Character Analysis
Dorothy's canine companion seems like he's always getting into trouble. During the cyclone, he runs under the bed instead of into the cellar, which is why he and his mistress are whisked off to Oz. Then, toward the end of the book, he chases a kitten, causing Dorothy to miss her hot-air balloon ride home. Though Toto may seem like an insignificant character at first glance, he in fact drives the plot more than once. He even inadvertently reveals the Wizard's scam when he trips over a screen in the throne room.
But this little guy is more than just a plot device. Toto brings light into Dorothy's life, and he loves her with all his heart. In Kansas, where life is dreary and hard, "It was Toto that made Dorothy laugh, and saved her from growing as gray as her other surroundings" (1.5). In Oz, he doesn't seem in any hurry to get home, but he worries for his human. "Toto did not really care whether he was in Kansas or the Land of Oz so long as Dorothy was with him," the narrator tells us, "but he knew the little girl was unhappy, and that made him unhappy too" (12.71). Now we're unhappy. Dang it, Toto!