<P> Originally an ordinary man by the name of Nick Chopper (the name first appearing in The Marvelous Land of Oz), the Tin Woodman used to make his living chopping down trees in the forests of Oz, as his father had before him . The Wicked Witch of the East enchanted his axe to prevent him from marrying his sweetheart, after being bribed by the lazy old woman who kept the Munchkin maiden as a servant, and did not wish to lose her . (In a later book of the series, The Tin Woodman of Oz, the woman is said to be the Witch's servant, and it is the Witch herself who decides to enchant Nick's axe .) The enchanted axe chopped off his limbs, one by one . Each time he lost a limb, Ku - Klip the tinsmith replaced it with a prosthetic limb made of tin . Finally, nothing was left of him but tin . However, Ku - Klip neglected to replace his heart . Once Nick Chopper was made entirely of tin, he was no longer able to love the lady he had fallen for . </P> <P> In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy Gale befriends the Tin Woodman after they find him rusted in the forest, as he was caught in rain, and use his oil can to release him . He follows her to the Emerald City to get a heart from The Wizard . They are joined on their adventure by the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion . The Wizard sends Dorothy and her friends to the Winkie Country to kill the Wicked Witch of the West . The Tin Woodman's axe proves useful in this journey, both for chopping wood to create a bridge or raft as needed, and for chopping the heads off animals that threaten the party . When the Winged monkeys are sent by the Witch of the West against the group, they throw the Tin Woodman from a great height, damaging him badly . However Winkie Tinsmiths are able to repair him after the death of the Witch . </P> <P> His desire for a heart notably contrasts with the Scarecrow's desire for brains, reflecting a common debate between the relative importance of the mind and the emotions . This occasions philosophical debate between the two friends as to why their own choices are superior; neither convinces the other, and Dorothy, listening, is unable to decide which one is right . Symbolically, because they remain with Dorothy throughout her quest, she is provided with both and need not select . The Tin Woodman states unequivocally that he has neither heart nor brain, but cares nothing for the loss of his brain . Towards the end of the novel, though, Glinda praises his brain as not quite that of the Scarecrow's . </P> <P> The Wizard turns out to be a "humbug" and can only provide a placebo heart made of silk and filled with sawdust . However, this is enough to please the Tin Woodman, who, with or without a heart, was all along the most tender and emotional of Dorothy's companions (just as the Scarecrow was the wisest and the Cowardly Lion the bravest). When he accidentally crushes an insect, he is grief - stricken and, ironically, claims that he must be careful about such things, while those with hearts do not need such care . This tenderness remains with him throughout the series, as in The Patchwork Girl of Oz, where he refuses to let a butterfly be maimed for the casting of a spell . </P>

Who wanted a heart in the wizard of oz