The Obstacle Course of Human Nature

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The Obstacle Course of Human Nature

Since the origin of humanity it has been an inevitable phenomenon that the human race will constantly be in a state of conflict. For whatever specific reason one side may have, people in general feel the need to do whatever they can to come out of a struggle on top gloriously and victoriously. No battle throughout all of the ages has been larger, perhaps, than the battle between the male and female gender. In numerous of James Thurber's stories, he tells the stories of men in their daily lives. Thurber has created a very vivid picture of men and women which are referenced throughout the literary world as the "Thurber men and women." The "Thurber men" are also coined with the term "little man" due to their inferiority placed upon them by their female opposites. The "Thurber women" are known as being the holders of power in life in society, and life between them and their man. However, Thurber's men in his stories take neccessary steps to dethrone women from their stronghold. In the stories "The Catbird Seat," "The Unicorn in the Garden," and " The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," James Thurber comically manifests man's triumph over adversity through the image of the powerful dominant female character.

Thurber portrays man's trouncing of female dominance actively in the story "The Catbird Seat." The story is about a quiet man named Erwin Martin who has a nice, typical office job running his filing department. Mr. Martin has the earned reputation for being very organized, on task, and being a well respected individual. His boss, Mr. Fitweiler said "'Man is fallible but Martin isn't'" (Thurber, "The Catbird" 9.) Mr. Martin is considered one of the main representations of Thurber's "little ...

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...these stories, Thurber portray's women as the root of all unhappiness in life for men by the females antagonizing words and actions. Although the men in these stories have much wieght placed upon them by these women, they find a way to overcome the testing obstacle. In "The Catbird Seat,"

the quiant Mr. Martin comically dominishes the female tyrant Mrs. Barrows. "The Unicorn in the Garden" shares a common plot with "The Catbird Seat" in the the husband in the story manipulates his way into getting rid of his wife forever. Finally, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" explores one man's way of asserting his masculinity over his controlling wife. All these stories share a common motif of man's conquest to be an individual, to be held down by no one, no woman. In short, every man wants his freedom, and every man is willing to do what is neccessary to get what they want.

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