The secret life of Walter Mitty

The secret life of Walter Mitty
A literary analysis

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This lesson contains 32 slides, with interactive quizzes, text slides and 2 videos.

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The secret life of Walter Mitty
A literary analysis

Lesson up - Student pin: 253 807

Slide 1 - Slide

Some background on the author
James Grover Thurber
  • December 8, 1894
  • American cartoonist, author, humorist, journalist, and playwright
Signature Humor
  • Comedic frustrations of everyday life. Relatable humour
  • Influenced generations of comedic writers
Notable Works: 
  • The 13 Clocks
  • My Life and Hard Times





Slide 2 - Slide

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Slide 3 - Video

How could you describe Walter Mitty's character best?
Adventurous and outgoing
Timid and daydreamer
Aggressive and assertive
Empathetic and caring

Slide 4 - Poll

Exercise: Characters

Slide 5 - Slide

Walter Mitty:
  • Round Character 
  • Protagonist of the story
  • Ordinary, middle-aged man 
  • Daydreams to escape his mundane life
  • Navy commander, surgeon, being on trial, WWI pilot, a prisoner facing a firing squad.
  • Desire for adventure
Mrs. Mitty:
  • Flat Character 
  • Main antagonist of the story 
  • Does not understand (or doesn’t know about?) Walter’s daydreams
  • Treats him as if he’s less than her


In reality, Walter is nothing special, forgetful, and dominated by his wife.











Slide 6 - Slide

Other flat characters
  • Dr. Renshaw: Mitty’s real-life doctor.
  • Lieutenant Berg: Navy colleague
  • ‘The cop’ (can be linked to the dominant wife)
  • Wellington McMillan: “The millionaire banker”
  • Dr. Benbow, Dr. Remington, and Dr. Pritchard-Mitford: physician specialists
  • Parking-lot Attendant: Underlines Walter’s actual lack of skill
  • Garageman: Portrays Walter as not much of a handy person.  

Slide 7 - Slide

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Slide 8 - Video

Where does the story take place?
A
Australia
B
USA
C
UK
D
Ireland

Slide 9 - Quiz

Exercise: Setting

Slide 10 - Slide

Our analysis: Setting

Setting in time
  • 20th century: cars...
  • Narrative time: 5-10min
  • Narrated time: a couple of hours (at least 1 hour, at most 4 hours)
  • Acceleration, also to do with daydreaming – time passes faster
  • Acceleration: looking for shoe store, next line he walks out with overshoes



















  • Slide 11 - Slide

    Setting in space: Reality
    • Waterbury Streets: Passing through the town, doing errands
    • Hair Salon: Where Mitty drops off his wife
    • Shoe Store: Buying overshoes
    • Parking Lot: Where Mitty parks his car, two blocks from the hotel
    • A&P: Buying 'puppy biscuit'
    • Hotel Lobby: Waiting in a big leather chair





    Setting in space: Daydreams
    • Navy Hydroplane: Dreaming about being a heroic Navy commander
    • Sports Car: Imagines himself as a daring sports car driver
    • Hospital: Performing surgery on the millionaire banker
    • Courtroom: Being a defendant in a courtroom trial
    • Pilot: Dreaming about being a skilled pilot
    • Firing Squad: A final daydream, Mitty envisions himself facing a firing squad

    Slide 12 - Slide

    Plot: Put the following events in chronological order
    Walter Mitty dreams of being a surgeon.
    Mrs. Mitty asks Walter to buy overshoes.
    Walter Mitty dreams of being a wartime pilot.
    Walter Mitty faces ridicule from his wife.

    Slide 13 - Drag question

    Exercise: Plot

    Slide 14 - Slide

    Our analysis: Plot
    • Exposition: Meet Walter Mitty and his wife – their relationship
    • Complication: Daydreams keep occurring – affect Mitty’s daily life
    • Crisis: Mitty doesn’t want to get in trouble with his wife by being late
    • Dénouement: ‘To hell with the handkerchief’ - Mitty stops fighting the daydreams and escapes reality
    • Interpretation of Events: Wants to be a hero, to be more than he is now
    • Open-Ended Conclusion: Embraces daydreams, Leaves room for interpretation

    Slide 15 - Slide

    The story's timeline is non-linear due to Walter Mitty's daydreams. How does this affect the narrative?
    It creates confusion without adding depth.
    It reflects Walter's desire to escape reality.
    It shows the author's lack of storytelling skill.
    It makes the story more humorous.

