim the Cab-Horse into the land of the Mangaboos. There people are made of vegetable. The strange lights in the Magaboos' magic carven make Eureka appear to be pinkish purple.

Speckles the chicken

Speckles is just an ordinary hen on Uncle Henry's farm. Not much is known about her except that she hatched a new brood of chickens.

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 hard working Uncle Henry, a seemingly very poor farmer. And her Aunt Em, a submitting housewife. Dorothy is therefore somewhat of a strict homebody, who never leaves nor has ventured off of the Kansas prairies. Nevertheless she interacts in a civil manner, and 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. She cares about family and friends and is loyal to both.

Dorothy Gale finds the good in everything, and continued believing in herself as well as others. Dorothy remains positive, humble, usually sweet tempered and most of all she dearly loves her pet dog Toto very much. Even surrounded by riches as a Princess of Oz, she remained a down-to-earth, sweet,caring girl. 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 Gale is the very essence of the young at heart, and represents the child like quality of the child in us all.

Dorothy never looks anyone or thing over. This is how she became friends with the Scarecrow, seeing him as more than just a sack of straw and saving him from his bleak existence in the cornfield. Dorothy saw the Tin Woodman, more than just a rusted piece of tin in the woods, and saved him also. And Dorothy even saw the Cowardly Lion being so much more than a mere coward. 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, 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 house to keep her and Toto fed on the way to the Emerald City. And when she had defeated the Wicked Witch of the West, she took the Witch's magic Golden Cap, that let it's wearer command the Winged Monkeys. The Winged Monkey we're all obliged to obey their masters orders three times and three times only. Dorothy was smart enough to speak the Cap's charm and ask the Winged Monkey to fly her back home to Kansas. But to her dismay, the Monkeys were unable to cross over the Deadly Desert that surrounded the land and could not leave the realm of Oz, even if they desired to do so. Magical creatures cannot live in the realms of civilized countries or lands such as Kansas.

HEART...

Dorothy is a fighter and never gave up even in the most hopeless of situations. When she first came to the Land of Oz she was determined to find a way home, as she was concerned if her Uncle and Aunt were okay back in Kansas after the cyclone. 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 Aunt 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 Aunt.

COURAGE...

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 being nearly as large as a horse in size. Despite this Dorothy was not too scared to stand up for Toto.

Dorothy was also portrayed as a natural hero, overcoming being imprisoned and enslaved by the notorious Wicked Witch of the West. This alone makes Dorothy a survivor.

Dorothy's character and personality traits are generally of innocence. 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 Witch as she lay under the house. Another positive trait is Dorothy is always very forgiving, for when she and her friends in Oz discovered that the great Wizard was nothing more than an old Humbug, Dorothy forgave him and felt that the Wizard wasn't such a bad man after all. 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 could.

In Disney's 1985 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 the land of Oz and it's people.

"There were several roads near by, but it did not take her long to find the one paved with yellow bricks. Within a short time Dorothy was walking briskly toward the Emerald City, her Silver Shoes made a pretty tinkling tune on the hard yellow road-bed. The sun shone brightly, the birds sang sweetly, and Dorothy did not feel nearly so bad as you might think a little girl would who had been suddenly whisked away from her own home and set in the midst of a strange land."

―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

The Family Tree of Dorothy Gale

Baum's Book...

As many Historians believe that Dorothy Gale was inspired by Alice Liddell from Lewis Carroll's 'Wonderland' and 'Looking Glass' books, 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. Dorothy has little to no backstory. All Baum tells us about the history of Dorothy, is that she is apparently an only child and her mother was most likely a single parent and unfortunately is dead, which made Dorothy an orphan, possibly even at infancy. She seemed to be a content yet lonely little girl while living in Kansas, one who had no friends and was most likely home-schooled. Rather or not her Aunt and Uncle are blood related is also left open to the imagination.

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 doctors orders due to the stress that the cyclone has brought upon Henry. Aunt Em stays behind in Kansas to look after the farm. And in Baum's fourth Oz book Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, Dorothy is once again 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 probably are Uncle Henry's relatives also. In the first chapter of Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, 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.

"When Dorothy, who was an orphan first came to her Aunt Em. Aunt Em had been so startled by the child’s laughter that she would scream and press her hand upon her heart whenever Dorothy’s merry voice reached her ears; and she still looked at the little girl with wonder that she could find anything to laugh at."

