During the great depression in the 1930 's women were at the bottom of the totem pole as men tried to get the country back on track. However, In this film things are different as Dorothy is the feminist hero. She is not the typical buff, blonde, male hero but instead an innocent little girl who wants to escape the terrible Ms. Gulch from stealing her dog. The reversal of power is first conveyed when Ms. Gulch arrives to take Dorothy 's dog and instead of Auntie Em and Uncle Henry sticking up for her they bow down to the evil woman and hand over the dog. Ms. Gulch clearly had more power over the Aunt and Uncle and when Auntie Em tried to fight back she failed. She responded, "For twenty-three years I 've been dying to tell you what I thought of you! And now... well, being a Christian woman, I can 't say it!” Therefore, the roles are reversed as the evil woman bosses around a grown man.
The wise old man is seen to be the man who gives the hero strength and guidance throughout the journey but it seems to be different here. The Wizard is seen as the ruler of the Land of Oz and is the only man capable of solving the problems of Dorothy. She and her three friends travel long distances to the wizard in hope of solving their problems but in the end turns out to be nothing but a man behind a curtain. He puts up a front with Dorothy but when