Write Good or Die Read Free

help. However Dorothy
doesn’t know this at first. The Lion attack and Dorothy stands
between this threat and her friends –and even attacks the Lion
(albeit with a slap across the chops). This is a brave act that is
selfless to the point of sacrifice. Dorothy is actually pretty cool
now. Hero Dorothy.
    Luckily the Lion is a coward, and we see Dorothy
shift from attack to sympathy. Again this shows character growth in
the form of a refined insight into the needs of another. Dorothy,
now in the role of matriarchal clan leader, accepts the Lion into
her pack, and the four of them go off to see the wizard.
    All through this the Wicked Witch of the West,
sister of the house-crushed Witch of the East, is after Dorothy and
her ruby slippers. We never truly learn why (a storytelling
shortfall explored later in novels and Broadway plays), but as a
threat the Wicked Witch is constant and pervasive. She is enough of
a threat that her presence, or the fear of how her anger might be
manifested, influences the actions of every character in the
story.
    Dorothy and company overcome all obstacles and
finally make it to Oz, home of the Wizard. There they present their
case and the Wizard agrees to help but throws them a plot twist.
He’ll help only if Dorothy undertakes a quest to steal the broom of
the Wicked Witch. Dorothy, however reluctant, agrees.
    This is huge. The Dorothy we met in Kansas not only
could not have accepted this mission; she would not have. However
the Dorothy who stands before the great and mighty Oz is a far more
evolved person who has benefited from adventures and experiences
that have revealed her own strengths, demonstrated the power of
friendship and collaborative effort, and basically served as a boot
camp for Hero Dorothy.
    As Dorothy and company step out of the Emerald City
to begin this quest, they step out of Act Two and into…

    ACT THREE

    In Act III, Dorothy and her team covertly assault
the stronghold of the Wicked Witch. They formulate a master plan
and carry it through, albeit with some unforeseen complications (we
love complications, catastrophes, challenges, calamities, and other
C-words that make it more of an effort for the good guys to
win).
    They sneak into the castle, and there is the
long-anticipated showdown between Hero Dorothy and the Wicked
Witch. We get a twist when the Witch catches fire and Dorothy, in a
demonstration of compassion even to her enemies, tries to douse the
flames with water. And this leads to one of those “Ooops!” moments
that enrich a story: the water is fatal to the witch. (Leading one
to wonder why she has a bucket of it to hand. Depression? Thoughts
of suicide? We’ll never know.)
    With the Wicked Witch dead, Dorothy discovers that
the Witch was also a tyrant and now the people of her land rejoice
for freedom with a rousing chorus of ‘Ding Dong the Wicked Witch’
(which they sing in immediate harmony, suggesting that this is a
long anticipated eventuality).
    Dorothy and her posse bring the broom back to the
Emerald City and BIG TWIST: the wizard is a fraud. All smoke and
mirrors. No real powers. Damn. Did not see that coming.
    However the Wizard has a heart of gold in his
deceitful chest, and he hands out some baubles that symbolize the
things Dorothy’s friends need: recognition of innate intelligence,
acknowledgment of dedication, and a reward for valor. Nothing for
Dorothy.
    The Wizard then attempts to take Dorothy home via
hot air balloon, but that ends badly and the Wizard floats off to
who knows where, alone. And, one wonders if that escape had been
planned all along. Devious bastard.
    Finally the Good Witch shows up and in another BIG
TWIST, tells Dorothy that she had the power to go home all along.
The ruby slippers are apparently good for interdimensional
travel.
    We see another element of Dorothy’s growth:
restraint. She does NOT leap on the Good Witch and kick the crap
out of her for not telling her this way the hell back in Oz. The
Good Witch