...The Secret Life of Walter MItty, by Ben Stiller, is a hilarious action filled comedy. Walter Mitty is loved because of jokes and the actors reactions. Many laughs were heard when Walter was in the airport in Afghanistan, hitting the security officers. In addition, Walter Mitty was full of action. His daydreams were filled with action. He was filled with action when he went to Greenland, in the Atlantic ocean, Iceland, the Himalayas, then Afghanistan. In a week, he went to Greenland and went into a helicopter, then he went to a boat, jumped out, almost is eaten by a shark, then got on board. Next, he went to iceland and went to the volcano, looking for Sean O'connell, when the volcano erupted and he drove away with a person that found him. Within...
Words: 268 - Pages: 2
...Imagining Walter Mitty’s Secret Life Jessica Lehmkuhl October 28, 2013 Imagining Walter Mitty’s Secret Life Author of “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, James Thurber really expresses his own imagination in this literary work. According to Clungston (2010), Thurber spent his life writing, he wrote for the, Columbus Dispatch, New York Evening Post, New Yorker, and a newsmagazine. Thurber was known for his cartoons, drawings, and farce works during his time writing for the New Yorker. During my literary analyses of “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”, I found myself asking many questions. The only question I asked myself about author James Thurber, in regards to this particular literary piece, was, whether he is reflecting on previous articles he has written over the years and expressing them through the day dreams of Walter Mitty. In my reflective analysis of “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” I am going to use the formalist approach, concentrating on the development of this particular work of literature. I plan to share the questions I ask myself as I was reading and how this piece of literature stood out to me. When I began reading the first paragraph of this literary satire I assumed it was going to be a war story. So you can imagine my surprise come the end of the paragraph. By the beginning of the third paragraph Thurber had my full attention and imagination. As I was reading I began to ask my self questions about Walter Mitty and a few other characters. I first ask...
Words: 971 - Pages: 4
...Theme and Narrative Elements of the Secret Life of Walter Mitty Josetta James ENG 125 Introduction to Literature Instructor: Angela di Gualco 01/10/2014 Theme and Narrative Elements of “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” The theme is one of the most involved elements of a short story. The themes job is to give the readers the over-all idea that is fabricated behind a story. A short story is marked as portraying broad ideas and elements into small pieces. In short, the theme in a story reflects or serves as the presentation of its ideas. (Clugston, 2010) The objective of this essay is to reveal the ways in which the literary elements tone and character contribute to the larger narrative theme by analyzing the short story by James Thurber titled The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. James Thurber created the character of Walter Mitty whose life seems so ordinary and boring. Walter Mittys imagination (daydreams) helps him to escape his dull life. His imagination places him in heroic situations such as a commander in the Navy steering his crew though bad weather in an 8-engine Navy hydroplane, or thinks he's a famous surgeon who is asked to help a rich Englishman, who is a friend of President Roosevelt. James Thurber set the tone for Character Walter Mitty by his actions of day dreaming, escaping reality Tone is more than merely an author’s attitude toward his/her audience and characters; it is the stylistic means by which an author conveys his/her Attitudes in a work of literature...
Words: 739 - Pages: 3
...Mrs. Mallard and Walter Mitty: Chopin and Thurber's Tales of Matrimonial Imprisonment Ashley Snyder ENG125: Introduction to Literature Concetta Williams July 29, 2014 Mrs. Mallard and Walter Mitty: Chopin and Thurber's Tales of Matrimonial Imprisonment Marriage without freedom can feel like a very lonely place. It has been said that loneliness not only has the potential to depress our immune system, but it also can increase inflammatory responses that may put us at greater risk for cardiovascular disease, effect our minds in fantastical ways, as well as decrease our longevity (Winch, 2013). In Kate Chopin's, "The Story of an Hour" and James Thurber's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty", the story of isolation and the desperate yearning for deliverance is told in two very unique and captivating ways. In Kate Chopin's poetic story—unfolding within the time span of one hour—we have Mrs. Louise Mallard who has been informed that her husband was killed in a tragic accident. As readers, we witness what happens to Louise during this moment in time. Then we have the seemingly comical story authored by Thurber in which he presents to us an older gentleman by the name of Walter Mitty. We follow Walter through his mundane existence while delving into his exaggerated day dreams. What comes to light is that the mental processes of both Chopin and Thurber's protagonists personify not only the theme of seeking freedom within the confines of marriage, but how these cognitive...
