Glass Cat
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Bungle, the Glass Cat is a character in the
Oz books The ''Oz'' books form a book series that begins with ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900) and relates the fictional history of the Land of Oz. Oz was created by author L. Frank Baum, who went on to write fourteen full-length ''Oz'' books. Baum ...
of
L. Frank Baum Lyman Frank Baum (; May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919) was an American author best known for his children's fantasy books, particularly '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', part of a series. In addition to the 14 ''Oz'' books, Baum penned 41 other novels ...
. More prominently featured in Baum's latter books,Chaston, Joel. "Baum, Bakhtin, and Broadway: A Centennial Look at the Carnival of Oz." The Lion and the Unicorn, vol. 25 no. 1, 2001, p. 128-149. Project MUSE, https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/uni.2001.0002. the Glass Cat often is depicted as using her unique characteristics to the benefit of her companions. Bungle was not well-liked by other inhabitants of Oz due to her self-absorption, but she is suggested to be less uncaring than she appears. Like other Oz characters, Bungle serves to blur the line between person and animal, object and living being, having been described as more intelligent than a typical cat with brains above her station in life. Paul M. Abrahm, and Stuart Kenter. “Tik-Tok and the Three Laws of Robotics.” Science Fiction Studies, vol. 5, no. 1, 1978, pp. 67–80. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4239158. Accessed 3 June 2025.


Development

Baum was unusual in creating a character that is transparent but visible. In a story published twelve years prior to Bungle's debut,
American Fairy Tales American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...
, Baum magically animates a similar spun-glass animal, although the dog is not transparent but pink, with a blue ribbon around its neck and shiny black glass eyes. Bungle along with the other new characters in ''
The Patchwork Girl of Oz ''The Patchwork Girl of Oz'' is the seventh book in L. Frank Baum's Oz series. Characters include the Woozy, Ojo "the Unlucky", Unc Nunkie, Dr. Pipt, Scraps (the patchwork girl), and others. The novel was first published on July 1, 1913, ...
'' represented a shift away from the static cast of characters featured in previous Oz books. However, upon encountering the previous cast of Baum's Oz, Bungle and the Woozy are removed from the journey to be replaced by Dorothy and the Scarecrow.


Characteristics

The Glass Cat is described as transparent, except for her hard blood-red ruby heart, two large emeralds for eyes, and her bright pink brains, which look rather like a collection of marbles and can be seen working in the cat's head. She has a tail of spun-glass. An example of the Glass Cat's invulnerability is its ability to walk across lakebeds unharmed. Despite being made of glass and fearing being broken, the Cat is shown to be virtually invulnerable to harm, which is a great advantage in her various adventures. For instance, she is shown to be immune to the violent attacks of the various beasts of Oz. In personality, Bungle is almost stereotypically catlike—cool and reserved and aloof as well as vain. The cat "is so determined not to show emotion that when implored to bring help she sets off very slowly and runs only when out of sight." Through her incessant prowling throughout the
Land of Oz The Land of Oz is a fantasy world introduced in the 1900 children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by William Wallace Denslow, W. W. Denslow. Oz consists of four vast quadrants, the Gillikin Countr ...
, however, the Glass Cat is portrayed as having acquired intimate knowledge of its complex terrain; and she is generally willing to exploit this knowledge to the benefit of
Dorothy Dorothy may refer to: *Dorothy (given name), a list of people with that name. Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Dorothy'' (TV series), 1979 American TV series * Dorothy Mills, a 2008 French movie, sometimes titled simply ''Dorot ...
and her friends.


History

Bungle first appears in ''The Patchwork Girl of Oz'', the seventh of Baum's fourteen Oz books. The magician Dr. Pipt tests his Powder of Life by animating an ornamental glass cat
figurine A figurine (a diminutive form of the word ''figure'') or statuette is a small, three-dimensional sculpture that represents a human, deity or animal, or, in practice, a pair or small group of them. Figurines have been made in many media, with cla ...
, for the specific purpose of catching mice for his wife Margolotte. But the Glass Cat turns out to be exceptionally vain, and unwilling to do any work. Margolotte names it Bungle, in reference to the magician's failure to create a useful mouser. Accompanying Ojo on his journey, the Cat aids the boy by leading him to shelter in pitch darkness using her
night vision Night vision is the ability to see in low-light conditions, either naturally with scotopic vision or through a night-vision device. Night vision requires both sufficient spectral range and sufficient intensity range. Humans have poor night v ...
. Once they reach the
Emerald City The Emerald City (sometimes called the City of Emeralds) is the capital city of the fictional Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's ''Oz'' books, first described in '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). Fictional description Located in the center of ...
, she opts to stay behind for fear of being shattered. During her stay, it is quickly reasoned that it was Bungle's pink brains that had made her so conceited, and at the end of ''The Patchwork Girl of Oz'', the Wizard of Oz replaces them with clear ones to make her more agreeable. After her adventures in that book with
Ojo the Lucky This is a list of characters in the original Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. The majority of characters listed here unless noted otherwise have appeared in multiple books under various plotlines. Land of Oz, Oz is made up of four divi ...
and the
Patchwork Girl ''The Patchwork Girl of Oz'' is the seventh book in L. Frank Baum's List of Oz books, Oz series. Characters include the List of Oz characters (created by Baum), Woozy, Ojo the Lucky, Ojo "the Unlucky", List of Oz characters (created by Baum), Un ...
, the Cat ends up being a pet of
Princess Ozma Princess Ozma of Oz, formally known as Tippetarius, is a fictional character from the Land of Oz, created by American author L. Frank Baum. She appears for the first time in the second Oz book, '' The Marvelous Land of Oz'' (1904), and in every ...
in the Emerald City. But in ''
The Magic of Oz ''The Magic of Oz '' is the thirteenth book in the Oz series written by L. Frank Baum. Published on June 7, 1919, one month after the author's death, ''The Magic of Oz'' relates the unsuccessful attempt of the Munchkin boy Kiki Aru and form ...
'', a few books later, her brains were pink again and her original personality had returned, including her catch phrase about the superiority of her brains: "They're pink, and you can see 'em work." At the end of the story, the Glass Cat is admired by the titular monarch, in ''Rinkitink of Oz''. In ''The Magic of Oz,'' the Glass Cat guides the rescue party that saves
Trot The trot is a two-beat diagonal horse gait where the diagonal pairs of legs move forward at the same time with a moment of suspension between each beat. It has a wide variation in possible speeds, but averages about . A very slow trot is som ...
and
Cap'n Bill This is a list of characters in the original Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. The majority of characters listed here unless noted otherwise have appeared in multiple books under various plotlines. Land of Oz, Oz is made up of four divi ...
from entrapment on the Magic Isle. When Button Bright gets lost in an area of Oz inhabited by dangerous animals, during the events of ''Glinda of Oz'', the Glass Cat retrieves him, relying on her invulnerability to protect her.


Interpretation and Analysis

In the hierarchy of different castes featured in Baum's Oz, the Glass Cat can be considered an "inorganic inanimate" as her constituent material was never alive and unmoving in nature. This is in contrast to creatures like the Sawhorse that were made of material that was once alive. The Glass Cat as a living ornament that defies its fate, has been thought to mirror the growing multiculturalism of contemporary society and the corresponding ability to self-actualize regardless of origins. Andrew Karp argues that Bungle's mockery of the Patchwork Girl's characteristics while remaining prideful of her own unusual appearance, is intended to highlight the absurdity of an individual or insular group imposing standards of conduct and appearance on others. Dina Schiff Massachi notes that the Glass Cat regrets having been brought to life, that despite wanting to be more than a servant, by ignoring her purpose of catching mice she takes on the life of a mere ornament. Due to her self-prescribed purpose, she attempts to reinforce her identity through narcissistic obsession. Thus, her brains, the source of the vanity, are useless by the standards of Oz and must be replaced for her to be socially acceptable. In contrast to the Patchwork Girl who is emancipated while maintaining her eccentricities, Bungle elevates herself to a prize collectable. Within the context of ''The Patchwork Girl of Oz'', the Glass Cat may be a representation of Baum's disdain for elitist forms of artistic expression. Under this interpretation, the Glass Cat is a foil of the Patchwork Girl, the pair embodying monologic formalism and polyphonic postmodernism approaches to art, respectively.


