Before we analyze this short story and get in to the grit of things lets talked about theme and what it actually means. Initially when we think of the theme, we may think it is the summary or the plot of a story (Clugston, 2010) when it is not. The theme itself is more complex then that; a theme is the representation to the idea behind the story. “What does this mean?” you may ask; Well a theme is not what happens in the story, The theme tells you what the story is all about. Everyone’s answer to what a theme is may vary slightly due to individual interpretations.
The short story I choose to analyze is The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. This short story is about a Man name Walter and his nagging Wife; More-so Walter and how he reacts to his wife and goes about his day-to-day interactions with people. I believe the idea behind this short story was to imply that whenever you want to free your mind of worries or trouble it’s ok to get lost deep in thought. Walter was very good at daydreaming he could do it while driving a car as illustrated in the short story in chapter one (Clugston, 2010) Not to be confused with the plot which tells what happens in a story, the theme can not be defined as one word. To find the answer to the question what is theme? One must ask the question, how (Clugston, 2010)?
Two literary elements in this short story that help contribute to the theme were the plot and the character Walter Mitty. The Plot of the story is defined as a dynamic element in fiction, a sequence of interrelated, conflicting actions and events that typically build to a climax and bring about a resolution (Clugston, 2010).
THEME OF WALTER
In The Secret life of Walter Mitty the plot revolved around Walter and his vivid daydreams....
... middle of paper ...
... or even the character would alter this short story’s theme dramatically or change it completely.
In conclusion, the theme off a story is the purpose behind the story, not the summary or the moral to the story. All stories, short stories, and even movies have themes. You can generally point out the theme of something after you have read it or watched it. The plot and the character are only two of the many literary elements in a story, there are several more such as setting, tone, or point of view. Next time you are reading a book or watching a movie, try pointing them out. It can be very fun and entertaining.
THEMES OF WALTER
Reference
Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Works Cited
Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
One example of the theme occurs when the author first introduces the story. “But the summer I was 9 years old, the town I had always loved morphed into a beautifully heartbreaking and complicated place.” (pg. 1). The author is saying that the year she turned nine, she found out something about her town that broke her heart and changed the way she saw it. This quote is important because it supports the theme. It shows that now she is older she has learned something about her town that made her wiser than when she was younger. She is now more informed because the new information changed her and caused her to begin to mature.
Theme is the subject of talk, a topic, or morals that the author is trying to get readers to comprehend. When reading an excerpt, the theme is not directly stated in the text, so you must dig deeper into the context to understand the matter trying to be portrayed. In both Angela's Ashes and The Street, we can distinguish a like theme of struggling through life’s complications. After reading the two different stories, we could select the theme from using character, events, and the setting.
Short stories usually convey a theme message, a statement which motivates the reader to be a more moral person. In order for the reader to understand this life lesson, authors implant different literary devices such as foreshadowing and conflict into their stories. Foreshadowing is the use of clues to suggest events that may occur later in the story, and conflict is when there is a struggle between two opposing forces. In Charles by Shirley Jackson and The Fun They Had by Isaac Asimov, the authors use foreshadowing and conflict to enhance the story's ultimate meaning and to keep readers absorbed in the story.
While Walter does not have much determination when he’s in reality, when he fantasizes he’s determined regardless of whatever role he is in. For example, when Walter Mitty is dreaming as a navy commander, he displays a strong determination as he gives orders. Another example is when Walter doing the operation. “He began fingering delicately a row of glistening dials. “Give me a fountain pen!” he snapped. Someone handed him a fountain pen.” (p.35). This proves Walter to be a determined character when he is dreaming. Similar to Greta, she also is a determined character. For example her determination to doing the everyday labour, despite the crops getting smaller every year, and her barn wearing
The theme in a story is the message or big idea that the author is trying to reveal in his or her narrative. If there was no underlining theme in Sherman Alexie’s short story, “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” then readers would have no interest in reading the fictional story. Understanding the message that Alexie is trying to display to his readers can vary in many ways and depends on the reader 's understanding of the story. Strong themes that are presented in the fictional tale are man versus self conflict, family, and tribal identity. Victor is a tribal member that has had a rough life and has to deal with his father passing away. Not only does he have to come to terms with his father 's death, but he also has to face his
Have you ever wanted to learn about an interesting short story? Then I have the perfect short story for you. You could think of possibly anything and Walter Mitty would dream about it and make it seem special. The short story is called “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”by James Thurber, it is an interesting story about a guy named Walter Mitty, who has a nagging wife constantly on him, but he goes through his boring life imagining about all the cool stuff he could do. A dominant theme in James Thurber’s “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is Imagery. He shows imagery in his short story by making his character, Walter Mitty, imagine he's in these obstacles, which he pretends he's something he's not. Throughout the story, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” James Thurber uses literary elements like imagery and allusion to get his theme across to the readers.
