The Centers Portrayed in the Oz Characters©
Written by Bob Sanfilippo
Click here if you need to familiarize yourself with the story line for The Wizard of Oz .
Enneagram analysis. On the surface Dorothy
can be depicted as having a 4 personality.
Dorothy is portrayed as a hapless girl who lives with her Aunt Em and
Uncle Henry who adopted her. Although
she appears connected to these two parental figures, Dorothy can be depicted
(like 4’s family of origin issues) as being cut off from both her parents.
Dorothy presents herself as forlorn girl who is disenchanted with the
everyday existence of mundane Kansas farm life.
Dorothy is typical of 4s, who are usually bored with everyday living, and
daydream of a better, more fulfilled existence.
Dorothy broods that there must be a magical land somewhere over the
rainbow. When Judy Garland sings, Somewhere
Over the Rainbow, what can Dorothy be personifying other the than the 4
personality? Paradoxically, once in
the Land of Oz Dorothy soon becomes homesick and bemoans to return home to
Kansas. Like typical 4’s, “the
grass always seems greener on the other side.”
Dorothy searches for a way to get back home; back to a place she can
relate to, which seems like a metaphor of an identity crisis of a heart person.
Another
interpretation could view Dorothy not only as a 4, but also as generic
personality represented in all nine Points of the Enneagram.
Each of her companions, the Scarecrow, the Tinman and the Cowardly Lion
could represent the three Centers of the Self.
Hence, the Scarecrow, who was in search of a brain, could represent the
Thinking Center. The Tinman who was
in search of a heart, could represent the Feeling Center.
The Cowardly Lion, who was in search of (raw gut) courage, could
represent the Instinctual Center.
The
quest for the Wicked Witch’s broomstick (Dorothy’s ticket home) could be a
metaphor for the process of balancing of the Centers.
Each of Dorothy’s companions is resourceful in assisting Dorothy in her
quest (i.e., in her integration) to get back home (to her Essence). Paradoxically, Dorothy’s companions utilize resources
within themselves that they believe they do not possess, and are in search of
(unconscious process). The
Scarecrow, who longs to have a brain, is clever in devising ways of rescuing
Dorothy who is abducted in the Wicked Witch’s castle (“I’ve got a plan of
how to get in there.”). The
Tinman, who longs for a heart, uses compassion for Dorothy’s predicament to
take action and brave her rescue (“I hate to think of her in there! We’ve
got to her out!”). The Cowardly
Lion pulls in his gut and braves Dorothy’s rescue (“All right!
I’ll go in there for Dorothy! Wicked
Witch or no Wicked Witch! Guards or
no guards I’ll tear ‘em apart. I may not come out alive but I’m going in there!”)
The
Wizard of Oz portrays the deceit of the 3 personality.
He wears many disguises to be somebody that he is not. The Wizard is an image person who projects somebody more
important than he really is. At
first, Dorothy and her companions are in the 3 awe of him. Later, the Wizard is discovered to be a fraud.
A
now humble Wizard “awards” Dorothy’s companions for their heroic
achievements. However, the gifts he gives them are simply the
acknowledgment of the essence they already possess.
Hence, the Scarecrow had only to acknowledge (validate) for himself that
he had a brain which as evident in his clever rescue of Dorothy.
The Tinman had only to validate for himself that he had a heart as
evident in his compassionate rescue of Dorothy.
The Lion had only to validate for himself that he had courage as evident
in his gutsy rescue of Dorothy.
The
Wizard does keep his promise to take Dorothy back home to Kansas, albeit, in a
hot air balloon. Before his
departure, the Wizard turns over the rule of the kingdom of Oz to the virtuous
threesome, “…the Scarecrow by virtue of his superior brains shall rule in my
stead; assisted by the Tinman by virtue of his magnificent heart, and the Lion
by his virtue of courage. Obey them
as you would me!” This bestowment
can be interpreted as personality transforming into Essence vis-à-vis by
acknowledging of one’s own genuine self-empowerment.
As the balloon departs for the journey to Kansas, Dorothy jumps out of balloon basket to chase after her dog, Toto, who escaped in pursuit of a cat. The balloon takes off without her. Dorothy is devastated.
Dorothy
appeals to Glinda, the Good Witch. Glinda
instructs Dorothy, “Then close your eyes, tap your heals s (perhaps, one time
for each Center) and think to yourself, ‘There’s no place like
home…’”. This scenario can be
a metaphor for the inner work that is needed to discover our true selves; that
Home is inside of ourselves, i.e., our Essence.
Metaphorically, only the Self can acknowledge (validate) that oneself is
whole and complete. The process of
Liberation is not having to “get” something outside of ourselves in order to
become complete (personality passion-fixation). Instead, we need only acknowledge the value within ourselves
that always has been present, our Essence.
The moral to the story of The Wizard of Oz fits Fourth Way theory. We are always whole and complete. However, we live in an illusion (Gurdjieff: “being asleep”) that we are not complete. The process of integration is not making ourselves complete, but discovering that, all along, we are whole in the eternal Present, that we are, now, Essence. We just need to acknowledge our birthright and practice it. Like Dorothy, our Home is only a wish away inside ourselves.
