Summary

From childhood experiences to cultural influences, Baum was a writer who was inspired by his changing environment. As a child, Baum learned about many fairy tales, but disagreed with the way they were told. He sought to develop a new type of fairytale, just as the world was changing. The early 1900s was an environment were many different dreamers brought their inventions to life, from Ford to the Wright Brothers, to the Colombian Exhibition, many people were motivated to create new ideas. This revolutionary way of thinking is represented in Baum's Oz books. It is a work that represents the advancements in technology, with major emphasis on color illustration. Publishers, of the period, could not visualize a book with color illustrations because they believed it would be too expensive. Although Baum knew how to print his own work, he still needed a publisher to produce copies of his work for the masses. Is it interesting to note that Baum and Denslow has to place their own money and supply their own printing plates for production. The publishers of the period only provided the distribution of books, which included ink and paper and the binding. The positioning of a title is important because it can suggest which edition of the book a person owns, especially when many copies are sold. The fact that Baum went through so many different publishing houses shows that they were popular business in the 1900s. Baum, as a writer, struggled with many people as he was preparing for his sequal. Between arguments about copyright laws with first illustrator Denslow, and publishing houses that were catering to other authors, Baum quickly learned about the publishing buisness. He learned never to shaare his rights, and to start with a new publishing company that would focus on his work.  Learning about Baum's personal life, as well as the culture that surrounds him, provides different reasons for his depiction of women in the Land of Oz and the Oz series. Baum's work is important to American history and with the encouragement by children, he helped restore childhood fantasy literature. Through this book study, I learned that many elements go into the production of a book, such as printers, illustrators, authors, actors, composers, and filmmakers. The story behind the Land of Oz showcases a worldvirew, where characters go on a quest for thier own identity. This series bridges many diffrent generations, and it will always be a timeless classic for children.