...rves the way for the plot, the theme is the central idea around which a literary piece revolves. Without the theme the plot would be meaningless and there would be nothing for the readers to derive from the literary piece. Without the plot, the theme would be meaningless as there would be nowhere to consign the message the writer intends to give the reader. It can be said that the plot and theme are the two most important literary elements of a literary piece and are inter-dependant.
Theme is the underlying power beneath a story; the “force” that makes the whole experience worthwhile. Theme is “an idea or message that the writer wishes to convey” (Holt 874). A theme can be either stated or implied. A stated theme is a theme “that the other expresses directly in his work (protic.net); an implied theme is a theme “that is not directly stated in the work” (protic.net). As mentioned before, both of these stories have an implied theme, which now is revealed to mean that the author of the story insinuated it. Themes exist in all stories (verbal or written) and can be long, short, true or false. “Earth people will beat out any other intelligent life-form in any and all competitions” is a theme, but “good always beats evil” is one too. “Once upon a time . . .” stories have themes too, except they are more one-dimensional. For example,...
The theme is supported in the whole story and Jesus help to support the theme. The direction of this story follows good and evil with a criminal situation that most be destine to happen. I think the Misfits will be punished, but I would have loved to read about it in this story. The grandmother's hope in God seemed to be coming to the end. Flannery O'Connor brings her reader through a tuff time to let them understand the theme of our society and how it’s constantly changing.
Theme plays a very important part in this short story. Theme is the idea of a literary work abstracted from its details of language, character and action. The great example of theme that is evident throughout the entire short story is the duty to perform certain acts. We can see here that the Irishman Donovan is very big on obeying his duty to carry out orders that have been authorized to him.
Another theme is the ability of a person to have some dignity even when it feels like the world is against you. These themes remain important today because it teaches us what can happen to a person if their dreams are never fulfilled. For example, Walter had a dream to open a liquor store, however this dream never came true after Willy (the person Walter gave the money too to open the store) betrayed him. He broke down and felt hopeless. It also teaches us that dignity is important, Walter also portrayed his need for dignity after he rejects the offer of Mr. Linder from the“home improvement
Theme is the central idea we take from the story when reading it. Also, theme can be revealed as a generalization about life or human beings. It can also be the lesson of the story. In the short story, “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” by Rudyard Kipling, I believe that the theme is good versus evil. I believe this is the theme because there are several instances where good versus evil are displayed. In this story the good represents Rikki and the snakes would be the evil. A similar instance of this scenario is how Batman is good and the Joker is the evil. However, I can see how some readers might think that the theme is courage versus fear. Theme is very crucial in the short story, “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” by Rudyard Kipling because it’s not just a story about a mongoose and some cobras. There is a lesson to be learned when a theme is presented.
Theme is like a moral of a story that happens throughout the plot in a story. In the short story, “Rikki-tikki-tavi” by Rudyard Kipling, the theme is good versus evil. Rikki is a mongoose who demonstrates good while Nagaina, the cobra, is evil. Another possible theme could be courage versus fear: Chuchundra, the muskrat, is the character who demonstrates fear and Rikki demonstrates courage. I know the theme of Rudyard Kipling's story, “Rikki-tikki-tavi” is good versus evil.
In the short story The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, the formatting of the plot and the dialogue come hand in hand and are vital to making the story clear and concise but also interesting. Structure and organization is a key piece to the puzzle in this instance. When analyzing this story, the best critical approach would b...
I will be explaining why the literary work; “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” captured my interest. Literary work is using the imagination or creative thinking. I will be using terms and concepts from the text to support my explanation. I will describe one of the analytical approaches outlined in Chapter 16 of my text, using details from the text to support my interpretations and evaluate the meaning of the” Secret Life of Walter Mitty”, using the analytical approach I described.