The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber

In other words, his inner versus outer self. Essentially, there are two versions of himself: how he views himself, and how others view him. The film focuses on the relationship he has with himself. The short story emphasizes the relationship he has with his wife and others, as a result of how he feels about his life. The film version of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty focuses more on Walter's perception of himself versus how the world sees him. Overall, the story helps show what characteristics are the most important in a relationship, by illustrating what a relationship looks like when they are lacking. This highlights the theme that communication is essential to understanding between individuals, as well as the overall success of a marriage. 'He believes that concealing himself is necessary for his own protection' so that his true self can not be ridiculed by his degrading wife (LitCharts). Walter never voices his discontent to his wife, so his marriage and life continue to be terrible. The reader can conclude that the Mitty’s are essentially living two independent lives, and that is not what a marriage should look like. This dynamic is due to the lack of communication between them. In the same way, Walter showed no affection towards his wife. Mitty had no compassion in demanding her husband to do a multitude of different tasks for her. These dreams are a stark contrast from the reality that he lives in.īy reading this story, one gathers the importance of compassion, communication, and understanding in relationships. In these daydreams, Walter is always well accomplished, knowledgeable, and adored by his peers. He imagines himself as a ship Commander, doctor, millionaire, special agent, and Captain each in separate daydreams throughout the course of the day. Rather, he escapes to various exotic daydreams. Walter never communicates his discontent to his wife. She is very critical of him and tries to control his life, demanding him to make particular changes to his wardrobe, make countless trips to the store for unnecessary items, and wait on her while she runs errands. Mitty do not have a very loving relationship. In real life, he is driving around town completing errands with his wife. Walter is awoken from his dream by his startled wife yelling at him to slow down the car. In the high stakes scene, he shouts orders at the ship’s crew, guiding them through a tremendous storm. In this dream, he is the Commander of an eight-engine Navy hydroplane.

The story begins with Walter daydreaming. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a story about a man’s relationship with his wife and how he copes with his life.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber