For other versions of the Scarecrow, see Scarecrow. |
The Scarecrow is a being from the magical Land of Oz, and is the first companion and loyal comrade that Dorothy Gale and her little pet dog, Toto discovered on their journey down the Yellow Brick Road while traveling to see the great and powerful Wizard. Dorothy encouraged the Scarecrow to join her and to ask the Wizard for a set of brains, which he thought he lacked. In the end of the story, he eventually did receive what he desired, and becomes known as one of the cleverest figures in all of Oz.
Scarecrow of Oz[]
- "There was a great cornfield beyond the fence, and not far away Dorothy saw a Scarecrow, placed high on a pole to keep the birds away from the ripe corn."
- ―The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)
Baum never wrote how the Scarecrow was given life, (in contrast to his Oz companion the Tin Woodman, who was a real man with a body of flesh and blood whose soul transferred to its current form). One possibility could be that the magic substance called "Powder of Life" (mentioned in a later book) changed the scarecrow to a living being. We may speculate that a Munchkin farmer, who made him added the powder hoping to more effectively scare the crows away. They were not. The Powder of Life is an element that Baum introduces in his second Oz book which serves as a sequel to the first story titled The Marvelous Land of Oz, published in 1904. In this story, the Powder of Life is a special potion invented by a mysterious Magician and brings three Oz characters to life: Jack Pumpkinhead, Sawhorse, and Gump. In Baum's seventh Oz book titled the The Patchwork Girl of Oz, published in 1913, the Patchwork Girl named Scraps, who later served as the Scarecrow's love interest is brought to life with this same powder by a young Munchkin boy named Ojo.
Baum's Description[]
Somewhere in the middle of the Munchkin Country of Oz, he was introduced as being placed high up on a wooden pole in the cornfields of the Munchkin farming community. He is described as having an overstuffed sack filled with straw for a head with a mouth, nose, ears, and eyes painted on with blue paint, (one of his eyes is said to be larger than the other) and has two big blue buttons for pupils. On his stuffed body he wears worn-out and faded hand-me down Munchkin clothing of blue, with an old wrinkled and pointed hat that stands a foot above his head. Around his waist is an old leather belt and on his stuffed feet are old and scuffed farm-boots of navy blue. Because he is wearing Munchkin clothing the original Scarecrow is actually quite short in height like the majority of the Munchkin race in Oz. In the very first Oz illustrations by W. W. Denslow, he is only as tall as Dorothy who is a mere child said to be no older than twelve. So the Scarecrow would only stand about four or five feet high.
When he befriended Dorothy, at first he did not understand why the little girl wanted to leave the magical Land of Oz and go back to Kansas as the majority of Oz is such a beautiful place when Dorothy described Kansas to be colorless and dull. It is then when Dorothy tried to explain to her new stuffed friend that he can't understand because he has no brains. Therefore, he simply cannot grasp the concept of the way people who are made of flesh and blood think, and the desire of returning to where one belongs no matter how beautiful or appealing any other place may be, for home is where the heart is. Thus, concluding that there is "No Place Like Home".
Personality[]
The Scarecrow is a extremely gentle character, his disposition is so kind and considerate, obliging, and honest that all who know him love him.
The Scarecrow is a very clumsy and uncoordinated figure in his mannerisms because he is stuffed with straw. Therefore Scarecrow can never get hurt, though he is awkward in his movements as he literally weighs less than five to ten pounds. He never tires, and never needs to sleep or eat. He also sees very well in the dark. The only thing he fears is the burning flame of hot fire!
Despite claiming to not have a brain, the Scarecrow questioned Dorothy for wanting to return to Kansas as Oz is far more colorful and pleasant compared to Kansas, which is boring and colorless. He also comes up with some quick-thinking and clever plans on his first journey with Dorothy, saving the party from the Kalidahs among other things. After the Wizard gives him some "brains", the placebo effect turns his lack of confidence in himself into near-overconfidence, and he becomes very proud of his intellect. However, he is neither very wise, nor is he stupid.
