Bordwell and Thompson define narrative as "a chain of events in cause-effect relationship occurring in time and space" (Film Art, 75). Referring to the chapter "Narrative as Formal System" and Terry McMillian's essay on The Wizard of Oz (dir. Victor Fleming, 1939), identify and describe three questions McMillian poses to the film's narrative. For instance, when does McMillian pose questions to the film's cause and effect logic? How do the characters' traits inform her understanding of the film's causes and effects? For McMillian, how does the film's presentation of story information generate curiosity or suspense?
16 comments:
McMillian questions the narrative with how there is one goal, in this case Dorothy not able to get home, and having distractions to stray away from that goal. mcMillian thought of this as the only way a story can continues because otherwise they would be no obstacle to distract Dorothy from her original goal. She also questions the 'sing and dance' portion of the movie, thinking that it was silly to watch. She continues on to explain that back in the 1930's a lot of the white people would sing and dance and have cheesy songs that aren't any good. Even though the Wizard of Oz was sort of the same as before, the story really made her enjoy the song and dance it created. Another part of the narrative that McMillian questions is when Dorothy runs away from home, and in turn ends up in the Land of Oz. McMillian explains that she was afraid of dorothy leaving, but completely understood what she was coming from, and at the same time she wanted Dorothy to run away.
The character's traits got her to question, even at a young age, he use of having a brain, a heart, and courage to do what is right. Also the story uses the three brothers from the farm as the friends that Dorothy meets on the journey through Oz. This gives the audience a sense of wonder as to why they are in both worlds and also characterizes the brothers on the farm even though they have very little screen time as brothers, the audience feels that they know the farm brothers.
McMillian relates the plot of the Wizard of Oz to her life when she was a child; she sees herself in Dorothy. She relates to Dorothy’s escape from the drab Kansas farm which seems so much like McMillian’s own home in Port Huron. In the scenes where Dorothy meets the scarecrow, lion and tin man, McMillian poses the question “What did having it and not having it mean?” (McMillian 46) How important to the story plot was the absence of the heart, courage and brain; something she admits never having thought about. Although the absence of these items frames the whole reason for the characters to travel together and shapes the make-up of the individual characters, you learn through the film that these items are really not as important as you would believe. Despite not having a heart, courage or brain, McMillian points out that the characters taught her a great deal about friendship, truth and trusting each other. McMillian also suggests “What if she had just run away and kept going?” (McMillian 47) It would seem that, despite knowing the outcome of the film, McMillian suggests a different, perhaps more favorable outcome may have been achieved and that the life’s lessons taught in the original plot weren’t necessarily that significant. However, if Dorothy had continued to run, there wouldn’t be a story to demonstrate cause and effect. Lastly, the adult McMillian asks why didn’t Dorothy just go straight to Emerald City; why did she have to take the long yellow brick road? In reality, had Dorothy not taken the road, she wouldn’t have experienced the adventure of going down an unknown path and establishing trusting relationships with individuals who depended upon her. Each plot development in the Oz story both builds on a previous plot and establishes a foundation for the next plot development. Each of the questions McMillian poses interrupts the sequential development of the story, thus minimizing the impact of the narrative
As spectators of film there are always questions and critiques about the film’s narrative. We suppose how the narratives elements could have been more convincing with better cause and effect relationships between characters and overall plot. The Wizard of Oz for instance has been questioned and critiqued by many critics and scholars because of the films popularity and unusual storyline. For stories to progress the way they do certain events need to happen and sometimes these events seem to convenient and uncreative. In the essay “The Wizard of Oz” by Terry McMillian she questions the logic of the relationships and events in the film by relating it to her own life. In particular she questions why Dorothy goes to Professor Marvel and looks into the crystal ball. McMillian is annoyed with Dorothy’s gullibility which she relates to own life because her mother would tell her to “not believe in everything somebody tells you.” so I see McMillian as biased because Dorothy is supposed innocent, loving, and trusting of all people, and if she were not nothing would have happened in the film. The pursuit of the missing traits of each of the characters: a heart, courage, and a brain is central to the film and McMillian questions What did having it and not having mean? It is the pursuit of these things that our entire story unfold with the wicked witch and the wizard himself. She says that by not having these traits but pursuing them meant having “guts” and doing the right thing in the face of opposition. It is important to remember the first time one watched the film when considering the kind of suspense and curiosity it creates because the first time it was completely new. The change from a black and white film to a Technicolor one was especially memorable because the movie literally morphs before the eyes and lets the viewer know something important has just happened. Another element was the songs in the film that shape the plot and let us know more about the characters.
