James Thurber's Tales

Paper Summary:

This paper compares Thurber's fable, "The Unicorn in the Garden," and his short story, "The Catbird Seat," and explores the idea that they are, in essence, the same story. It looks at their similarities, shared traits and abilities, subject matter, and their different levels of deception and intention.

From the Paper:

"In Thurber's nine-page 1942 short story The Catbird Seat" a man removes a woman from his workplace by convincing his boss that she is insane. In his earlier 1940 page-and-a-half fable "The Unicorn in the Garden" a man dispenses with his wife by convincing the authorities of her insanity. Both men achieve their ends by lying. The retelling of the Unicorn story in the later Catbird version demonstrates how, through rewriting and editing, a new and longer piece of fiction can be produced whilst still maintaining both the integrity and validity of the earlier, shorter work."

More papers on James Thurber's Tales:

• Analytical Essay # 17098 : "The Unicorn" and "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"
• Analytical Essay # 16656 : "Thurber's 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"

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