Despite being a man made of straw, he still finds himself enamoured with the beauty of Scraps, the Patchwork Girl, in The Patchwork Girl of Oz, due to their many similarities, neither of them being "meat people". She becomes his love interest in subsequent books, though their romance isn't fully explored much in the series.
History[]
The Scarecrow was made by a Munchkin farmer only two days before being discovered by Dorothy Gale. Unlike animated non-humans from later in the series such as Jack Pumpkinhead and the Patchwork Girl, who were both brought to life using the Powder of Life, L. Frank Baum never adequately explained how or why the Scarecrow came to life.
Ruth Plumly Thompson offered an explanation in her first book of the Land of Oz series, The Royal Book of Oz. In this book it is revealed that the soul of the deceased emperor of the Silver Islands, a kingdom on the other side of the world from Oz, traveled through a bean pole through the planet to Oz and then inhabited the body of the Scarecrow once he was placed on the pole. The Scarecrow, however, has no memories of this past life, and prefers living in Oz and being himself. This explanation is somewhat contentious for fans, and is also open to interpretation; it's never definitively proven in-story that Scarecrow is the reincarnation of the emperor, this is just the assumption of the Silver Islanders, who end up convincing the Scarecrow. Also, the first book portrays the Scarecrow as already alive before he was placed on the pole by the farmers that made him, throwing Thompson's explanation into question.
Being informed by the local crows that he had no brain, the Scarecrow joined Dorothy on her journey to the Emerald City in hopes of asking the Wizard of Oz for one. After several adventures, including the destruction of the Wicked Witch of the West, the Wizard was revealed as a humbug. Nevertheless, he filled the Scarecrow's head with bran mixed with pins and needles, giving him a brand-new brain that is very sharp. Before leaving the Land of Oz in a hot air balloon, the Wizard appointed the Scarecrow to rule as king in his place. The Wizard was unable to help Dorothy return home, so the Scarecrow and his companions went with her to Glinda's Palace. After Dorothy returned to Kansas, Glinda commanded the Winged Monkeys to carry the Scarecrow to the gates of the Emerald City. (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz)
He was deposed as king when the radical General Jinjur organized a all female Army of Revolt and took over the entire Emerald City. Luckily, the Scarecrow escaped being held a prisoner due to riding on the Sawhorse, with an orphan boy named Tip and his creation Jack Pumpkinhead, to the Tin Palace of his good friend the Tin Woodman who now ruled over the Winkie Country. On their way back to the Emerald City, they met the Queen of the Field Mice, who allowed a dozen of her subjects to accompany the Scarecrow, nestled inside his straw-filled breast. When they arrived back at the Royal Palace of Oz, the Scarecrow released the mice in the throne room, and frightened away Jinjur and her Army. He and his companions then went to Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, to ask for her help in conquering Queen Jinjur. Glinda agreed to help them only if they helped her find the long-lost daughter of King Pastoria, the Princess Ozma, who was the true ruler of Oz. When Ozma was finally found at last and officially established on the throne in her rightful position, the Scarecrow happily resigned and went to live with his dear friend the Tin Woodman and the Winkies. (The Marvelous Land of Oz)
When Princess Ozma set out across the Deadly Desert to the neighboring Kingdom called Ev, Glinda made a magical rug to safely cross over. Ozma had gone to Ev to save the Royal Family who had been sold to the wicked Nome King, and the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion joined her party. Along the way they found Dorothy Gale who by coincidence had washed up on the shores of Ev after being thrown overboard on a ship headed to Australia to see relatives. Dorothy was accompanied by Billina the Kansas hen and Tik-Tok the mechanical copper man. Dorothy and her friends had all been imprisoned by the vain Princess Langwidere who wanted Dorothy's head to add to her collection. Luckily the Scarecrow recognized his old friend and Ozma rescued Dorothy and her company just in time. After that the party soon arrived in the Nome Kingdom. The Nome King had transformed the Royal Family of Ev into ornaments for his decor collection, and in a rigged guessing game he tricked the Ozians and began transforming them as well. The Scarecrow was transformed into a golden ornament, but was eventually liberated along with everyone else by Billina the hen. At the conclusion of their successful mission the party had saved Ev's Royal Family and finally returned to the Emerald City and also brought Tik-Tok with them to serve as "Oz's Royal Army". (Ozma of Oz)