Terry McMillan, the author of The Wizard of Oz, identifies with a particular film narrative. She sees herself as the character Dorothy, wanting to travel away from her difficult life. Because the author can relate so well to the character, she is more critical about the decisions made and the events that unfold. She wonders what she would do in Dorothy’s position, and when it’s different from what the character actually does, she perhaps finds more fault in the plot. Ultimately though, since she admits she wants to be in Dorothy’s place and experience such a different world, she shares a deep connection with the film overall. When such a connection with the story is made, it’s no longer objective. McMillan first identifies with Auntie Em’s commanding character in place of her own mother. She finds it horrible not having money for a special event at school because of her mother borrowing her savings, but ends up realizing that things turn out alright when a teacher pays for it. As with Wizard of Oz, there is ultimately a good ending to a problem. The things she really questions are the objects of pursuit for Dorothy’s companions. She wonders what it means to have a brain, heart, and courage. Her question goes beyond wondering how Scarecrow can even function and speak without a brain, but why does he need it and what does he need to use it for? These are the root questions of the film. She’s able to apply it to her own life with questions about why certain members of society have to do certain expected things, but also what they should be doing instead that may be more important. McMillan also questions the Yellow Brick Road and its role in the story. She’s able to look back at her life so far and realize that she’s always identified with that road, or path. It’s led her through life.
Cassie Hutzler
Dayna Moses
Terry McMillian, who is the author of the article Wizard of Oz., decides to tells us her experience as watching this classic The Wizzard of Oz, and how she could relate it to her childhood. In the beginning she compares her mom to Auntie Em, and how she was demanding just like her own mother. The other example that was a constant example was the idea of hard times for both McMillian herself, as well as Dorothy. McMillian always wanted to escape, go to this fantasy world, just like Dorothy.
As far as the characters and how she blended with them. She always asked herself about how they lacked certain aspects that makes a person a person. For example the idea of the scarecrow and how he had didn’t have a brain. This effect him in the respect of not being able to make decisions. McMillian related this to her own life by the ideas of always making decisions and being smart in school. The Tin man was another one. The effect of not having a heart was idea of not having feelings and even more not being able to have emotions. This meant having feelings of jealousy, happy, devotion and sentiment lives. The last aspect that she is happy that she has that the Lion doesn’t have is courage. She’s so glad that she has this because she would not be getting the respect that she does. She example that she used was sticking up to her mom.
As far as the cause and effect logic goes, the logic seems to occur from scene to scene. This also brings curiosity and suspense to the film. As far as the Wizard of Oz goes, each scene is built onto the next. You see what kind of situation Dorothy is in, being raised on a farm and all, and how she wants to leave. Some of the main cause and effects that also include curiosity, is the scene from the tornado to coming to Oz. This is because you as the viewer doesn’t know what is going to happen after she wakes up and where she’s at. The next one, in my opinion is Dorothy meeting the Wicked Witch of the West, and how she effects him through out the whole film. The last cause and effect is the scene where she’s at Emerald City, and she has to go to the Wicked Witch of the West castle and get her broom. You as the viewer don’t know how this is going to happen, and if she makes it. The reason I picked these scenes is because they are bold and they are scenes that lead from one scene to another that demonstrates both cause and effect, as well as suspense and curiosity.
