The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber

Summary

• Set during World War II in Waterbury, USA.
• Walter Mitty, an elderly man, drives his wife to town for shopping and a hair appointment.
• To escape his dull life, he imagines five heroic fantasies:
  • Commander of a navy hydroplane in a storm.
  • Brilliant surgeon saving a millionaire's life.
  • Clever trial defendant in a courtroom.
  • Bomber pilot in a war.
  • Brave man facing a firing squad.

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Analysis

Title

• "Secret Life" refers to Mitty's fantasy world, hidden from reality.

Themes

• Conflict between fantasy and reality – Mitty sees himself as a hero in fantasies, but in reality, he is weak.
• Power of imagination – Escaping into fantasies gives Mitty a sense of importance and adventure.

Structure & Plot Development

• Dual layers:
• Fantasy layer – Mitty as a hero.
• Reality layer – Mitty as a forgetful, passive man.
• Climax in fantasies – Each fantasy has a dramatic turning point before reality interrupts.
• Anti-climax ending – The story ends with Mitty in the rain, escaping once more into fantasy.

5. Characterisation

• Walter Mitty (Protagonist) – Timid, forgetful, escapes reality through fantasies.
• Mrs Mitty (Antagonist) – Nagging, controlling, represents oppressive reality.
• Minor characters – Authority figures (police, parking attendants, doctors) who belittle Mitty, reinforcing his powerlessness.

Style & Literary Devices

• Contrast – Mitty's bold fantasies vs his weak reality.
• Satire – The story mocks Mitty's grand self-image, showing the irony between his dreams and real life.
• Onomatopoeia – Sounds like "pocketa-pocketa" immerse the reader in Mitty's fantasy world.
• Ellipsis (...) – Used to transition between fantasy and reality.
• Malapropisms & Neologisms – Words like "streptothricosis" and "Webley-Vickers 50.80" sound technical but are nonsense, adding humour.

Tone & Mood

• Excited & optimistic – In fantasies (e.g., "Rev her up to 8500!").
• Serious & confident – When facing imagined danger (e.g., firing squad scene).
• Irritable & scolding – When Mrs Mitty speaks to him.
• Sad & pathetic – In reality, he is lonely, ignored, and powerless.

Narrator & Point of View

• Third-person narrator – Gives insight into both Mitty's fantasies and reality.