After a few years of living in the Royal Palace of Oz in the Emerald City, the Scarecrow decided to return to his roots as a farmer. Ozma gave him some land in the Winkie Country and Jack Pumpkinhead designed a mansion for him. (The Emerald City of Oz) He also has a boat made from a hollowed corncob, decorated with brilliant jewels and with a purple silk sail. ("The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman")
Glinda sent the Scarecrow to Jinxland in the Quadling Country to rescue some visitors of Oz: Trot, Cap'n Bill, and Button-Bright. (The Scarecrow of Oz)
The Scarecrow traveled with the Tin Woodman and Woot the Wanderer to search for Nimmie Amee, the Tin Woodman's long-lost love. The Scarecrow gets turned into a teddy-bear by Mrs. Yoop, but then later gets changed back by Ozma. He also sacrifices his straw to feed a Hip-po-graf. (The Tin Woodman of Oz)
Book Appearances[]
The Famous Forty[]
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (first appearance)
- The Marvelous Land of Oz
- Ozma of Oz
- Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
- The Road to Oz
- The Emerald City of Oz
- Little Wizard Stories of Oz: "The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman"
- The Patchwork Girl of Oz
- The Scarecrow of Oz
- Rinkitink in 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
- The Lost King of Oz
- The Giant Horse of Oz
- Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz
- Pirates in Oz
- The Purple Prince of Oz
- Ojo in Oz
- Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz
- The Wonder City of Oz
- The Scalawagons of Oz
Other Books[]
Background[]
In Magic Land the Scarecrow is called Strashila.
In The Great Wishy Woz he is Manny Kin.
Peter Schulenburg provides a treatment of the Scarecrow's unique home in The Corn Mansion of Oz.
In the graphic novel adaptation the Scarecrow was a stuffed man as in the original book.
The Scarecrow appears as Fiyero in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and Son of a Witch as well as the Broadway musical adaptation, but he does not appear in the third book in the trilogy, A Lion Among Men.
In Treasury of Illustrated Classics The Wizard of Oz the Scarecrow wore the same blue sleeve shirt, sneakers, jeans, and black pointed hat as the Munchkins.
In L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz: The Graphic Novel, the Scarecrow wears an orange jacket, blue jeans, and brown hat instead of the usual Munchkin blue outfit.
Gallery[]
Credits[]
- The Wizard of Oz (1902 stage production): Fred Stone
- The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays (1908): Frank Burns
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910): Robert Z. Leonard
- The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1914): Herbert Glennon
- His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz (1914): Frank Moore
- The Wizard of Oz (1925): Larry Semon
- The Land of Oz (1932): Donald Henderson
- The Wizard of Oz (1939): Ray Bolger
- The Shirley Temple Show: The Land of Oz (1960): Ben Blue
- The Wonderful Land of Oz: Mike Thomas
- Journey Back to Oz (1974): Mickey Rooney (voice)
- The Wiz (1974): Hinton Battle
- The Wiz (1978): Michael Jackson
- The Marvelous Land of Oz (1981): Gary Briggle
- Return to Oz (1985): Justin Case
- Funky Fables (1992): Ian James Corlett
- The Wizard of Oz on Ice (1995): Andrei Kirovi
- The Wizard of Oz (1997): Lara Teeter
- Wicked (2003): Norbert Leo Butz as Fiyero Tiggular
- The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005): Kermit the Frog
- De musical The Wiz (2006): Danny Yanga as Vogelverschrikker
- The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's (2007, VeggieTales): Phil Vischer as Mr. Lunt the Gourd
- Tin Man (2007): Alan Cumming as Glitch
- Dorothy and the Witches of Oz (2012): Ari Zigaris (in the form of Allen Denslow)
- Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014): Dan Aykroyd (voice)
- The Wiz Live!: Elijah Kelley
- Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.: Paul Eiding (voice)
- Once Upon a Time (2016): Paul Scheer (voice)
- Emerald City (2017): Oliver Jackson-Cohen