The Wizard explains why he instructed Dorothy and her friends to kill the Wicked Witch of the West - he was full of fear and knew he could not do it himself since he lacked real power. This prompts Dorothy to tell him that he is a bad man, to which he replies that he is only a bad Wizard. His fraudulence is seen by one critic as a commentary on the state of American men at the time of Baum's writing - phony and ineffectual. The Wizard also acts as a sort of father figure to Dorothy, but he will eventually be replaced by the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Lion, who guide her through the most difficult part of her journey home and provide he with intelligence, love, and bravery to see her through to the end. The Wizard does prove to be a good man in that, even after he is exposed, he uses his trickery to convince the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman and Lion to believe they have brains, heart and courage.