Humor and irony are evident throughout the story in the Scarecrow’s, the Woodman’s, and the Lion’s insistence that they are lacking in intelligence, kind-heartedness, and courage, respectively. In fact, each character epitomizes the qualities they seek but lacks the self-awareness and confidence to believe in their inherent abilities.

While the Scarecrow does not have a literal brain (being made entirely of straw), his thoughtful and intelligent ways are immediately discernible in his conversations with Dorothy about the nature of home and the advantages and disadvantages of having a human form: “‘It must be inconvenient to be made of flesh,’ said the Scarecrow, thoughtfully, ‘for you must sleep, and eat and drink’” (33). Furthermore, he often acts as the problem-solver when difficult challenges arise:

[T]he Tin Woodman could not open his mouth, for his jaws were tightly rusted together. He […] made many motions to Dorothy to relieve him, but she could not understand. The Lion was also puzzled. […] But the Scarecrow seized the oil-can from Dorothy’s basket and oiled the Woodman’s jaws, so that after a few moments he could talk as well as before (48).