McMillan, in her childhood perception of viewing the Wizard of Oz, relates the movie plot to her desire to escape the realities of her own life. Dorothy’s escape from the daily chores and drudgery of Kansas farm life and the authoritative adult in Auth Em’s character had parallels with McMillan’s life in a poor, domineering home in Port Huron Michigan. The “escape to a dream-world” plot of Oz, as emphasize by the shift from black and white filming to bright colors in the film, was a story that McMillan could imagine. McMillan states that “I was afraid for Dorothy when she decided to run away, but at the same time I was glad!” McMillan does question the plot as to where Dorothy would go just as she questions where would she go if she chose to run away. Narratives in some movies (e.g., Groundhog Day) play on McMillan’s question of how there could be other possible outcomes for a narrative. The singing and dancing in the film seemed out of place in McMillan’s world of black soul singing, though as a child she enjoyed the words of the song. The developing friendships of the three key characters (Scarecrow, Tin Man, & Lion) with Dorothy caused McMillan to analyze in her own life including the importance of maintaining friendships and the courage to pursue one’s dreams. Thus the plot of characters and their characteristics help to develop the story of a Dorothy becoming a believer that can make life turn out right. As Dorothy wins over the evil witch, the story emphasizes that good can overcome evil, if you have faith. McMillan’s comments indicate that she believes that optimism and pursue of her goals did lead to a reasonable life. The return of Dorothy to the real world provides the audience the opportunity to think about direction in their future life or at least think about how Dorothy’s future life might have developed.
Li Wang
Film 114 Section 801
The viewers are expected to pose questions to a narrative film’s cause and effect logic for the engagement with the story. McMillian relates the adventure of protagonists in The Wizard of Oz to her experience of childhood by asking questions about the film’s cause and effect.
When Dorothy and Toto vamoosed, McMillian wanted to find the answers for the questions about Dorothy and herself: where was Dorothy going? Where would she go if it was her to run away? From the previous plots in this film, McMillian knows that the protagonist is as poor as her and has a nasty Antie Em. Both McMillian and Dorothy want to escape their troubled conditions. Therefore, when the film was presenting the action that Dorothy was trying to leave, McMillian attempted to figure out the place that she could stay. She was so eager to know the answer due to that if she could find helpful information for a paradise which she longs for.
When McMillian saw the scene that Dorothy’s house began to spin, she was wandering that where it was going to land. It is very natural for a child in her age to wander about the landing of a flying house in that this scene displays a magical and beautiful view that touches her mind deeply. Also maybe she was inexperienced in understanding this kind of dreaming scene or she is too young to understand. In this situation, the film presents the objective narration about what happens to the protagonist, arousing McMillian’s interest of the following effect for this cause.
When McMillian saw the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and the Lion, she began to think about the meaning of their missing parts. For instance, not having a brain results that Scarecrow couldn’t make decision. McMillian thought about if she had a brain and what was the function in her life. Through posting this question on the relation of cause and effect and her thinking, she realized the significance of a brain. So she could understand the brain is so crucial that the Scarecrow’s only mission is to find one in this story.
Kevin Witkowski
TA Dayna Moses
When critiquing The Wizard of Oz, Terry McMillan directly relates the narrative of the film to her life. The first act she questions in the films narrative is the fact that Dorothy wanted to go back home after running away and seeing Professor Marvel’s crystal ball. McMillan questions why Dorothy would want to go back since McMillan, herself, would want to run away. McMillan also questions why “the white people” would sing in the middle of the movie to get their point across. Where she was from, “when you had something to say to someone, you didn’t sing it” (McMillan p 32). She questions why people had to sing and why they couldn’t just get on with telling the story. The one thing that McMillan questions the most is when Dorothy meets the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Lion. These three characters are looking for a heart, a brain, and courage, respectively. She wonders why anyone would need these traits. She later realizes when she grows up, that she has all of these traits and she has used them throughout her life.
