James Thurber's The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty

Words: 925
Pages: 4
Open Document
In the short story ‘The Secret life of Walter Mitty’ written by James Thurber, the main character is portrayed as an unhappy man who is absent-minded and discontent with his life. As a result of his dissatisfaction he tunes out of reality and wanders off into his fantasies, his trait of being absent minded is a consequence of his constant daydreaming. As Walter Mitty performs his tasks for the day he is sucked out of reality and drawn into his fantasies, there he dreams of himself as a hero where he is very much loved and greatly appreciated unlike the real world. When Walter Mitty snaps back into reality he forgets what he is doing in the moment .

Walter Mitty is portrayed as a discontent and bored individual. Walter Mitty does not enjoy …show more content…
“In a way he hated these weekly trips to town- he was always getting something wrong.Kleenex, he thought, Squibb’s, razor blades? No, toothpaste, toothbrush, bicarbonate, carborundum, initiative and referendum? He gave it up. But she would remember it.”(Page 35) In this part of the story he is trying to remember what his wife had told him to get , he thinks of all the things it could be, but they are not right and he cannot seem to remember.Walter Mitty does not have a good memory and he forgets things instantly.“Not so fast! You’re driving too fast!” said Mrs. Mitty. “What are you driving so fast for?” “Hmm?” said Walter Mitty. He looked at his wife, in the seat beside him, with shocked astonishment. She seemed grossly unfamiliar, like a strange woman who had yelled at him in a crowd. (33) This shows that Walter Mitty was not paying attention to the real world and what is happening in reality is not in his head. He is lost in the thoughts of his own fantasy and is unaware of his surroundings and actions.These traits are often a consequence of his frequent …show more content…
“You know I don’t like to go more than forty. “Remember to get those overshoes while I’m having my hair done,” she said. “I don’t need overshoes,” said Mitty.“Why don’t you wear your gloves? Have you lost your gloves?” “It’s one of your days. I wish you’d let Dr. Renshaw look you over.” All these quotes shows how Mrs.Mitty bosses Walter Mitty around, and acts like he doesn't know anything. She treats him like he is nobody, and it distinctly shows that Walter takes the submissive role in the relationship.The consequence of this is Walter Mitty’s despondent thoughts of his relationship. His relationship is not working well, so he turns to his fantasies and releases himself from
Show More

Related Documents: James Thurber's The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty

Time To Break Free Essay

Time to Break Free! Spirits are high for freedom and low for love nowadays don’t you think? Have you read “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, or maybe even “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber? Throughout these stories you hear about two very different people with the same goal: freedom. James Thurber and Kate Chopin express the passionate want for freedom in their literary works, though these characters are different, they still express the same spirit for freedom. It’s time…

Words 485 - Pages 2

Literature Comparison Between a Short Story and a Poem Essay

Type of literature had been used by Poets and Authors to convey their deepest desires, feelings, Ideas, amazing imaginations which makes us, whoever we want and an escape to daily normal life and with this making it humorous and lively. Everyone definitely have been exposed to a genre of literature in their life at one point. It comes from the French language and is used to identify types or categories of literature. (Clugston, 2010). This can be further classified or…

Words 2144 - Pages 9

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and the Story of an Hour Essay

Jurrell D. Harrison The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and The Story of an Hour Introduction to Literature Professor Daw Monday 12th December 2011 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, written by James Thurber (1939) and the Story of an Hour written by Chopin (1894) are the two literary works that will be compared and contrasted in this paper. Both these pieces depict some of the trials and tribulations of a union in marriage, such as the want of independence and excitement; experiences…

Words 2738 - Pages 11

Walter Mitty Satire

James Thurber's story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" tells the tale of a guy who is unable to stop daydreaming. Unfortunately, he experiences mistreatment in the actual world, which causes him to fantasize about fantastical situations in which he receives far more honorable treatment. "With McMillan, the millionaire financier and Roosevelt's close personal friend, we're having the time of our lives. obstruction of the ductus. Third order. Would that you would glance at him? "Happy to," Mitty responded…

Words 212 - Pages 1

ENGLISH 125 Essay

Reading Reflection Jennifer Hopes ENG 125 Introduction to Literature Rebecca Morrin, MA June 8, 2014 "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" Evaluating and analyzing a literary work is often thought to be the same practice with the same outcome. However, evaluating a work and analyzing a work is very different. “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”, tells the story of the aging Walter Mitty on a trip into town with his overbearing wife. This paper will both analyze and then evaluate this short story using…

Words 687 - Pages 3

Sociology and American Dream Essay

Gatsby sought after the American Dream. Throughout his quest he developed specific strategies to attain his goals. Unfortunately, he failed. Yet does this mean the American dream is dead? Your job is to write a collegiate essay that examines the American dream in a literary analysis. You may do this by focusing on one of the following literary perspectives. With all these perspectives, you need to synthesize at least three works from the research list: The American Dream: Define the American dream…

Words 406 - Pages 2