Karen F. Carazo
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Events
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Dorothy
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Wicked
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Good
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Scarecrow, Tin Man,
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Witch
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Witch
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Cowardly Lion
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1. During a tornado, a house
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falls on top of the Wicked
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Witch of the East killing her.
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2. Glinda, the Good Witch,
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transfers the ruby slippers from
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the dead witch’s feet to Dorothy’s.
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3. Dorothy reaches The Emerald
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City and meets the Wizard with
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the help of the Scarecrow, the
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Tin Man, & the Cowardly Lion.
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4. After fulfilling the Wizard’s
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wishes, Dorothy is returned
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safely to her home in Kansas.
Other classic examples of this notion of appearances being deceiving can be seen in Disney’s
Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Jungle Book,
and
The Big Green
.
Beauty and the Beast
is the tale of a prince who has everything. He is spoiled, selfish, and unkind. One evening an old beggar woman comes to his castle seeking shelter from the cold in return for a beautiful rose. The unkind prince sneers at her because of her haggard appearance and dismisses her. The old woman warns him not to be deceived by her appearance for beauty is found within. She is then transformed into a beautiful enchantress. The prince apologizes but he is too late for she could see there is no love in his heart and as punishment, turns him into a hideous beast. She leaves him with the enchanted rose which will bloom until his twenty-first birthday. If he can learn to love another and be loved in return, the spell will be broken. However, if he can not, then he shall remain a beast forever. In this classic tale, appearances truly are deceiving. The “Beast” is depicted as a massive creature who is dark and ugly. While once a vicious monster, he clearly softens at Belle’s beauty and goodness and eventually his own goodness and “beauty” begin to shine through. On the other hand, Gaston on the surface appears to be every woman’s fantasy: tall, dark, muscular, handsome. In fact, the women refer to him as “gorgeous”. However, Gaston is also arrogant and evil. In fact, it is Gaston who Belle calls “monster” because of his wrong doings. Meanwhile, the Beast, with some encouragement from the tea kettle, who suggests he help Belle see past his looks, shows that he really is gentle, kind, and caring. Despite the fact that he is no “Prince Charming”, eventually Belle’s love for the Beast and his inner beauty transform him back into a handsome prince and his castle goes from a dark and dreary shell to a magical place once more. Although Belle is young, thin, and beautiful, she is considered an outcast by the townspeople because of her love of books. She is believed to be just as crazy as her father because of her desire for knowledge. However, Gaston is more than willing to overlook Belle’s “craziness” because she is so beautiful. While Gaston loves Belle solely for her appearance, the Beast falls in love with Belle for the person she is on the inside. Thus reinforcing the concept that “inner beauty” is what truly makes a person beautiful. Students will complete a Polar Opposites Guide after watching Disney’s
The Beauty and the Beast
. A Polar Opposite Guide helps students analyze characters by having them rate one or more characters on a scale of three, five, or seven points. A list of the character’s characteristics are given along with the opposites of these characteristics. Students then rate the characteristics which should in turn generate discussion of the character(s). I will have students complete guides for the Beast, Belle, and Gaston. An example of a Polar Opposite Guide for The Beast follows below.