The character trait that McMillan believes affects the narrative the most is friendship. An example that McMillan shows friendship affecting the narrative is when the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Lion save Dorothy in the castle. Friendship drives this story and is one of the story’s many themes.
The story information in The Wizard of Oz is affected mostly by the actions of Dorothy. Because McMillan is not Dorothy and the two think differently on issues, (ex. McMillan would have ran away, Dorothy went back), McMillan is curious how the story will end up with Dorothy making her decisions which also ads suspense to the film for her.
Kevin Witkowski
Terry McMillian makes distinctions about when she can, and we she can’t identify with ‘The Wizard of Oz’, most of the questions she makes come from when she can’t identify with the film. One of the first questions she brought up was why would Dorothy run back home? McMillian thought she was extremely gullible and foolish for believing Professor Marvel. She States “Dorothy was so gullible, I thought, and I knew this word because my mother used to always drill it in us that you should never believe everything somebody tells you.’’ The second question she brings up concerns Dorothy and her dream world. Why does she have such trouble in her own dream world? McMillian said that if it was her world she wouldn’t have put herself in such precarious situation. The third question involves Dorothy not asking the Munchkins for a ride. All of the questions that she has are related directly to cause and effect. These elements create challenges for Dorothy to overcome. If it weren’t for these challenges then there wouldn’t be much of story. Narrative films are driven by conflict, McMillian questions the conflicts, but they’re also what keep her interested. In the end she admires Dorothy’s will to overcome her problems and for showing she has a good heart. The narrative and the moral of the story which, are driven by the cause and effect plot conflicts, stay with McMillan for the rest of her life.
Terry McMillian talked about and described the Wizard of Oz first by introducing her background and where she grew up. This helped to establish herself as someone that had a similar background to Dorthy. This helped her describe the narrative of the story in how the characters skipped down the yellow brick road to their destination and how she looked at her life as a yellow brick road, except one that had a few loose bricks. She also showed she could relate to the character of Dorthy when she ran away. At first she said she was scared for her and then she admitted to feeling happy for her after she saw the "trouble free" place that Dorothy had gone to. The Wizard of Oz is filled with cause and effect logic. The way Terry calmed her son when she showed the film to him was that the bad guy will get whats coming to them in the end. Dorothy running away was the effect of her mother scolding her and that is the reason Dorothy was hit in the head by the window. The characters added to the suspense when Dorothy ran back home to when Auntie Em was in trouble. Terry said this caused them to yell at the television because they were hoping to see an adventure or learn how Dorothy escapes from her situation. The characters also had goals they wanted to accomplish when the went to the wizard. The viewer wanted them to achieve these but at times problems slowed the travel down the yellow brick road.
McMillian finds a lot of similarities between Dorothy's position and her own experiences growing up in a small town. In this way, McMillian has the unique perspective of being someone who can relate to the characters and at the same time, criticize and question the aspects of the film that don't make sense to her. In particular, McMillian finds the narrative of the movie odd, in that there are events that occur which do not seem to actively add to the continuity of the story. Another aspect McMillian questions is the song and dance part of the movie. It seems to distract from the narrative and plot development. However, what it does not distract from, McMillian explains, is the enjoyment of the film as a whole.
Another big issue for McMillian is the quests that the individual characters are going on, and all happen to be going to the same location to find the same man who might be able to help them. There is a certain aspect of fatalism in their quests and symbolism in their required gifts.
Terry McMillian cites similarities between her own life and the Wizard of Oz. She talks about how she and Dorthy live parallel lives. With these similarities come some questions McMillian brings up in "Going to the Movies." First, she asks why "She was on her way back home" (CR, 46). She wanted to know this because Dorothy didn't try to make it on her own and wanted to go home.
Second, McMillian furthers her curiosity by thinking about how the Land of Ox would be different if the Wicked Witch of the West was not part of the story plot (CR, 46). This ties in with her own life because her mother was just like the Wicked Witch of the West when she was younger. She was desperate to find this out because she wanted to have the perfect life Dorothy had in the Land of Oz and even states she would not go back home.