Words: 2729 - Pages: 11
...The Secret Life of Walter Mitty VS The Necklace April Kahl ENG 125 Introduction to Literature Angela di Guaico March 3, 2014 When comparing and contrasting short stories. One should look at tone, irony, theme, symbolism, and imagination. When all these literary terms are combined they make stories. The secret Life of Walter Mitty, and The Necklace, there is similarities in gender role of the characters, but there is differences, both of these short stories represent relationships in their marriage, through the main characters, and the roles they play. In this paper I will explain the similarities as well as the differences the characters play in both stories. I chose these two stories because they both have the same theme about marriage and love. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and The Necklace are written in third-person narration, and throughout the two stories one person point of view it also allows you to see the dreams and thoughts of the main characters. In ‘ The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’, you are given some insight to his imagination of events throughout his day of errands that his wife is having him do while she is getting her hair done at the salon. In ‘ The Necklace’, you are given some insight into Madame Loise’s unhappy and depressing life that she lives and when she is given the opportunity to go this high end event we get to see w her at the ball in her dream, in the dream she is admired as...
Words: 1582 - Pages: 7
...Short Story Analysis David C. Franklin ENG 125 Sarah Lahue January 7, 2013 During my reading the short story I enjoyed the most is “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber. In his writing Mr. Thurber uses lots of literary elements from third person limited to symbolism. His ability to go from the reality of life to a fantasy or dream without you even realizing is absolutely amazing. Describe what the theme of the short story is, using Chapter Seven of the text as a reference. “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is all about a man that constantly day dreams. He loses touch with reality at every opportunity. Not quite sure if it is intentional or if he cannot stay in touch with what is actually going on around him. To me it seems as though it maybe intentional like he enjoys going to another life and imagining he is someone else. He sees himself like he wants to be someone that is “big” and in charge having people that answer to him. Identify at least two of the literary elements in the short story that contribute to the theme (e.g., plot, point of view, tone, setting, character, symbolism, etc.), providing an example of each element. There are many literary elements in this short story but to limit it to just two I am going to use character and setting. During this short story Mr. Thurber uses the element of the narrator’s point of view being from multiple characters that are actually just one character. Walter Mitty slips into day...
Words: 520 - Pages: 3
...Abstract I have chosen to compare the two short stories “The Story of an Hour”, by Kate Chopin and “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”, by James Thurber. “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is a short story written in 1937. The main character is an older man that drives his wife to town for beauty parlor visits and weekly shopping. “The Story of an Hour” was published in 1894. The main character, Louise Mallard, thinks that she will find freedom from the death of her husband. These short stories share a common theme, gender roles within a marriage. Each of the main characters in these stories has their own ideas about the gender roles that they are supposed to play, according to society and the time that they live in. The secret life of Walter Mitty and The Story of an Hour are based on a man Mr. Walter Mitty and a woman Mrs. Louise Mallard, whom believe that they have become prisoners within their marriages. They have to abide by the society standards of their era, divorce is not an option because all marriages have issues and the wedding vows need to be honored, “Until Death due us Part”. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Versus The Story of an Hour In “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” Walter is an elderly American man who is retired and has nothing better to do but to follow his wife around. Walter daydreams about a life that he wishes he had. The focus of this story is to represent a fantasy world opposed to a reality. “The Story of the Hour” presents a much more dramatic...