    Slide 16 - Poll

    Exercise: Temporal aspects

    Slide 17 - Slide

    Our analysis: Temporal aspects
    • In media res: Start of action in a daydream
    • Disrupted Chronology: Seamlessly weaving between Walter Mitty's daydreams and his reality.
    • Narrative Tempo: 
    1. Moments of daydreaming: Narrative slows down, focus on the details. 
    2. Moments of reality: Tempo is higher and skips more parts. Reality is not that interesting. 















    Slide 18 - Slide

    The author uses contrasting language styles to differentiate between reality and fantasy. Which style is associated with Walter Mitty's fantasies?
    A
    Sarcastic and critical
    B
    Poetic and romantic
    C
    Technical and heroic
    D
    Informal and mundane

    Slide 19 - Quiz

    Exercise: Language and Style

    Slide 20 - Slide

    Our analysis: Language and Style
    Foregrounding of Form:
    • Typographical Level: 
    1. Reality: Straightforward sentences
    2. Daydreams: Emphasis and exaggeration
    • Phonetical Level: 
    1. Daydreams: Rhytm, pocketa-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa
    2. Reality: Dialogue with his wife (short, cold sentences to recreate tension)




    Slide 21 - Slide

    Foregrounding of Meaning:
    • Figures of Speech: 
    1.  Understatements such as ‘no big deal’
    2. Over-the-top nature of his fantasies
    • Diction and Word Choice: 
    1. Daydreams: Technical and heroic style
    2. Reality: Simpler, more straightforward language
    It creates some irony, and in turn, humour.

    Slide 22 - Slide

    The overall tone of the story can be described as:
    Sober and serious
    Ironic and heroic
    Dark and foreboding
    Angry and bitter

    Slide 23 - Poll

    Slide 24 - Slide

    Our analysis: Tone
    Irony of escapism
    • Situational irony in daydreams, in contrast with quiet reality.
    • Despite his rich imagination, Mitty is unable to push himself in reality.
    • Mitty's desire for escaping into fiction as a coping technique for the monotony of his daily life. 
    • Story encourages thinking about the conflict between desire and reality
    • Significance of imagination when facing challenges in life.

    Slide 25 - Slide

    The narrative technique used in the story is primarily:
    Extract from the short story
    A
    Editorial omniscient narrator
    B
    Anonymous omniscient narrator
    C
    Limited omniscient narrator
    D
    First-person narrative

    Slide 26 - Quiz

    Exercise: Method of Narration

    Slide 27 - Slide

    Our analysis: Method of narration

    Limited omniscient narrator: 
    • Observation: The narrator explains/describes Walter’s actions and thoughts/daydreams.
    • Limited Perspective: The narrative perspective focuses solely on Mitty's experiences and perceptions, without delving into the thoughts or feelings of other characters.
    • Impersonal Tone: The narrator maintains a neutral and detached demeanor, devoid of personal opinion or involvement in the events being described.
    • Access to Character's Thoughts: Readers are granted direct insight into Walter Mitty's innermost thoughts and emotions, enriching their understanding of his character.
    • Ability to Describe Surroundings: The narrator vividly depicts Mitty's surroundings and interactions, creating a detailed and immersive backdrop for the story.





    Slide 28 - Slide

    One of the central themes of 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' is:
    A
    The struggle between good and evil
    B
    The importance of being brave at all times
    C
    The conflict between reality and fantasy
    D
    Achievements in life

    Slide 29 - Quiz

    Exercise: Themes

    Slide 30 - Slide

    Our analysis: Theme
    Escapism vs. Reality

    • Walter Mitty's ‘boring’ life and his vivid daydreams
    • Uses his fantastical adventures to get away from the routine and unhappiness of his real existence. 
    • Monotony and submissive behaviour in real life <-> Exciting situations in daydreams.  
    • Gets in his daydreams what he misses in real life, autonomy.
    • Negative effects: overindulging in escape. Straining marriage and endangering his capacity to operate in the outside world. 

    Slide 31 - Slide

    Linking aspects

    Slide 32 - Slide