―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

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

"Aunt Em had just come out of the house to water the cabbages when she looked up and saw Dorothy running toward her. “My darling child!” she cried, folding the little girl in her arms and covering her face with kisses. “Where in the world did you come from?” “From the Land of Oz,” said Dorothy gravely. “And here is Toto, too. And oh, Aunt Em! I’m so glad to be at home again!” "

―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

Films & TV...

In the opening chapter of his first Oz book, L. Frank Baum famously informs the reader that Dorothy is an orphan who has come to live 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 mini series, the character of D.G. is Dorothy Gales great granddaughter. D. G. Is sent to Oz in present day, over one hundred years after Dorothy came and made history as the "First Slipper" to cross over into the "Outer Zone."

In Disney's 2013 film Oz the Great and Powerful, A pre-Wizard Oscar Diggs has a lover by the name of Annie Gale in Kansas. Since this is a prequel to 'The Wizard of Oz', the story takes place around 30 to 40 years prior to Dorothy's epic arrival in Oz. This hints that Annie is Dorothy's mother. She is also wearing a Gingham dress of checks just like her future 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 Wooglebug's university.

Adventures Over The Rainbow! A Girl Named Dorothy...

{The Wonderful Wizard of Oz} (1900)

Dorothy Gale was a little orphan girl who lived with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry on a farm in the Kansas prairies where her only companion was her little black dog, Toto.

One day a powerful cyclone came, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry were able to get to the cellar in time, but Dorothy wasn't fast enough! The storm carried the Kansas farmhouse far, far away, over the rainbow and across into the unknown with Dorothy and Toto trapped inside. Dorothy fell fast asleep on her bed with Toto at her side.

When Dorothy opened the door she found that the storm had set the house down in a beautiful land, the magical Land of Oz.

"She sprang from her bed with Toto at her heels, rushed to open the door. The little girl gave a cry of complete amazement and looked all about her. Dorothy's eyes grew bigger and bigger at the breathtaking sights she saw before her."

―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

The house had accidentally landed on the Wicked Witch of the East, crushing and killing her.

Dorothy met the blue Munchkins who inhabited the east country and they're good friend the Good Witch of the North who ruled over the purple Gillikins. She and the Munchkins thanked Dorothy for freeing them from the Wicked Witch's bondage and declared her a hero.

Since the land of Oz was surrounded by a Deadly Desert, the only way for Dorothy to get back to her Aunt Em was to seek Oz the great and powerful who was the Wizard in the Emerald City. Only he could help her return to Kansas again.

The Good Witch gave Dorothy the dead Wicked Witch's charmed Silver Shoes that also held a magic charm within them. The Good Witch kissed her on the forehead for protection and luck and safety. And with that Dorothy and Toto set out along the Yellow Brick Road for the Emerald City. Dorothy stopped to eat and rest at a wealthy Munchkin's house who's name was Boq. Boq was celebrating the death of the Wicked Witch with many other Munchkins and thought Dorothy was a Sorceress. After that, Dorothy met a talking Scarecrow in a cornfield.

The Scarecrow told Dorothy he wanted a brain, so Dorothy invited him to join her and Toto to see the Wizard. Along the way they also met the Tin Woodman who desired a heart, and the Cowardly Lion who was in need of Courage. Dorothy invited them to come along as well and they all became friends to accompany each other to see the Wizard.

After many amazing adventures throughout the land of Oz, such as encountering the fierce Kalidahs, and crossing the field of Deadly Poppies, the traveling companions all made it to the gates of the Emerald City at last.

Thanks to Dorothy's Silver Shoes the Wizard agreed to her and her friends an audience, but only one at a time. First by appearing to Dorothy as a giant floating head, then to the Scarecrow as a lovely fairy. The Tin woodman spoke to ferocious beast with horns, and to the Cowardly Lion encountered Oz as a flaming ball of fire. Despite his shape-shifting ways the Wizard all commanded them to destroy the Wicked Witch of the West who ruled over the yellow Winkies.