Words: 2909 - Pages: 12
...James Thurber’s The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is a short story that was written in 1937. The story features an elderly man who drives his wife into town for beauty parlor visits and regular weekly shopping. Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” was published in 1894. In this short story Kate Chopin presents her perspective of the repressive role of marriage in the lives of women. This is shown by the fact that the main character, Louise Mallard, thinks that she will find freedom in the death of her husband. Both short stories share common theme of gender roles and marriage. Gender roles are defined as the behavior and attitudes that are strengthened by the stereotypical identity of an individual. The relationships among the form, style, and content of the two stories help us to understanding the essence of gender roles and marriage in the society today and back then. In “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” Walter Mitty is an elder American man who has retired and has nothing else to do except follow his wife around. Walter daydreams about the life he wishes he could have. The main focus of the story is to present a fantasy world rather than a realistic one. “The Story of the Hour” takes on a more dramatic effect. The story reflects an important hour for the main character, Louise Mallard. Louise experiences freedom in this hour. Just like in The Secret Life of Witty where the main focus is on the desire to escape from an ordinary life, so is the case with The Story of...
Words: 1223 - Pages: 5
...The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is the work that captured me. “Once we connect, we find ourselves escaping from the routine of our ordinary lives, caught up into adventure and entertained.” (Clugston, 2010 pg 2) When reading this story, I liked how the author, James Thurber, portrays Walter Mitty as a constant, irresponsible daydreamer, who then becomes serious in nature. I can relate to all of it, I am a daydreamer who then becomes serious. I have actually said the same thing as Walter Smitty when he states “Does it ever occur to you that I am sometimes thinking?” (Clugston, 2010 pg 8) With this story, it was feelings that captivated me. I was able to feel and understand what James Thurber was writing about. The feelings that James Thurber created in his writing of the story were the feelings that I was having at that moment. The connections that I made between this piece of literature and others that I have read have to do with the feelings of the author’s writing. In this story he portrays the main character, Walter Smitty, as a bumbling day dreamer and his wife as a nagger My connection to the story did actually give me new insights. It gave me the insight from the view point of others. Walter Mitty’s wife is in the position that my boyfriend finds himself in a lot with me, his having to constantly remind me of things because I often forget things. When he is talking to me while I am day dreaming and just agreeing with what he says, I do not remember...
Words: 338 - Pages: 2
... The Luncheon by William Somerset Maugham Manhood by John Wain Relatives by Chris van Wyk The sisters by Pauline Smith The secret life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber The secret life of Walter Misty – James Thurber The secret life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber The Dube Train by Themba Can The Dube Train by Can Themba The coffee-cart girl by Es’kia Mphahlele Important summary of the NOVEL: [pic] [pic] Important to remember! The Setting: This is the background of where and when the story takes place. It may be in one time and place or change through...
Words: 3674 - Pages: 15
...James Thurber’s The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is a short story that was written in 1937. The story features an elderly man who drives his wife into town for beauty parlor visits and regular weekly shopping. Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” was published in 1894. In this short story Kate Chopin presents her perspective of the repressive role of marriage in the lives of women. This is shown by the fact that the main character, Louise Mallard, thinks that she will find freedom in the death of her husband. Both short stories share common theme of gender roles and marriage. Gender roles are defined as the behavior and attitudes that are strengthened by the stereotypical identity of an individual. The relationships among the form, style, and content of the two stories help us to understanding the essence of gender roles and marriage in the society today and back then. In “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” Walter Mitty is an elder American man who has retired and has nothing else to do except follow his wife around. Walter daydreams about the life he wishes he could have. The main focus of the story is to present a fantasy world rather than a realistic one. “The Story of the Hour” takes on a more dramatic effect. The story reflects an important hour for the main character, Louise Mallard. Louise experiences freedom in this hour. Just like in The Secret Life of Witty where the main focus is on the desire to escape from an ordinary life, so is the case with The Story...
