Living being in The Oz Series
farmhouse woman
The woman of the green-country farmhouse where the travelers stop for the night. She opens the door only a crack at first, wary of the great Lion, but after being assured he is tame and cowardly she takes them in, lays the table, serves supper (porridge, scrambled eggs, and white bread), and gives Dorothy a bed to sleep in.
Appears in 1 chapters, first in chapter 10, last in chapter 10.
This encyclopedia covers chapters 1 to 100 of the story and shows the world as it stands at chapter 100, so it contains spoilers up to that point. To read it spoiler free, one chapter at a time, open the interactive codex.
What the story establishes
| Affiliation | Household of a green-country farmhouse in the Land of Oz, near the Emerald City (as of ch. 10) |
| Being nature | Ordinary human woman of the green country of Oz |
| Conflict | Momentary tension between fear of the great Lion at her door and her impulse to help the child; resolved once Dorothy assures her the Lion is a tame coward. (as of ch. 10) |
| Current goal | To protect her household from the great Lion at her door — and, once assured he is tame and cowardly, to feed the travelers supper and give them a place to sleep. (as of ch. 10) |
| Dialogue style | Wary, practical, and direct: short probing questions (“What do you want, child?”, “Is he tame?”) followed by a plain, conditional offer of hospitality once satisfied. (as of ch. 10) |
| Gender identity | woman (as of ch. 10) |
| Is alive | yes (as of ch. 10) |
| Maturation stage | adult |
| Motive | Guarded hospitality: she wants to protect her household from the frightening Lion, but is willing to shelter and feed the strangers once assured he is tame and harmless. (as of ch. 10) |
| Personality | Cautious and deliberate — she thinks it over and takes another peep at the Lion before deciding — yet fundamentally kind and hospitable once reassured. (as of ch. 10) |
| Quirks | Deliberates visibly before deciding: opens the door only a crack, thinks it over, and takes another peep at the Lion before granting entry. (as of ch. 10) |
| Referential profile | feminine (as of ch. 10) |
| Sex profile | female (as of ch. 10) |
| Skills | Housekeeping and cooking: lays the table and provides a supper of porridge, scrambled eggs, and white bread for the guests (as of ch. 10) |
| Social status | Common farm householder (mistress of a good-sized farmhouse) in the green country of Oz (as of ch. 10) |
| Status | Hosting the travelers overnight at her farmhouse: serving supper and providing beds (as of ch. 10) |
Relationships
- located in → Land of Oz ch. 10The woman lives in a good-sized green-painted farmhouse in the green country of the Land of Oz, on the road approaching the Emerald City.
- persuades ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 10Dorothy talks the wary farm woman into admitting the party by assuring her the Lion is her friend and comrade, tame, and a great coward who is more afraid of the woman than she is of him.
- provides service → Dorothy's Traveling Party (ended) ch. 10The farm woman takes the strange company in for the night, laying the table, giving them supper, and providing Dorothy a bed while the others rest in her house.
- fears → Cowardly Lion (ended) ch. 10The farm woman opens her door only a crack out of fear of the great Lion, demanding to know why he is with the child and asking whether he is tame before daring to let the party in.
From the text
“Well,” said the woman, after thinking it over and taking another peep at the Lion, “if that is the case you may come in, and I will give you some supper and a place to sleep.”Chapter 10
A woman opened it just far enough to look out, and said, “What do you want, child, and why is that great Lion with you?”Chapter 10
See farmhouse woman chapter by chapter in the interactive codex →