After being captured by the Wicked Witch and seized by her gang of Winged Monkeys, Dorothy was imprisoned in the Witch's yellow castle. And after many days of being a slave for the Witch, Dorothy finally did destroy her by tossing a bucket of water at her. The Witch was allergic to water so it caused the Witch to quickly melt away. Dorothy and her companions eventually returned to the Emerald City, but there they discovered that the Wizard was a phony and a humbug. The Wizard promised to make it up to Dorothy by escorting her back home via Hot-Air Balloon. But unfortunately the Ballon was launched and floated away while Dorothy was looking for Toto who went chasing after a kitten in the streets of the city.

Dorothy and her companions then traveled to the South lands of Oz to find the beautiful Lady Glinda, the Good Witch of the red Quadlings. Glinda was Dorothy's last hope of salvation. After several more epic adventures, such as encountering the mountain of the Hammer-Heads and crossing through the dainty little China Country, Dorothy finally arrived at Glinda's pretty ruby-palace. Glinda kindly informed Dorothy about the secret charm of the Silver Shoes that she had been wearing since her arrival in the land of Oz. Dorothy clicked her heels together three times and commanded the shoes where she wished to go just as she had been instructed. This allowed her and Toto to safely return home to Kansas and back with Uncle Henry and Aunt Em again.

The Silver Shoes however, fell off on the way back and were lost in the Deadly Desert forever.

Princess Dorothy of Oz

Ozma-magic-picture — Dorothy Ozma and Betsy Bobbin in the background.

Dorothy made several other trips to Oz after her first set of adventures and she eventually brought her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em with her, who were both non-believers that a place such as Oz could possibly exist. But Dorothy was finally able to prove to them both that she was not just a dreamer, but was telling the truth. In Baum's Oz book, 'The Emerald City of Oz', Dorothy is able to save her Uncle and Aunt from a bleak existence and tragic fate.

After they could no longer pay the Kansas mortgage for the farm due to poverty, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry were facing homelessness. Luckily thanks to they're niece Dorothy, they moved to Oz permanently and became immortal with Princess Ozma's approval. Other than Toto of course, Princess Ozma of Oz is Dorothy's best friend, she is also the child Queen and rightful ruler of the land and resides within the Royal Palace of Oz inside of the Emerald City. Dorothy, Toto and her family all live in the with Ozma, who eventually decided to crown Dorothy as an official Princess of Oz, making Dorothy Royalty.

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Dorothy sitting with Ozma inside the Royal Rose Garden.

In the Land of Oz, Princess Dorothy and Toto are very popular and widely known. Dorothy is mostly recognized for being the means of destroying the Wicked Witches of the East and West, ridding all the land of Oz of it's dreaded Wicked Witches.

Despite the luxurious lifestyles they live in Oz, Ozma and Dorothy were not spoiled by the magic and extravagance that surrounded them. Dorothy remained down to earth and unselfish, for her and Ozma are also very close to Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, who is like a mother figure to both girls. Glinda, is the most powerful figure in Oz, but does not interfere with anything unless the outcome would effect Dorothy or Ozma. The trio are loved by everyone in Oz for their simple sweetness, good manners and compassion. In Oz, Uncle Henry, Aunt Em and Dorothy wear only the finest garments and fancy clothing adorned with gems and jewels which are fit for only Royalty. Also, like any Princess, Dorothy always wears a sparkling tiara or crown that is custom made for her. When Princess Ozma isn't busy accessing her Royal duties or sitting on her Royal golden jeweled throne in the Palace chamber, listening to the problems and request of her beloved people, she can be found with Dorothy, arm in arm in her Royal rose garden. The two little girls enjoy having refreshing walks among the blossoming flowers, while innocently giggling, sharing little secrets, and friendly kisses on the cheek.

Immortality in Oz

"Dorothy, after a moment's thought then said; "But 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 come from."

―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)

Because the land of Oz is a fantasy land filled with fairy magic, Princess Dorothy is forever immortal like all living things in the land. Therefore she nor anyone else can ever die. Princess Ozma, also used her powers to stop the aging process in Oz. No one ever becomes deathly-ill or dies unless they are bad and evil like the Wicked Witches who once dwelled in parts of 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 was first brought to Oz by the cyclone.

