Consideration of Critic’s Use of Critical Frameworks/Concepts:

       Dorothy is known to be one of the first feminists in film, having the main role in the movie.  Even though this seemed to be true, critics, like Linda and Paige Rohrer, have acclaimed that instead of being a heroine of her own story, she follows the voice of patriarchy toward the Wizard and she does it in her symbolic red shoes (1).  These shoes have been referenced in many things, almost none of them good.  The authors point out that the shoes usually mean no good, usually symbolizing "spilled blood" or danger (3).
       The Good Witch is a voice of patriarchy too, Linda and Paige Rohrer calling her an "agent of patriarchy...guiding her towards patriarchy--and ultimately, home" (3).  She calls herself Dorothy's guidance, but she's really guiding Dorothy back to the life she had before, which wasn't a great one.  Where Dorothy came from, her voice was unheard, and she was often seen as a damsel in distress, so after this big adventure of self realization, why would she want to go back?
       Professor Marvel was the main point of patriarchy in the film, having taken advantage of Dorothy in the beginning by lying and trying to steal from her.  He later appears as the Wizard, who doesn't believe that women have the power within to help themselves, which is how Dorothy proves him wrong.  She does as he asks, but at the cost of going home to more patriarchy (4).
       When I saw this movie as a kid, none of these things came to mind when I saw the pretty red slippers on her feet.  I'd always wanted a pair, thinking them to be pretty and a symbol of strength and power, when in fact they were considered the complete opposite.  Now that I've read this article, I see how the slippers could be a symbol of patriarchy and how they did more bad than good.  The authors brought up the story of a young girl named Karen who put on the red slippers when she wasn't supposed to.  When they were on, they wouldn't come off.  She danced and danced and soon, the slippers took a toll on her.  In the end, she had someone cut them off because all they did was lead her to something bad (2).  This is not unlike Dorothy's story, who, in the end, leaves the wonderful land of Oz that had brought her so much joy to go back to her dull life poisoned with patriarchy.