Dorothy Must Die

Amy Gumm is the point-of-view character and protagonist of Dorothy Must Die. Her name is a nod to Frances Gumm, the real name of Judy Garland, who played Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. For much of the book, Amy thinks of herself as “all sharp edges and angles” (5). She struggles to fit in or find who she really is. At the book’s opening, she’s spent so long trying to help her mother that she’s neglected herself, and since her efforts have mostly had no effect, she is tired and cynical about people having the capacity to change. As a result, Amy lashes out when people try to help her because she believes their help can’t possibly be genuine, and she resorts to sarcasm in tense situations, which often gets her in trouble.

Amy’s primary character struggle is figuring out who she is. Caring for her mother has made her feel she’s only as useful as her impact on other people, and her experiences with the witches in Oz initially bolster this idea. During training and her first days within Dorothy’s palace, Amy does what the witches tell her to do and waits for instructions, neither of which leads to the outcomes Amy desires.