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'The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty'

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Daydreamer Thurber’s short story, “ The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” analyzes the daydreams by expansion, disappointments, and wants of the main character. Thurber narrates the story through a third person point of view, limited. The life of Walter Mitty is not one to be overly fascinated about. As a matter of fact, it is exactly opposite of an interesting life that others would be impressed with. Walter has entered fantasyland! Through Foils, to make up for many failures and disappointments Walter constructs a, “secret life” in his mind. Thurber shows through symbol how the real life Walter Mitty needs masculinity, so through his daydreams Walter uses this to escape and enter into a false reality, to be something and someone he’s really not. “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is told by and detached third person narrator. The point of view is controlled, which is allowing the narrator to tell the thoughts of Walter as they are in progress. For example the story states, “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” (Thurber, 545). This …show more content…

Walter Mitty is an out of the ordinary man who dreams of being extraordinary. One can voice that after reading this story, which Walter with his everyday life fails to live up to what the beliefs as a masculine icon is. The three main distinct literary elements that this paper discusses are narrator point of view in third person, Foils, and symbols. Broadening the implications to the larger study of narrative we have the setting that takes place in Waterbury, CT in 1938. Overall, in this short story with approach to the protagonist’s mind, the readers are able to comprehend and connect the significance of Walter dreams to

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He believes he is “..see[ing] life like it is” (141) in order to rightfully take his place as the head of the family by making this decision for them, regardless of the hope this house brought them all. The rest of the Younger family is disconcerted by this new business deal, and asks Walter if this is what he truly wants and believes is right, to which he responds that he’s “Going to feel fine…[like] a man…” (144). Due to internally knowing he still had prove himself but not physically doing so, Walter’s delicate, false pride in being a man doesn’t allow him to consider how his actions affect

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All Walter wanted was to have money and open his own liquor store but it was not possible. Walter’s dream was unfortle not able to come true

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Walter was introduced as a man who cared about nothing other than his business. He had sacrificed his sister’s dream of becoming a doctor, and held the power to wipe out Mama’s dream for a better home. Walter sees the gender roles as boundaries keeping him from loosening up to his family. He is given the insight that men must be powerful, wealthy, and demanding for them to truly be the head of the household. However, Walter sees past these gender roles, and not only challenges these rigid roles, but he also regains his family’s trust along the

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Also In the movie adaptation Walter has a job at the life office and loses a negative photo. This gives Walter another goal and this goal changes him more throughout the story. The negative makes him more courageous and risky. The Walter in the story is dry and boring. Lastly the movie gives Walter a reason to daydream.

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