Oz Books and Short Stories Featuring Bungle

Although never a main character in
the Oz books The ''Oz'' books form a book series that begins with '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900) and relates the fictional history of the Land of Oz. Oz was created by author L. Frank Baum, who went on to write fourteen full-length ''Oz'' books. Bau ...
considered canonical by Oz enthusiasts, Bungle has captured a number of author's imaginations and appeared more prominently in later publications. By L. Frank Baum: *
The Patchwork Girl of Oz ''The Patchwork Girl of Oz'' is the seventh book in L. Frank Baum's Oz series. Characters include the Woozy, Ojo "the Unlucky", Unc Nunkie, Dr. Pipt, Scraps (the patchwork girl), and others. The novel was first published on July 1, 1913, ...
(1913) *
The Magic of Oz ''The Magic of Oz '' is the thirteenth book in the Oz series written by L. Frank Baum. Published on June 7, 1919, one month after the author's death, ''The Magic of Oz'' relates the unsuccessful attempt of the Munchkin boy Kiki Aru and form ...
(1919) *
Glinda of Oz ''Glinda of Oz'' is the fourteenth book in the Oz series written by children's author L. Frank Baum, published on July 10, 1920. It is the last book of the original Oz series, which, following Baum's death, was continued by other authors. Pre ...
(1920) By other authors: * The Wonderland of Oz,
The Funnies ''The Funnies'' is the name of two American publications from Dell Publishing (Dell Comics), the first of these a seminal 1920s precursor of comic books, and the second a standard 1930s comic book. ''The Funnies'' (1929–1930) In 1929, Georg ...
- Appeared in issues through May 1939 to February 1940. In this adaptation, she is better liked by her companions and her brains are not removed.''Funnies, The'' (Dell, 1936 Series)
at the Grand Comics Database.
* Bungle and the Magic Lantern of Oz (1992) - A story by Greg Gick with Bungle as the protagonist. * The Glass Cat of Oz (1997) - David Hulan makes Bungle his protagonist in ''The Glass Cat of Oz''. * The Ruby Heart (1999) - Michael O. Riley also breaks the Cat, in two pieces, in his short story "The Ruby Heart." * The Blue Witch of Oz (2000) -
Eric Shanower Eric James Shanower (born October 23, 1963) is an American cartoonist, best known for his ''List of Oz books, Oz'' novels and comics, and for the ongoing retelling of the Trojan War as ''Age of Bronze (comics), Age of Bronze''. Early life Eric S ...
employs the Glass Cat in his 1992 graphic novel '' The Blue Witch of Oz.'' * The Hidden Prince of Oz (2000) -
Gina Wickwar Gina or GINA may refer to: Gina Gina may refer to: * Gina (given name), multiple individuals * Gina (Canaan), a town in ancient Canaan * Arihant (Jainism), also called gina, a term for a human who has conquered his or her inner passions * ''Gina ...
features the character in her ''
The Hidden Prince of Oz ''The Hidden Prince of Oz'' is a novel written by Gina Wickwar and illustrated by Anna-Maria Cool. The book is an entry in the series of Oz books by L. Frank Baum and his many successors.Michael O'Neal Riley, ''Oz and Beyond: The Fantasy World ...
''. * Cinderella: Fables are Forever (2012) - The cat also makes an appearance in the ''
Fables Fable is a literary genre defined as a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse (poetry), verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphized, and that ...
'' spin-off ''Cinderella: Fables are Forever,'' working with Dorothy Gale. * Bungle of Oz (2013) - A novella with Bungle as the protagonist on an adventure in
Gillikin Country The Gillikin Country is the northern division of L. Frank Baum's fictional land of Oz. It is distinguished by the color purple worn by most of the local inhabitants as well as the color of their surroundings. The inhabitants of Gillikin Country a ...
and the
Land of Ev The Land of Ev is a fictional country in the Oz books of L. Frank Baum and his successors. The country was first visited in Baum's third Oz novel, 1907's ''Ozma of Oz'', and was the first of Baum's countries that surround the Land of Oz. This boo ...
. Bungle interacts with other Oz characters in the book including the Jinnicky the Red Jinn, the gravel men, and
Jellia Jamb Jellia Jamb is a fictional character from the classic children's series of Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. She is first introduced in '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900), as the head maid who works in the royal palace of the Emer ...
. Brief appearances: * Rinkitink in Oz (1916) *
The Lost Princess of Oz ''The Lost Princess of Oz'' is the eleventh book in the Oz series written by L. Frank Baum. Published on June 5, 1917, it begins with the disappearance of Princess Ozma, the ruler of Oz and covers Dorothy and the Wizard's efforts to find her. ...
(1917) - After losing his growl, Toto worries about what he'll do when he sees the Glass Cat and
Eureka Eureka often refers to: * Eureka (word), a famous exclamation attributed to Archimedes * Eureka effect, the sudden, unexpected realization of the solution to a problem Eureka or Ureka may also refer to: History * Eureka Rebellion, an 1854 g ...
. *
The Royal Book of Oz ''The Royal Book of Oz'' (1921) is the fifteenth book in the List of Oz books, Oz series, and the first to be written after L. Frank Baum's death. Although Baum was credited as the author, it was written entirely by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It wa ...
(1921) - Mentioned alongside the other animals of Oz. *
The Cowardly Lion of Oz ''The Cowardly Lion of Oz'' (1923) is the seventeenth book in the Oz series created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the third written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was illustrated by John R. Neill. The book was followed by ''Grampa in ...
(1923) - Bungle argues with Toto over the Patchwork Girl's verses.


Others

Bungle appears in "Welcome to the Bungle" in '' Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz''. Unlike her book counterpart, Bungle acts like a real cat as she chases a mouse around Emerald City. A similar glass cat named Grimalkin appears in
Gregory Maguire Gregory Maguire (born June 9, 1954) is an American novelist. He is the author of ''Wicked (Maguire novel), Wicked'', ''Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister'', and several dozen other novels for adults and children. Many of Maguire's adult novels are ...
's novel ''Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West''.


Gallery

File:Bungle_the_Glass_Cat_Startled.jpg, Illustration of Bungle the Glass Cat in ''The Patchwork Girl of Oz''. File:The Glass Cat Overlooking A Road.jpg, Illustration of the Glass Cat in ''The Magic of Oz''. File:Glass Cat in Council.png, Illustration of the Glass Cat in ''Glinda of Oz''.


References

{{Oz Oz (franchise) characters Cats in literature Animals of Oz Literary characters introduced in 1913 Female characters in literature Fictional cats