A Deconstruction of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty In the short story “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” we see the main character as a rejected misfit in society. He is often unaware of the world around him and reacts in what others would call a negative way to those situations he actually responds to. However, close examination of the text used by James Thurber to portray him prompts a need to deconstruct the character Walter Mitty. In doing so, we find that, far from being a misfit, he
his famous short story, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty." The story follows Walter Mitty through his daydreams, allowing him to take the roles of bold and courageous people. To this day, the affable daydreamer's legacy lives on with his name even being in the dictionary. "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" has also seen multiple movie remakes with one being released recently. While daydreaming is something that everybody does, the way Walter Mitty daydreams excessively is dangerous to him and people
The secret Life of Walter Mitty was both an intriguing short story and film that contained symbolism all throughout. Although the short story and movie were quite different in terms of the story, the symbolism that was shown delivered the same effect. In the movie, symbolism was shown in the scenery, beards and images. While on the other hand, the short story used the Over shoes and gloves, Walters actions and sounds to direct the authors message. Walters’s imagination is the one constant in each
well; Walter Mitty may have not known his life was going to change that instantly. He was the same until certain events occurred. In Ben Stiller’s courageous film the secret Life of Walter Mitty, Walter changes from lifeless to adventurous illustrating that one who is always following by a routine may not discover the true term “life”. In spite of being good at his job, Walter’s daydreams show that he lacks the confidence he needs to assert himself at work. In scene 2, Walter Mitty is in the elevator
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” Constructed Response In the short story, “ The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty” written by James Thurber, it describes a man who while in the midst of everyday life, floats off into daydream that often cause him more trouble than it is worth. His wife, Mrs. Mitty, on the surface does not seem like a well-rounded character. It always seems her life’s mission is to demean Walter and to always use her overbearing nature to nag him. However, there may be more to this
James Thurber's The Secret Life of Walter Mitty In James Thurber's wonderful short story, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty", I get the feeling that he may be a victim of Attention Deficit Disorder, rather than just being a daydreamer. Throughout the story, Walter changes personae several times. He flips back and forth between reality and fantasy so much he may have a problem with his attention span. Walter needs Mrs. Mitty to keep him on track. By being a daydreamer, his head is in the clouds
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”, the power behind the imagination is revealed. The use of the narrative point of view, the clear juxtaposition of Mitty’s real life and imagination, as well as the diction, allegories, and symbolism used contribute to the theme in various ways. The story is set in a third person limited omniscient narrative point of view and shows what Mitty is thinking as well as the general actions within the story. For example, when Mitty “drove past the hospital on his way to
Thesis Statement How dialogue, language and the use of imagery in The 'Secret Life of Walter Mitty' depicts what triggers Walter to go in and out of his state of daydream. Introduction (Summary) "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" by James Thurber (1939) is a story about a daydreamer named Walter Mitty going about town on an ordinary day tasked with simple errands by his imperious wife. Through the power of imagination, Walter transports himself into alternate, exciting realities where he is a fighter
just some who choose to live in the dream because it seems so much exciting than reality. This story of a man who no matter what the situation or task he is performing drifts away to dreams of fantasy and splendor. We don’t know much about Walter Mitty at first except that his wife is the keeper of his safety and keeping him on task. The story captured my interest because I can think on the times when I just go away in my mind to a place or time that gives me the pleasure of being someone else,
fullest extent is a restricting one. Humorous author, James Thurber, in his short story, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” shares the tale of Walter Mitty, a man who lives an unhappy life in the city obeying his wife’s every wish and command, daydreams to escape the sad constricting reality of his life. In Ben Stiller’s story-based film, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Walter Mitty takes real-life action to find love, adventure, and respect from a demeaning boss who takes the lead position of remodeling
James Thurber’s short story “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” has been the inspiration behind several Hollywood movies and Broadway plays, dating back to the 1940s. This story has survived the test of time and continues to relate to readers today; this is in part, I believe, due to the connection between the characters and the reader. In particular, I feel a special connection to Walter Mitty. He and I both have many similar personality traits such as being forgetful, being dreamers, and we both
The Role of Fantasy in James Thurber's The Secret Life of Walter Mitty In "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," James Thurber tells the story of a henpecked old man who escapes his monotonous life with frequent excursions to fantasy. In the real world, he is a forgetful old man who must obey his wife's every whim. But, in his fantasies, Walter Mitty is intelligent, brave, and the epitome of manliness. He makes up for the characteristics he lacks in the real world through the heroic characters he
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” as written by James Thurber is an interesting short story. Walter Mitty, the protagonist of the story, is in a constant battle with his wife, the antagonist of the story. Mr. Mitty is, simply put, a daydreamer with a creative mind. His wife does not appreciate this aspect of Mr. Mitty and is constantly nagging him and bringing him back to reality. Mr. Mitty’s character is flat, as he is never portrayed as a deep and unknown character with some type of third
A Brief Overview of Walter Mitty In the short story, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber, many interesting fantasies occur in a way which brings the reader into a different world. The story switches back and forth from delusion to reality, dragging the reader into a life, perhaps similar to their own. In the beginning of this story, the first paragraph is a fantasy of the main character, Walter Mitty. It describes his life as a commander of an aircraft. An intense scene is displayed
Kathlyn Gomendoza EG102 Professor Amy Chastain 14 July 2016 Walter Mitty: A Fun Film For Following Dreams “Stop dreaming. Start living” (“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Taglines”). The tagline for the 2013 movie, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, may repel some moviegoers before they even see it. From the beginning, it is clearly a find-yourself kind of tale. For those who do not enjoy the movies in that genre, which can often ring like self-help books smattered with cerebral existential questions
In both James Thurber’s short story, Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Ben Stiller’s adaptation, Secret Life of Walter Mitty, the main character is depicted day dreaming in a fantasy land to escape from his own mundane reality. The two pieces have different portrayals of the main character, Walter Mitty, but both utilized his background, behavior, traits, thoughts, and development in revealing a deeper meaning. The movie’s characters inspire the message of changing dreams into action, while the stories’
things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other, and to feel. That is the purpose of life”.- Walter Mitty (Movie). Life is about finding yourself, each other, and being true to one’s self. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is an extremely original and creative story written by James Thurber. The movie, The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty, starring Ben Stiller, conveys a daydreamer escaping his typical life by disappearing into a realm of fantasies filled with heroism
expressions, movements, music, and sound effects. The short story, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, by Thurber James that was first published on March 1939 by The New Yorker, is amongst the most frequently used Short story in the American literature. This masterpiece by Thurber has been adapted into several movies from 1947 to 2013 with several differences and similarities to the original short story. The title Walter Mitty is derived from the word ‘Mittyesque’, which, denotes a person who intentionally tries
written by James Thurber. Mitty and his wife are on their way to do some errands, he indulges in a daydream in which he is a military commander piloting a plane, but his wife interrupts by exclaiming that he is driving too fast. This pattern is repeated several times throughout the drive. When she urges him to make an appointment with his physician, he becomes a surgeon at work, until a parking-lot attendant’s commands call him back temporarily to reality. In reality, Mitty does not do anything very
exist in. With frenzied lifestyles, most people only focus on their short term goals, completely disregarding their long term ambitions and desires. The film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty illustrates a man, Walter Mitty, who is fully absorbed in the present and rarely contemplates about the future. Nevertheless, as Mitty began to reach for his dreams and truly appreciate life, he was able to discover happiness - the quintessence in life. Through this character, Ben Stiller conveyed a message that applies