Book Appearances

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (first appearance)
Ozma of Oz
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
The Road to Oz
The Emerald City of Oz
Little Wizard Stories of Oz
The Patchwork Girl of Oz
Tik-Tok of Oz
The Scarecrow of Oz
Rinkitink in Oz
The Lost Princess of Oz
The Tin Woodman of Oz
The Magic of Oz
Glinda of Oz
The Royal Book of Oz
Kabumpo in Oz
The Cowardly Lion of Oz
Grampa in Oz
The Lost King of Oz
The Wishing Horse of Oz
The Gnome King of Oz
The Giant Horse of Oz
Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz
The Yellow Knight of Oz
Pirates in Oz
The Purple Prince of Oz
Ojo in Oz
Speedy in Oz
The Wishing Horse of Oz
Handy Mandy in Oz
Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz
The Wonder City of Oz
The Scalawagons of Oz
Lucky Bucky in Oz
The Magical Mimics in Oz
The Shaggy Man of Oz
The Hidden Valley of Oz
Merry Go Round in Oz

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

In Magic Land

In Magic Land, the girl protagonist modelled on Dorothy is named Ellie Smith.

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 Heavenlee. 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 possesed by the evil remains of the Wicked Witch of the East. (Family of Oz)

Dorothy of Oz-Roger S. Baum

While Toto is barking at the chickens and Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are working on the farm in Kansas, Dorothy Gale takes a peek out the window and sees a bright and beautiful rainbow. She notices that the rainbow is approaching her and Toto as both of them run. Dorothy starts to see Glinda the Good Witch who tells Dorothy that she must return to Oz so that she can save her friends.

The Wicked Years

In the Novels of author Gregory Maguire...

Despite being the child protagonist in the original story, Dorothy Gale is only referenced to a few times in the musical and appearing as a semi-cameo character toward the end of the book in the story of 'Wicked' who is not the focal point of the plot. She plays a rather small but important role and is only involved in the chaos and drama towards the end of the novel, being seen as a mere outsider who knows nothing about the land of Oz or it's complex politics and overall laws. Although Dorothy is well-meaning, mature for her age and very compassionate beyond her years, her innocence and unyielding desire to return back to her homeland 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 as Dorothy does not know any better.

In both Baum's original children's book written in 1900 and Maguire's 1995 mature revision, Dorothy spends her first night in Oz at the house of a wealthy Munchkin farmer named Boq who has a family. In the latter, it is revealed that the two discussed the etymology of Dorothy's name. Boq finds it interesting that Dorothy's name is the reverse of her land's "King" Theodore — which means "gift of the gods" — and that Dorothy means "goddess of gifts", therefore making many of the superstitious Ozians look as Dorothy as a saint, sent to Oz to fulfill a prophecy by the unnamed God. And the fact Dorothy wears Nessarose shoes, make the citizens of Oz even more superstitious of her and the coincidence that her last name is the same name of the Wizard's Army the "Gale Force", makes Dorothy nearly untouchable.

On Dorothy Gale's first arrival to Oz, she and her pet dog named Toto are swept away in a Kansas cyclone. Dorothy was the age of ten when her farmhouse fell out of the sky and landed on Nessarose.

When Dorothy and her companions are seen in the Vinkus land she is captured by the Witches Flying Monkeys and brought to the Kiamo Ko castle which is the home of the Witch. There she meets an old woman by the name of Nanny and a young boy named Liir, who forms a crush on her. When Dorothy is confronted face to face with Nessarose's older Witch sister who is Elphaba, she demands for Dorothy to give her the magic slippers. All while assuming she had to be tied into the tapestry of conspiracies in Oz. Dorothy tries to do what Elphaba commands but the shoes are enchanted under the protection of Glinda and will not come off. Dorothy confesses that the Wizard even tried to pry the shoes off but the pair have been stuck on her feet since her arrival in Oz. Despite Dorothy's efforts, the slippers simply will not come off her feet. She is magically locked tight inside of them.

As it became apparent, Elphaba breifly realizes that Dorothy really was an innocent human girl from a different place who had been thrown into a world that she knew nothing about.

Suddenly, hot sparks from a nearby fire suddenly caught on Elphaba's long clothing and cape so Dorothy tried to put out the fire with a bucket of water to help the Witch who was ablaze. And Dorothy wishes the "nightmare" she thinks she's in will come to an end. But to Dorothy's horror it tragically melted the witch away, killing her by accident.

In Son Of A Witch...

In Son of a Witch, the story picks up right after Elphaba's tragic death. Liir her son, accompanies Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion back to the Emerald City.

