Why is Dorothy's house so small?

Answer 1

No explanation is given in the 1900 book edition of The Wizard of Oz. But readers may speculate from the sparse information that's given in the first chapter, The Cyclone. For Dorothy Gale is an orphan. And she and her pet dog Toto live with Uncle Henry and Aunt Em. Uncle Henry and Aunt Em have no children, and work very hard. For they're at the mercy of the harsh living conditions of the great plains of Kansas: everpresent sun, scarce water, threats of cyclones. So the family farmhouse may be small, because that's the size that Uncle Henry can afford to build, buy, or rebuild from tornado damage. Additionally, Uncle Henry and Aunt Em appear to have no close family and friends in the area. So they appear not to need any more than minimal living space. They appear to opt for maximizing the amount of property devoted to crop raising, to increase their earnings chances in good crop years.