Living being in The Oz Series
Guardian of the Gates
Also known as a little man clothed all in green, the same Guardian of the Gates they had met before, the Guardian of the Gate, the good-natured Guardian, the Guardian of the Gates of the Emerald City.
The gatekeeper of the Emerald City: a little man about the size of a Munchkin, clothed all in green from head to feet, with skin of a greenish tint, who keeps a large green box of locked spectacles beside him. He admits Dorothy's party through the emerald-studded gate, warns them about the terrible Great Oz, fits and locks green spectacles on each of them with the only key (worn on a chain around his neck), and then leads them through a second gate into the streets of the Emerald City.
Appears in 7 chapters, first in chapter 10, last in chapter 32.
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 | Official of the Emerald City in the service of the Great Oz — the appointed keeper of the City gates (as of ch. 10) |
| Appearance | A little man about the same size as the Munchkins, clothed all in green from his head to his feet, with skin of a greenish tint; he wears the little spectacle key on a chain around his neck and puts on his own green glasses before entering the City. (as of ch. 10) |
| Being nature | A little man of Munchkin size with greenish-tinted skin — a diminutive human-like inhabitant of the Emerald City |
| Body conditions | A little man about the same size as the Munchkins, with skin of a greenish tint. |
| Conflict | Confident in the law and unable to take the girls' 'revolt' seriously, he is caught defenseless when they turn violent, overpowered and forced to surrender the gate. (as of ch. 32) |
| Current goal | To turn the rebel girls away and keep his gate — a purpose he fails at, ending by begging for mercy as they overpower him. (as of ch. 32) |
| Dialogue style | Formal, official, and cautionary: challenges arrivals with direct questions of purpose, delivers solemn warnings about the power and terribleness of Oz, and states rules and duties in measured, declarative sentences (“I am the Guardian of the Gates... But first you must put on the spectacles.”). (as of ch. 10) |
| Equipment | A large green box filled with green-glassed spectacles of every size and shape; a little key on a chain around his neck — the only key that will unlock the spectacles; a big golden key kept on a peg on the wall that opens the inner gate; his own green glasses. (as of ch. 10) |
| Gender identity | man (as of ch. 10) |
| Is alive | yes (as of ch. 10) |
| Maturation stage | Adult |
| Motive | Duty: bound by his office to enforce Oz's rules — locked spectacles for all who enter — and to escort those who demand to see Oz to the Palace, while warning them of the danger of a foolish errand. (as of ch. 10) |
| Personality | Conscientious and rule-bound, cautious, and easily perplexed by the unusual — he is so surprised by the request to see Oz that he sits down to think it over — yet fair and helpful once the errand proves honest. (as of ch. 10) |
| Quirks | When taken by surprise he sits down to think the matter over, shaking his head in perplexity. (as of ch. 10) |
| Referential profile | masculine (as of ch. 10) |
| Sex profile | male (as of ch. 10) |
| Skills | Fitting each visitor with green spectacles of exactly the right size and locking them on with his key; keeping and operating the gates of the Emerald City. (as of ch. 10) |
| Social status | Titled city official: the Guardian of the Gates of the Emerald City, sole keeper of the spectacle key (as of ch. 10) |
| Special capabilities | None shown; the ordinary gatekeeper who keeps the key to the locked green spectacles and admits visitors. |
| Status | Overwhelmed at his gate by General Jinjur's needle-wielding girls, he howls for mercy and surrenders, letting Jinjur take his ring of keys as the city gate falls to the rebels. (as of ch. 32) |
Relationships
- possesses → key to the green spectacles ch. 10The Guardian holds the only key that can unlock the City's spectacles, wearing it at the end of a chain around his neck and using it to lock the golden bands on each visitor.
- subordinate to → Oz ch. 10The Guardian of the Gates serves under the Great Oz, enforcing Oz's standing order that everyone in the Emerald City wear locked green spectacles and controlling admission to Oz's Palace.
- located in → City of Emeralds ch. 10The Guardian is stationed at the Emerald City's gate, standing in the high arched emerald-walled entrance room just inside the big gate at the end of the yellow brick road.
- possesses → green spectacles ch. 10The Guardian keeps a large green box filled with green-glassed spectacles of every size and shape, from which he fits pairs for all who enter the Emerald City.
- wields → green spectacles ch. 10Before leading the party into the City, the Guardian puts on his own green glasses, wearing them like all who dwell in the Emerald City.
- guards → City of Emeralds (ended) ch. 10–32The little green man serves as the standing Guardian of the Gates of the Emerald City, admitting visitors through the emerald-studded gate, fitting them with the required locked spectacles, and escorting them within.
- surrenders to → General Jinjur (ended) ch. 32Overpowered by the needle-wielding girls, the Guardian howls for mercy and lets Jinjur take his ring of keys without resistance.
- communicates with ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 10At the gate of the Emerald City, Dorothy tells the Guardian of the Gates that they have come to see the Great Oz; astonished, he warns that Oz is powerful and terrible, then agrees to take them to the Palace, first fitting and locking green spectacles on her when she asks why they must be worn.
