Before Dorothy is set during the Depression and Dust Bowl. Why do you think the author chose that period, and in what ways do you think the economic and ecological events of that time reflect the references to power that we see in The Wizard of Oz?

Book Clubs Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor Discussion
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Before Dorothy is set during the Depression and Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Why do you think the author chose that period in American history, and in what ways do you think the economic and ecological events of that time reflect the references to power that we see in The Wizard of Oz?

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The choice of time period seemed to be about making this book line up with the movie rather than the original L. Frank Baum books. (He died in 1919, although I only just learned that other authors continued the series beyond the 14 that he wrote.) If Baum really did have economics and politics in mind, he was probably referring to the 1890s. But for modern audiences, that time period has been overshadowed by the 1930s.

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I agree that the Dust Bowl & Depression occurred after Baum’s time, but I thought the setting worked well for the direction in which the author chose to take the plot. The drought and ensuing dust bowl brought another element into the novel and kept it from having a completely happy ending - a feature that added depth to it.

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I agree. I think setting was perfect for the author’s purpose!