Disability and Prosthesis in L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum tackles social constructions of disability through a variety of means. First and foremost, the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion are searching for the brain, heart, and courage they believe they are missing, and the Wizard offers them prostheses as an attempt to help them feel normalized. Beyond these main characters though, Baum uses several minor characters, such as the brittle inhabitants of the Dainty China Country and the Wicked Witch, to further his exploration of the tension between society’s perception of disability and the realities of individuals living with disabilities.