- shows respect → Dorothy (ended) ch. 15On learning Dorothy melted the Wicked Witch of the West, the Guardian of the Gates bows very low indeed before her.
- warns → Dorothy's Traveling Party (ended) ch. 10The Guardian of the Gates warns the party that Oz is powerful and terrible, and that if they come on an idle or foolish errand the Great Wizard might be angry and destroy them all in an instant.
- provides service → Dorothy's Traveling Party (ended) ch. 10–12The Guardian serves the party as gatekeeper and escort: he fits each of them with protective locked green spectacles and then personally guides them through the gate to show them to Oz's Palace.
- warns → Dorothy's Traveling Party (ended) ch. 12The Guardian of the Gates warns the departing party that the Wicked Witch of the West is wicked and fierce and may not allow them to destroy her, and directs them to keep to the West where the sun sets to find her.
- threatens ← General Jinjur (ended) ch. 32Jinjur demands the Guardian surrender the city; when he refuses, her girls jab knitting-needles near his face until he yields.
- persuades ← Scarecrow (ended) ch. 10The Scarecrow convinces the hesitant Guardian that their errand is important, not foolish or idle, and that Oz is said to be a good Wizard — after which the Guardian agrees to take them to the Palace.
- commands → Dorothy's Traveling Party (ended) ch. 10The Guardian orders the party that before entering the Emerald City they must put on the locked green spectacles, since everyone in the City must wear them by Oz's decree.
- communicates with → Dorothy's Traveling Party (ended) ch. 19The Guardian of the Gate unlocks the party's green spectacles, puts them back into the green box, and sends the travelers off with many good wishes.
- communicates with → Jack Pumpkinhead (ended) ch. 30The Guardian of the Gates questions Jack about who and what he is and his business, puzzling over his answers before deciding to summon a soldier for help.
- gives → Jack Pumpkinhead (ended) ch. 30The Guardian fits Jack with green spectacles from his big box, and because Jack's eyes and head are so large he ties the spectacles on rather than locking a fitted pair.
- uses → key to the green spectacles (ended) ch. 10The Guardian uses the little key worn on the chain around his neck to lock the golden bands of the green spectacles onto Dorothy and then onto each of her companions, fastening all of them with it before opening the inner gate.
- communicates with ← Scarecrow (ended) ch. 15At the gate the Scarecrow answers the astonished Guardian's questions, telling him the party visited the Wicked Witch of the West and that she is now melted — killed by Dorothy.
- communicates with → Scarecrow (ended) ch. 19The Guardian reminds the Scarecrow that he is now the city's ruler and urges him to come back as soon as possible; the Scarecrow promises to return once he has helped Dorothy get home.
- communicates with → the soldier with the green whiskers (ended) ch. 11At the Palace door the Guardian of the Gates announces the arriving strangers to the green-bearded soldier, telling him they demand to see the Great Oz; the soldier answers that he will carry their message to Oz.
- communicates with → City of Emeralds (ended) ch. 15The Guardian of the Gates spreads word through the Emerald City's people that Dorothy has melted the Wicked Witch of the West, drawing a great crowd.
- communicates with → Dorothy (ended) ch. 19Dorothy thanks the good-natured Guardian for the kindness she was shown in the city, and he bids her farewell, hoping she finds a way home to Kansas.
- uses → green spectacles (ended) ch. 12As the party leaves the Emerald City, the Guardian of the Gates unlocks their green spectacles and puts them back in his great box before opening the gate for them.
- uses → green spectacles (ended) ch. 15As before, the Guardian takes the spectacles from the great box and locks a pair over the eyes of each traveler before letting them into the Emerald City.
- injures ← Saw-Horse (ended) ch. 30When asked whether it is alive, the Saw-Horse pranced and brought one wooden leg down on the Guardian's toes, making him cry out 'Ouch!' — a minor, trivial hurt.
- communicates with ← the soldier with the green whiskers (ended) ch. 30The Guardian summons the soldier and asks what to do with the puzzling visitor; the soldier decides Jack must be taken to His Majesty the Scarecrow and tells the Guardian to fit him with spectacles.
From the text
“I am the Guardian of the Gates, and since you demand to see the Great Oz I must take you to his Palace. But first you must put on the spectacles.”Chapter 10
Before them stood a little man about the same size as the Munchkins. He was clothed all in green, from his head to his feet, and even his skin was of a greenish tint. At his side was a large green box.Chapter 10
The Guardian of the Gates led them through the streets until they came to a big building, exactly in the middle of the City, which was the Palace of Oz, the Great Wizard.Chapter 11
“But you seem harmless. Folks do not smile so delightfully when they mean mischief.”Chapter 30
“Go home to your mothers, my good girls, and milk the cows and bake the bread. Don’t you know it’s a dangerous thing to conquer a city?”Chapter 32
See Guardian of the Gates chapter by chapter in the interactive codex →