So, I am reading a review of "The Tin Man" in my local paper. The article is actually from the NY Times, so I guess that you can find it there. And I run up against the following:
"Baum said that he sought simply to produce a modern fairy tale, but his symbolism was hardly subtle. The novel came to be understood as an allegory for debates about turn-of-the-century monetary policy stemming from outrage over the subjugation of agricultural interests to the imperialism of bankers on the East Coast. (In the book, unlike in the 1939 film, Dorothy's shoes are made of silver, not rubies. The notion of silver shoes ambling on a yellow brick road is thought to stand for Baum's advocacy of bimetallism, a shift from the gold standard that would have given farmers access to cheaper money.)" Now, I've come to love literary criticism. Reading Torah commentaries uses the same muscles. As I exercise one, I exercise the other. But HUH? "The Wizard of Oz" was about monetary policy? Do we have some degreed folks here who can explain that one to me? I am very confused. And this from a person who loves "Was"--Ryman's rewrite of the OZ story.