While traveling, Dorothy and the group all meet a shapeshifting Princess who is also leader to her Scrow tribe, in the Vinkus. The Princesses name is Nastoya who is originally an Elephant. But because of the Wizard and his prejudice views against Animals, Nastoya disguised herself and vailed her true form. And in front of the traveling group she morphs herself and transforms right in front of them all which is described as being 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.

When Dorothy reaches the Emerald City she leaves Liir behind as she speaks with the Wizard and never comes back to say goodbye before returning to Kansas like she promised Liir she would do.

In Out Of Oz...

Dorothy was teleported back home, flying over the land of Oz and back to Kansas thanks to the power of the slippers. Dorothy loses the slippers on her flight back as they fell off of her feet. The shoes lost their enchantment once they were taken out of Oz's realm. And Dorothy is found shoeless while on the prairie field's near the farm.

Due to her extended disappearance and unexplainable survival from the cyclone, the other children at the Kansas Schoolhouse shunned Dorothy and labeled 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. And Dorothy's tales of Oz, only make her seem completely crazy. Thus, making her unmarrigeable.

Six years later as a teenage girl, Dorothy along with Toto appear in 'Out of Oz'. Dorothy unexpectedly is 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 Dorothy's first visit in her world, it has been around twenty to thirty years in Oz's time.

Back in Kansas, Dorothy's Aunt Em and Uncle Henry never believed her story about Oz and criticized her for having her head in the clouds and sabotaging herself as no one wanted to be around Dorothy because of her never-ending talk about Oz. To help Dorothy forget about Oz, she is taken to San Francisco on vacation by her Aunt and Uncle. However, after sight seeing, Dorothy ends up being trapped with Toto in a motel elevator during they're stay as an earthquake hits California. The elevator with Dorothy inside gets stuck and as the building collapses the elevator falls into the bowels of the earth and into another dimension. The elevator falls from the sky and accidentally landed on a cow and killed it. And also during the fall somehow Toto was lost as he fell out of the elevator doors which were cracked enough for Toto to squeeze through.

Dorothy is found by people nearby as she is buried alive under all the rocks and peices of the earth from the earthquake that came down with the elevator. She suffers from a temporary state of amnesia and a bump on her head which gave her a near concussion. She is taken in by strangers and nursed back to health. Dorothy spends many months recuperating from the traumatic event and slowly gains her memory back. Dorothy realizes she is back in the land of Oz again, specifically in the country of Oz's Glikkus tribe. The Glikkun trolls extradited her to Munchkinland's new capital, Bright Lennins, where the new Eminence had her stand trial for the murders of Nessarose and Elphaba Thropp, calling it "regicide." Dorothy is imprisoned against her will and is used as a mere scapegoat who will be left accountable for the deaths of the two Thropp sisters who died decades prior. The overall court case finds Dorothy guilty and she is sentenced. To her surprise Brrr, her old friend who is the Cowardly Lion and Mr. Boss, and Little Daffy come to her defense and rescue her from her harsh sentence.

Dorothy is reunited with her dog Toto whom she thought was dead and the two eventually are sent back to Kansas in the end of the story to find her Aunt and Uncle who she wonders survived the earthquake or not. Dorothy's ultimate fate when she returns to California again is left a mystery and left for the reader's imagination.

Musical

In the hit Broadway musical and play, 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 Dorothy, tossing a Bucket of water on Elphaba aka "The Wicked Witch of the West".

Dorothy: This Side Of The Rainbow

Dorothy Gale all grown up.

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

WAS By Geoff Ryman

A beautiful, sad and thought provoking tale of love, hate pain and the importance of a healthy childhood. This book is for anyone with a heart.

The 1992 novel by American author Geoff Ryman, focusing on the (in some cases, tragic) lives of disparate individuals linked to one another by L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and the musical film version. Ranging across time and space from the 1860s Kansas to the late 1980s California, among other locations, the novel's characters include a tapestry of characters, some real but most fictitious, whose lives indirectly affect each other.

Judy Of OZ 1939

In the year of 1938/1939 Judy 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 forced to wear a special type of corset under her costume, that flattened out her curves by painfully binding her breasts down flat against her chest to make her appear as a twelve year old little girl who was more innocent, underdeveloped and younger than her real life age.

