Why does the Wicked Witch of the West want Dorothy’s silver shoes?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Illustration by W.W. Denslow showing Dorothy comforting the Cowardly Lion on a yellow brick road, with Toto, the Tin Woodsman, and the Scarecrow nearby in a forest. — The Wonderful Wizard of Oz An illustrated page by W.W. Denslow in L. Frank Baum's *The Wonderful Wizard of Oz*.

In L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West desires Dorothy’s silver shoes because she is aware that they possess powerful magic.1

Throughout the story, the witch seeks to obtain them, eventually enslaving Dorothy and contriving to make her trip so that she can seize at least one of the shoes. While the witch understands their magical nature, it is ultimately Glinda, the Witch of the South, who reveals to Dorothy that the shoes have the power to transport her back to Kansas.1