"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"

Paper Summary:

"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" has become a comic American classic, full of humor and pathos. Walter is the classic henpecked husband who hides from the realities of his real world by devising elaborate and whimsical fantasies in his head. Throughout the story, he becomes a doctor, a fighter pilot, a naval commander, and a hero about to be executed, all to escape his continually nagging wife. Mann's essay sheds light on why Walter and his fantasy worlds are still so popular, along with some interesting theories about the cause of Mitty's daydreams

From the Paper:

"Mann's essay claims Mitty does not fantasize as a result of his wife's nagging, but totally the opposite, his wife is driven to her constant nagging by his continuous inattention to her. "Nevertheless, a close examination of the structure of the story suggests that Mitty's problems with his wife and with the rest of the outside world could just as easily be the result and not the cause of his fantasies" (Mann 352). This is an interesting and novel look at a story that has been interpreted in many ways for decades."

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