Journey Back to Oz 1974

Judy Garland's daughter takes on the role of Dorothy!

In this animated little version of the Oz stories, Dorothy Gale is swept back to Oz to find an evil Witch who wants to take over the land and the Emerald City. In this version, Dorothy is voiced by Liza Minnelli. All the characters are voiced by an all star cast.

The Wiz 1974-78

Dorothy is portrayed by singer and actress Stephanie Mills in 1974. Later in the film version the role was given to singer and actress Diana Ross.

Diana was far from twelve, being thirty four at the time, she is portrayed to be a shy twenty-four year old Kindergarten teacher who is lost in life. Dorothy in this film 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.

Return to Oz 1985

Return to Oz is a 1985 Disney Film starring Fairuza Balk as the insomniac and melancholy Dorothy Gale, and Piper Laurie as a considered Aunt Em. The look of Return to Oz was intended to give it's audience a more surreal and realistic point of veiw of the land of Oz and all of it's characters. The plot is based loosely off of two of Baum's original novels. During it's release in the summer of 85, it was bashed by critics for being too "scary and intense" for children and wasn't successful during the time of its release. Despite it's failure to appeal to the public, Return to Oz has still gained a huge cult following of fans all over the world 30 years after it's original making.

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 a Cult Classic.

To visit the unofficial fan page which is dedicated to all things Return to Oz, visit the site @www.waltdisneysreturntooz.com

The Muppets Wizard of Oz 2005

In the 2005 Disney made for TV special, Dorothy is played by pop singer Ashanti who dreams of a glamorous life of the rich and famous and is eager to leave her small town trailer park existence behind.

She embarks on a quest in the land of Oz, to become a Superstar.

Syfy's Tinman 2009

In this 2009 Syfy version of Oz, Dorothy Gale of 1900 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 the original Dorothy first arrived.

D.G. must find her real family and discover the history of who she truly was and is.

Dorothy and the Witches of Oz 2011

In this version, Dorothy is a children's author who moves to New York City to become successful. She is played by actress Paula Ana Redding.

Legends of Oz-Dorothy's Return 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 Mitchell, 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 Episode 2014

In the popular hit TV show, 'Once Upon A Time' Dorothy Gale gets carried to the land of Oz via Cyclone, and is thought to be the destined one to fulfill the part of a prophecy regarding all the Witches from the south, west, north and east who reside in Oz.

The character of this Dorothy Gale is not Cursed. She simply plays a minor role regarding the Witches of Oz and is sent back home to Kansas by Zelena the Witch of the West who disguised herself as the Wizard, after Dorothy thought she killed her with water from a nearby Well, all to defend herself and put out the ball of fire in Zelena's hand. This was all due to Zelena's envy for the newly arrived Dorothy. (Green with Envy).

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 turning the Wizard into a Flying Monkey for his dishonest ways).

Disguised as the Wizard, Zelena also gave Dorothy the magic Silver Shoes, and told Dorothy to click the heels of the shoes together three times to be teleported home to get her out of the way because Zelena saw her as a threat. Strangely, Dorothy in this version wears no pigtails, nor does she have a pet dog, Toto. She comes to Oz all alone and does not meet the Scarecrow, Tinman or Cowardly Lion.

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 the Wisconsin town. Jackie dreams that she is Dorothy Gale with her stuffed animal Unicorn as Toto. Her look is based off of the 1900 illustrations by W. W Denslow from the original book by Baum.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Barnyard Studios)

This isn't "Somewhere over the Rainbow"...

An independent and yet extremely faithful adaption of Baum's envision of Oz, in this version Dorothy Gale is played by an actress who is undeniably the most loyal to Baum's original character. If Dorothy Gale of Kansas existed in real life and went to Oz: This is what she'd realistically look like.

In Comics

Marvel Comic released an entire series of Baums fourteen Oz books.

File:Marvel-wiz-of-oz02.jpg

The Oz series is illustrated by Scotty Young and written by Eric Shanower.

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)

Dorothy

A Gothic Dorothy...

Dorothy is a jaded teenager who get 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 erotic 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 and sexually frustrated girl in her late teens who is swept away to the land of Oz, a mysterious and psychotic realm of dark entities, sexual slavery, rape, mutant creatures and tortured souls.

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.