Daydreams and Walter Mitty "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" Essay Example
Jake Gonsalves
Mrs. Christy
English II Honors
8 May 2012
Daydreams and Walter Mitty "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" You have all daydreamed from time to time but Walter Mitty is an excessive daydreamer. He daydreams because he is stressed out by his controlling wife. He also dozes off to dream about masculine adventures. Also the reason is he feels society does not get him and what kind of man he is. The last reason he daydreams is because he wants to get away from his boring life. In James Thurber's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," Walter daydreams to get away from society. Walter Mitty is stressed from his controlling, almost mother-like, wife. At one point in the story Mitty and his wife are driving and she starts screaming at him because she wants him to drive "Not so fast!" and she continues by telling him "You're driving too fast!...What are you driving so fast for?" (Thurber 1). Mrs. Mitty does nothing but nag at Walter throughout the story. She also gets mad when she has to walk to the other side of the hotel to find Walter. Walter was just sitting in a chair waiting for his wife daydreaming when "Something struck his shoulder.'I've been looking all over this hotel for you,' said Mrs. Mitty.'Why do you have to hide in this old chair? How did you expect me to find you?'"(Thurber 3). She never gives him the freedom to do what he wants so Walter is always stuck being like a servant to his wife rather and having fun by himself or with her. Because he has to deal with his wife he feels less manly and dreams about doing masculine things. Mitty dreams about masculine adventures because he wishes he was more of a stereotypical man. He dreams about being a sharpshooter, an air force officer, and a big time doctor, all which require being brave. Ring writes "Mitty's metal mendearings also have something to do with asserting manhood, at least a stereotypical idea of manhood" (191). Walter feels his day to day life just is not as manly as he wishes. He is
Mrs. Christy
English II Honors
8 May 2012
Daydreams and Walter Mitty "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" You have all daydreamed from time to time but Walter Mitty is an excessive daydreamer. He daydreams because he is stressed out by his controlling wife. He also dozes off to dream about masculine adventures. Also the reason is he feels society does not get him and what kind of man he is. The last reason he daydreams is because he wants to get away from his boring life. In James Thurber's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," Walter daydreams to get away from society. Walter Mitty is stressed from his controlling, almost mother-like, wife. At one point in the story Mitty and his wife are driving and she starts screaming at him because she wants him to drive "Not so fast!" and she continues by telling him "You're driving too fast!...What are you driving so fast for?" (Thurber 1). Mrs. Mitty does nothing but nag at Walter throughout the story. She also gets mad when she has to walk to the other side of the hotel to find Walter. Walter was just sitting in a chair waiting for his wife daydreaming when "Something struck his shoulder.'I've been looking all over this hotel for you,' said Mrs. Mitty.'Why do you have to hide in this old chair? How did you expect me to find you?'"(Thurber 3). She never gives him the freedom to do what he wants so Walter is always stuck being like a servant to his wife rather and having fun by himself or with her. Because he has to deal with his wife he feels less manly and dreams about doing masculine things. Mitty dreams about masculine adventures because he wishes he was more of a stereotypical man. He dreams about being a sharpshooter, an air force officer, and a big time doctor, all which require being brave. Ring writes "Mitty's metal mendearings also have something to do with asserting manhood, at least a stereotypical idea of manhood" (191). Walter feels his day to day life just is not as manly as he wishes. He is