Dorothy Must Die

Chapter 39 shows Amy questioning who to trust. She wants to believe the witches are good and doing the right thing, but Nox’s anger at Amy helping Ollie makes her wonder if the witches care about anything but killing Dorothy. Amy questions what the witches plan to do once Dorothy is gone. A few chapters ago, Nox’s distrust of the Wizard would have convinced Amy the Wizard isn’t on their side, but now, she wonders if the Wizard isn’t trustworthy or if the witches just don’t like him. In the past, Amy followed the witches’ new plans without complaint. Here, she questions the validity of the ball as the place to kill Dorothy, both a sign of doubting the witches and a jab at other dystopian novels. Many dystopian books feature a big event where the rebel group makes their move, something that often turns out badly because of the extra security measures and uncontrollable factors created by so many people in one place.

In Chapter 39, Nox tells Amy the witches are doing everything for her, which leaves Amy wondering about the true role she will play in Oz. She no longer questions that she has a part to play or considers that trying to find a way back to Kansas may be the right path. While she questions whether or not the witches are the group she should align with, what she’s seen in Dorothy’s palace makes Amy’s path clear to her. Regardless of whether she continues to help the witches, she can’t leave Oz’s people to suffer as they are. Amy has discovered her protective warrior instincts, and killing Dorothy has become a part of her. Unlike Nox, it isn’t all of her, and this difference highlights how different people respond to the same calling. Nox has built his personality and purpose around the rebellion and doesn’t know what else to be. Amy still sees a future beyond destroying Dorothy, even if she isn’t sure what it is.

Amy seeing her mother in Chapter 40 calls to the Wizard of Oz movie. When Dorothy was imprisoned in the Wicked Witch of the West’s tower, the witch’s looking glass briefly showed Auntie Em searching for Dorothy. At the movie’s end, it is revealed that Oz might have all been a dream, which means Aunt Em may have never been searching for Dorothy. Here, Amy is definitely in Oz and not dreaming, which means the painting is likely showing the truth. Like Aunt Em, Amy’s mom is thinking about someone she’s lost, and Amy’s reaction shows she has let most of her anger toward her mother go. Amy’s mother has also found herself, and rather than being angry, Amy is glad to see her mother doing well after all her trials.

The ball is yet another show of Dorothy’s power. The grand opulence of the chamber sends the not-so-subtle message that, no matter what the important individuals of Oz’s countries have, Dorothy has more. Dorothy’s entrance is a show meant to impress and intimidate. By appearing seemingly from a ball of confetti, she leaves her guests wondering exactly how she accomplished this magical feat. Forcing people to wonder makes them wary of challenging her because they can’t be certain how powerful she is. Jellia’s corpse is a less subtle but equally powerful statement. The corpse shows how much Dorothy can ruin someone’s life and how she won’t hesitate to do so. Knowing that Jellia died in the Scarecrow’s laboratory creates more uncertainty and fear. The people likely don’t know what the Scarecrow truly does in the laboratory, and Jellia’s appearance is a warning that, even if the Scarecrow’s experiments don’t go as planned, Dorothy will still make use of what’s left after the Scarecrow does his damage.