A_Review_of_The_Wizard_of_Oz《绿野仙踪》英语读后感

The Report on The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz is a children‟s novel written by Lyman Frank Baum. The main storyline is about the process of a girl and her three companions finding the great wizard named Oz. Most of the story happens on a road paved with yellow brick in the Land of Oz. The story is simple, but the plot is attractive and the language is fluent.The writer Lyman Frank Baum was an American author, though it wasn‟t his only occupation. He also has been an actor, newspaper editor, film producer. Lyman Frank Baum was influenced by the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, so he wrote his American fairy tales including the wonder without the horrors. Then in 1900, he published The Wizard of Oz. The name “Oz” came from a file drawer labeled“O-Z”. The book ranked as the best seller after its issue. With the great success of this novel, Baum wrote another thirteen sequels based on the places and characters of the Land of Oz. Also the novel The Wizard of Oz was adapted for film and stage, and both of them received good results.The yellow brick road is acted as the thread of the adventure. The main story takes palace on this road. The main character was a girl named Dorothy, who lived on a farm with her uncle and aunt. Her life seemed humdrum and all things surrounded her were gray. Until one day, an emergent cyclone brought her and her dog to a beautiful land called Oz. Although, this land wa s more colorful than her uncle‟s farm, she was still eager for home.A witch told her that the great witch Oz might help her go back home. Then Dorothy began her adventure, she should get to the City of Emeralds and found the great witch Oz. On her way to the city, she released a scarecrow that was stuck on a pole and had never moved around. The scarecrow wanted some brains so that he could think like creatures. Dorothy asked him to come with her, maybe Oz would give him some brains, and she got her first companion. They shared their experiences on the way.When they were going though an uncomfortable forest, stumbling along the darkness, scarecrow helped lead the way. They spent the night in the forest. In the morning, they saw a rusted tin woodman standing besidea tree, they oiled the tin woodman and saved him from being stiff forever. The tin woodman told them his unlucky life and how he became a man made of tin. He said he wanted a heart so that he could get love like before. So the tin woodman became the second companion, he also wanted to ask Oz for help.Then these three adventurers got another part of the forest. Now and then there came a deep growl from some wild animal. They all felt scared. All of a sudden, a great lion bounded into the road, and wanted to attack Dorothy‟s dog. Without any fright, Dorothy came up to the feral beast, slapped the lion upon the nose as hard as she could and cried out how he could hurt such little poor dog. The lion felt shame, and explained what had happened. To their surprise, the lion was just a coward, and he wanted some courage. After the communication, the cowardly lion joined the group, and he hoped Oz would give him some courage.As the adventure went on, they four began to encounter different troubles. They helped each other, and their virtues were emerging. The scarecrow and tin woodman never got tired and they didn‟t need to sleep, so they always took care of the group every night. Dorothy would ride lion when she was too tired to walk farther. When Dorothy lacked for food, the scarecrow helped her collect some nuts. When the tin woodman was rusted, they oiled him. When their journey was prevented by a ditch, the lion carried them and jumped over it one by one. When they were chased by monstrous beasts, the scarecrow came up with good ideas. The tin woodman and his axe could make something useful to help them solve the problems.Of course, eventually, they all got what they expected. But it was not Oz who gave them brain, heart and courage. Actually, they achieved these things by themselves. And their behaviors during the adventure represented the predominant theme of The Wizard of Oz is self-sufficiency. In chapter six, it is saying …Once, indeed, the tin woodman stepped upon a beetle that was crawling along the road, and killed the poor little thing. This made the tin woodman very unhappy, for he was always careful not to hurt any living creature; and as he walked along he wept several tears of sorrow and regret.‟ From this aspect, we know that the tin woodman was filled with love. Also, he was always ready to help his companions, for instance,made a bridge, a canoe and so on. From all these we can feel the love between friends.Then in chapter seven, when the travelers came to a wide ditch, the cowardly lion volunteered to try jumping over it. Discussing the possibility of falling into the ditch, the cowardly lion responded,…“I am terribly afraid of falling myself, but I suppose there‟s nothing to do but try it.”‟ The Lion does not realize that courage is acting despite fear, not acting in the absence of fear. And at the end of the story, the cowardly lion became the king of the beasts.Still in chapter seven, when they were facing another broader and deeper gulf, scarecrow propounded that they could use a tree to make a bridge. And it worked well. Then when they were crossing the gulf, there came two great beasts, they became so frightened. At that moment, it was scarecrow that saved his friends from danger. The description is …He had been thinking what was best to be done, and now he asked the woodman to chap away the end of the tree that rested on their side of the ditch. The tin woodman did it at once, just as the two beasts were nearly across; the tree fell with a crash into the gulf, carrying the ugly, snarling brutes with it, and both were dashed to pieces on the sharp rocks at the bottom.‟ From this event, we can see the scarecrow‟s intelligence clearly. Though he had no brain, he had various ideas. And at the end, the great witch Oz was leaving, he proclaimed the scarecrow would rule over the Land of Oz, and this showed the talent of scarecrow.The scarecrow, tin woodman, cowardly lion all sought external magic to give them qualities they already possessed but failed to recognize. Just in our lives, we often want to get something, but these things mostly are deep in you. Maybe after you experience different things, you will achieve these qualities. Furthermore, something can never get from others, such as intelligence, love and courage. People can only help you get these easier and taking less time. Only your endeavor can make you better. If you have made great efforts, I believe you can make it.2008/8/26。