(Fan created content. Distinct from hoaxes and parodies)
Like Adventures of Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz is the story of a young girl transported to a strange and magical world. One of the major themes of the book and movie is that of the Wizard's deception. "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain" is one of the most famous lines in movie history.
The Book
"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" was written in 1900 by L. Frank Baum. After the publication of the original book, Baum went on to write 13 more stories about Oz.
The Movie
The 1939 musical "The Wizard of Oz" starring Judy Garland as Dorothy, is the most famous adaptation of Baum's book, though many adaptations have been produced.
Connections to Lost
The Island can be connected to Oz, "somewhere over the rainbow" where the world is recognizable, but also drastically altered, dangerous and mythical. Following the metaphor to its natural extension, Alvar Hanso is the "man behind the curtain," aka the Wizard. The Yellow Brick Road is the metaphorical path (to redemption and enlightenment?) the Lostaways must follow if they are to get home (no place like home, no place like home). There is also a "Yellow Brick Road" in Buddhism--the Eightfold Path to end suffering--which suggest the Dharmites and the Others may be on a similar, albeit opposing, quest.
Henry Gale and his balloon
The man that Jack and Locke were holding captive in the Swan goes under the name of "Henry Gale", who was Dorothy's uncle in The Wizard of Oz. He also claims to have marooned on the island in a hot air balloon, the same way that the wizard accidentally marooned in Oz. This and other clues lead to the theory that the Island is, in fact, not on Earth. Just as Baum's Wizard took off from very real Oklahoma and landed in Oz, the real Henry Gale and the Losties took off from very real Sydney, and landed on the Island.
Witch under the house
When Locke is trapped under the blast doors in "Lockdown," he resembles the Wicked Witch of the East on The Wizard of Oz, who is killed when Dorothy's house lands on her. The same image recurs in the flashback more exactly, when Locke is inspecting Nadia's house. He goes under the house and we see a shot of him with his feet sticking out, which recalls the same image.
Character parallels
- An ongoing chat room joke makes reference to the question of the four people on Michael's list (Kate, Hurley, Jack and Sawyer), namely that they would perfectly represent the four main characters in the book: Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow.
- Another interpretation: Kate is the Cowardly Lion (no courage; she always runs), Hurley is the Scarecrow (all heart, no brain), Jack is the Tin Man (no heart, all brain), leaving Sawyer as Dorothy...or perhaps Toto. :)
Miscellaneous
- Goodwin is the Wizard's name in the Russian translation by Alexander Volkov
- Mr. Friendly of the Others has been called Zeke, who is also featured in the film The Wizard of Oz, as one of the characters back in Kansas.
Note
There was an HBO series called Oz, about life in a prison. It was similarly over-the-rainbow for the protagonist (Beecher/Dorothy), and featured two future Lost actors: Harold Perrineau and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje.