The Wizard of Oz, Homestuck, and the Meat timeline: An analysis of Power over the narrative
A common imagery in Homestuck, one very obvious, is The Wizard of Oz.
We see it in the start of the story, with Jade Harley as the girl with her dog (Dorothy and Toto), a robot (Tinman), a stuffed corpse, (Scarecrow), an animalistic version of herself (Lion), and eventually, she comes to her own as the Witch in red shoes (The Witch of the East). This imagery is used to convey multiple things - at first, it is a reference, and then when characters like Calliope and Terezi ape it, it becomes a sort of instrument of escapism from upsetting events, like almost everything else in Homestuck. But, when we look at how it is used in these scenes, we can also see another thematic usage, that continues off into the Meat timeline of the Epilogues, and Beyond Canon.
When Terezi uses the reference, it is right after everyone dies, and John is to be sent off to the Retcon Journey. We see that Terezi stole Jade's shoes right off of her corpse, right as she's about to make John create a new alpha timeline, or "home", casting her as the new Dorothy. This is an act of 'Power', so to speak, as she does it mainly to prove she can, in the face of the disaster that was Game Over. It was "R3D, SP4RKLY, 4ND D3L1C1OUS", and to be able to take time to steal them and wear them is proof of the fact that Terezi still had Power, which she used in the Retcon Journey.
Calliope references it by casting herself as the Wizard, exerting all the Power she has to try to keep people away, proverbially showing her fangs by referencing the story.
Importantly though, one other person uses it in tandem with Power: Caliborn.
During his most Powerful time in the comic, where he can change the ui, the story, even the art, what does he do to exert his Power over the story, and over john?
He plays him as the Wizard, and references the curtain.
Even with Jade, the one who started the trend and reference, we see her use being the Witch as being Powerful. She is strong when she god tiers, Bec is strong as a first guardian, and she is, by and large, the Threat, both physically and emotionally, during a lot of Game Over.
So, we've established that characters using Oz in the story is them exerting Power over situations and people that they do not like.
The whole of the Epilogues, and later Beyond Canon, is related to Dirk Strider, Alliope, and the Power that each controls over and opposing the other. We start with a simple choice: Candy, or Meat? We will choose Meat for this specific essay, but do not worry, Candy will come soon.
Meat is all about Power, it is about the Power of Lord English, the Power of Jane's political campaign, and, most importantly, the Power Dirk has pressed onto the narrative.
He doesn't want to continue living in an Epilogue; Dirk Strider wants another Homestuck.
Him taking the role of the narrative - him usurping the old narrator, is him taking the Power if being the Wizard character - Meat is his masterpeice, Meat is his Oz.
We can also see this in the people gunning to kill him - Jake, the brainless man, Davebot, the Tinman with no heart, Alliope, the Witch opposing the Wizard, Jade, playing double duty as both the Lion and the Witch of the East, and Aradia, our new Dorothy.
And when we see the Seers, we get Rose, the metallic mask that aids the Wizard strike fear, and Terezi, a Dorothy with no way home.
He has taken the proverbial power of Oz, and made it literal, exerting his will over the entire narrative, exacerbating Oz as an actual present force with Power.
But then, in the universe he discared, the world that represents everything he doesn't want Homestuck to be, we find Vriska, and we find her whisking away the Omega kids to the Oz of Meat, so that they can play Sburb.
And then, John decides he needs to kill Dirk.
Now, a bit of a tangent on the books, but the Wizard isn't the rightful ruler of Oz. He came in, and userped the ones in charge, and after his defeat, the Heir returns.
Ozma, the rightful Heir to Oz, is a transgender woman who forms a very close relationship with Dorothy, a girl from another universe, and she helps with the creation of a man named Jack Pumpkinhead, who is owned by a Witch, who has knowlege, but doesn't know how much. She also only transitions when she comes into herself as the Heir, and Queen of Oz.
John Egbert, if we follow throught with the Ozma parralells, will go to Meat, help defeat Dirk, and will also transition, either during or after Hellteir.
But - but what about Candy? What is the negative space left behind by a writer? When all of the narrative Power is taken away, what are you left with?
You are left with Wonderland. But that's for the next one.