Finally, she brings up a question that she says she has never thought of after having seen the movie several times. She wonders about how the characters Dorothy meets on the Yellow Brick Road are all missing a part, such as a heart, a brain, and courage. She asks, "What did having one really mean" (CR, 46)? "What would not having one mean." She elaborates by saying "having a brain meant you had choices." Also, having a heart meant you the "house of emotions." Finally, courage meant "doing whatever it was you set out to do anyway."
All these questions were generated by simply watching the movie because of the capability to engage the person, especially a child, through a unique narrative. It was through this movie McMillian found an escape from reality, just like Dorothy. The actions of the characters also have a cause and effect, which in turn answers the questions she had as a child.
Erik Wagner
Section 801
TA Dayna Moses
A question that McMillan asks about the Wizard of Oz is “where in the hell was she going (pg. 33)?” She wonders about where Dorothy goes because she believes that there is nowhere for Dorothy to go, yet McMillan wants to go somewhere herself and get away from her life and escape to paradise. And the paradise that she found was the paradises on TV. Another question is about courage and “What did having it and not having it mean?” She was curious about how having courage could make her life different because then she wouldn’t always live in fear. The final question she asks in the article is about Dorothy and “What if it turned out that she hadn’t been dreaming, and the wizard had given her an offer she couldn’t refuse?” McMillan wonders what if that kind of “dreamland” that Dorothy visits is indeed a reality. It makes her think that if Dorothy’s life could improve, then maybe her life would improve too. But then she realized that the only one to improve her life was her self. First, she can’t run away from her life, she needs to embrace the troubles and find some courage to stand up to people in her life, and then finally realize that dreams can come true even for a black woman. The characters in the movie help her in her life to recognize what having a heart, brain, and courage mean in daily life. She is curious about everything about Dorothy’s life and how it could change for the better, and then later when she watches the movie again, the suspense that the movie creates for him is so intense that she has to keep reassuring her son that it isn’t real. It’s only pretend.
Kaitlyn Murray
The first question that McMillan poses that stands out to me is, “what kind of life did she have, from what I’d seen so far?” This question is asked after the author says that they were afraid for her, but at the same time was glad that she ran away. McMillan then says that Dorothy had every reason to run away because there was nothing for her at home. The second question that stood out to me is when McMillan asks “Where the hell was she going?” This again was said after McMillan said that she was rooting for Dorothy when she ran away. She says that she would have run away too, but she didn’t know where she would run away to. She wanted to escape the responsibility she had, and says that the reason she liked The Wizard of Oz so much is because it gave her a chance to run away from her responsibilities. The last question that stood out to me is the one dealing with courage; “What did having it and not having it mean?” She uses a personal example of when she feels that she acquired courage, and why having it was so important. She talks about the first time she “confronted” her mother. She confronted her by asking if her mother could say please. This question is interesting because it directly deals with something that shows up in the movie, which is attaining courage. I think it is good that she was able to get a few things out of the movie, even if she wasn’t able to view it as an adult, and even if the same experience is not the same after multiple viewings.
Antonio Vargas
section 801
For all of the three characters lacking some aspect of humanity, McMillian questioned what did it mean to have a heart, a brain or courage? Yet she seemed to gain the most perspective from the Cowardly Lion’s lack of courage. She felt the same kind of weakness when it came to her mother. Due to lessons learned from Wizard of Oz she finally stood up to her mother. After she asked more and more the questions Dorothy almost became McMillian. Her final question even ends with her asking why Dorothy did not follow dreams very similar to those of McMillian or stay in the Emerald City. She shared the same desire of freedom from troubles by going to a place where “dreams come true.” Because of the colorful and almost childlike manor in which the story of the Wizard of Oz presents itself, McMillian found many connections between her own life and the story. However, the same attribute caused her to generate less curiosity and suspense from the narrative over the years.
Matt Dwyer
Film 114 Section 33068
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