Words: 355 - Pages: 2
...tone, irony, and plot are just a few that really make a story come alive. “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber (b. 1939) and “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin (b. 1894) are two short stories that are written many years apart but still convey the same struggle that many people face with being married. Both stories display individuals that are having a hard time “finding themselves” or trying to go back and imagine their independence more or less by finding ways of escaping the “trapped” feeling of marriage. Both of the stories are portraits of the struggle that men and women face during a marriage. “The Story of an Hour” tells of a woman with a very weak heart condition that has been told that her husband has been killed in a railroad accident. While most people would have expressed great sadness (she did for a brief moment) in learning such horrible news, Mrs. Mallard felt more like she had received a whole new life, only later did she learn that she had been misinformed and that her husband was still very much alive. The same could be said in “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”. This story tells of the restrictiveness of some marriages by giving great details of the constant daydreaming of a married man, who feels like he is being held prisoner by his own lack of self-esteem and also by his wife’s overbearing nature and constant nagging. If one truly thinks about it the life experiences of an author has a great influence over what types of subject matters...
Words: 2988 - Pages: 12
...about things that matter. (Clugston 2010). Literature helps the reader escape into a world where their imaginations are able to run wild; you can be who you want to be, because literature becomes your secret world of reality. Day Dreaming allows us to follow all sorts of paths and free to generate all sorts of images, feelings, and thoughts. Our daily way of being typically requires us to be quite focused, and goal oriented. Using a reader-response approach, in this paper you will connect with literature, you will find a personal link or imaginative entry in this story. The literary work of James Thurber: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty will show you how an ordinary man escapes his anonymous life by disappearing into a world of imagination filled with heroism, romance and action. Walter Mitty will embark on a global journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined. . James Thurber wrote a short story about an imaginary character who is caught up with day dreaming and thoughts and has little to do with day to day matters…….Walter Mitty behavior is the primary focus of the story. After reading the secret life of Walter Mitty you will realize that James Thurber shows that Walter Mitty is a Habitual dreamer who is so unhappy with his daily life that he uses his dreams to become the person who can change the world. (Chapter 1...
Words: 1040 - Pages: 5
...essay are “The Necklace”, by Guy de Maupassant and “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”, by James Thurber. I will try to compare and contrast both stories and give the audience a brief summary, explaining the likenesses and differences and engaging the reader, while doing so. In the short summary of the short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty". This short-story tells the tale of Walter Mitty while on a trip into town with his wife, the bossy and serious Mrs. Mitty. Walter is sadly incompetent of doing many things; he forgets a lot of things, is very absent-minded while driving, and cannot handle the simplest tasks. But, what makes Walter unique throughout this short-story is his imagination. While Walter goes through his tasks, he escapes into a world of many fantasies, each brought on by reality. While driving his car he starts to day dream that he is a commander on a “Navy hydroplane" going through a storm. (Clugston, 2010). While passing a hospital, he believes he is a famous surgeon, known throughout the world for saving lives. He imagines he is being interrogated in court on a case, when he hears a newsboy shouting about a trial. Also, when he is waiting for his wife, he imagines himself to be a British pilot after seeing pictures of a German plane. And lastly, as he waits outside the drugstore for his wife, he fantasizes that he is about to be shot at by a firing squad and then the story ends with Mr. Mitty awaiting his death. The author James Thurber uses suspense...
Words: 3290 - Pages: 14
...Walter Mitty is a weak character who shows us how miserable you would be if you don't stand up for yourself and be a man.Some examples are when he went to the parking lot to park his car he starts daydreaming, then a guy said hurry up mac and Walter Mitty didn't say anything he just stayed in his car and moved.Another example is how when the story first begun his wife was screaming at him because he was going a little bit too fast when he dropped her off at the hair salon she was nagging at him because he had to go get some overshoes like he was a little kid she was nagging at him to put his gloves on Walter always let his wife browbeat him . Sometimes Walter can be heroic and not so miserable and weak but only in his daydreams. In one of...
Words: 338 - Pages: 2
