Discussion Of The Scarecrow In 'The Wizard Of Oz'

Throughout the movie the Wizard of Oz the Scarecrow would say “if I only had a brain”. However, the Scarecrow didn’t even need a brain; he already had what he wanted. This was shown in multiple scenes of the movie; one being when Dorothy tries to pick apples from the tree. In the movie, the Scarecrow’s smarts are shown by how he gets apples for Dorothy. Dorothy tries to pick apples from a tree and they yell at her and Dorothy is frightened. Next, the scarecrow pulls Dorothy away from the trees and make fun of the trees’ apples, saying that the apples have worms in them so they throw apples at them. However, instead of hurting them, the apples just provided as food for the group. The Scarecrow thought of this plan all by himself, but because he doesn’t have a brain, he doesn’t …show more content…
Later in the story, when the group arrives at the Emerald City, the Scarecrow demonstrates his ability to think by helping the gang get into the gates of Emerald City when they ask to see the Wizard. At first the doorman turns them down as the movie states, “‘Oh - oh - the Wizard? [said the doorman] A - but nobody can see the great Oz! Nobody's ever seen the Great Oz! Even I've never seen him!”’. As the conversation goes on, Dorothy states that she has been sent by the Good Witch and the doorman doesn’t believe her and the Scarecrow thinks up a marvelous way to prove Dorothy’s worth to see the Wizard. He tells the doorman to look at the ruby slippers of the Wicked Witch of the East and the doorman automatically lets them in. This is yet another one of the feats that show the viewer how smart the Scarecrow actually is, even without a brain. Lastly, at the end of the quest to kill the Wicked Witch of the West, the Scarecrow is not presented with a brain from the Wizard of Oz. However, the Wizard gives the Scarecrow the confidence he needs by giving him something else. The movie shows us that the Wizard gives the Scarecrow a