XPost: rec.arts.sf.written, rec.arts.books.childrens, alt.books.cs-lewis   
   XPost: rec.arts.books.tolkien   
   From: wmgfrgsn@newsguy.com   
      
   On Fri, 10 Sep 2010 04:47:00 +0000 (UTC), Andrew Barss   
    wrote:   
      
   >In rec.arts.books.childrens Christopher Henrich  wrote:   
   >: plenty of times. Let's see: Dorothy's parents die; her aunt and uncle   
   >: are not very sympathetic; she is sucked into a tornado; the Wicked Witch   
   >: of the East (IMS) is killed by a falling house... skip ahead ... the   
   >: Wicked Witch of the West is dissolved by a bucket of water. Scary enough?   
   >   
   >Don't forget that at the end she has to leave a magical kingdom   
   >in which she has lots of friends and adventures to go back to a   
   >dustbowl farm with humorless relatives. Talk about a sad ending!   
      
   She doesn't have to, she chooses to (the inhabitants of the magical   
   kingdom, in both the book and the 1939 movie, wanted her to stay).   
      
   In the book(s),   
      
   Henry Gale was not a bad farmer, and his farm wasn't unsuccessful at the   
   start of the series.   
      
   Henry and Em loved Dorothy, and she knew it   
      
   Henry and Em didn't understand their niece, but they were very kind and   
   supportive toward her.  Even after several disappeances and reappearances,   
   they still trusted her, and didn't punish her for her stories about Oz,   
   even if they didn't completely believe them.   
      
   The downfall of the Kansas farm started with Henry's heart attack.  As part   
   of his recovery, he went on an ocean voyage to visit relatives in Australia   
   (taking Dorothy with him), and spent time with his brother and other   
   relatives in California on the way back.  Dorothy disappeared twice during   
   this trip, returning on her own both times.  The first would have certainly   
   lent credence to Dorothy's stories, since she disappeared during a storm in   
   mid-ocean, and reappeared in Australia.   
      
   Finally, back in Kansas, Henry's inability to work as hard as he had, plus   
   the mounting medical bills, were going to cost them the farm.  At this   
   time, they recommended that if she could, Dorothy should live in Oz full   
   time, where she would be cared for.  Dorothy went one better and brought   
   both Henry and Em to Oz, where they lived forever after.   
   --   
   I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer.   
   Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.   
   I will face my fear.  I will permit it to pass over me and through me.   
   And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.   
   Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.  Only I will remain.   
   (Bene Gesserit)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)