Fantasy versus Reality: A Close Reading of “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”
Introduction
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is an illustration of creativity by its author, James Thurber. Notably, the narrative’s genre is short story since it can be read in one sitting, and has a fully developed theme. The story also combines first and third-person narration (Thurber). The contexts can be divided into fantasy and real-life, which are related; the reality fuels the imagination. “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” follows Mitty, who imagines himself as a heroic figure in various circumstances, such as being a surgeon to a millionaire banker called Wellington McMillan (Thurber). The fantasies are an escape for Walter, whose mundane reality is the opposite of his fantasies; being dominated by his wife and following boring routines. Correspondingly, the passage being analyzed entails two scenes, the first being Mitty’s fantasy as the Commander of a Navy. As the Commander, he gives orders to his men to help them pass through a hurricane. The men are confident that their Commander will help them get through. The other scene puts Mitty in the car with his wife, who is complaining about his fast driving (Thurber). She also notices he is tensed and wishes he let Doctor Renshaw examine him. Forthwith, the passage fits into the larger story as it introduces the reader to Mitty and his fantasies. The contrast between Mitty’s fantasy and real-life could explain why Mitty loves to fantasize.
The various tones in the story convey the emotions and authority of the characters. The commander, for one, uses an assertive tone when talking to his juniors. To illustrate, he says, “We’re going through,” and “I’m not asking you, Lieutenant Berg” (Thurber). These statements depict the Commander as a confident, forceful, and authoritarian individual. Clearly, once the Commander decides on something, nothing can dissuade him. The assertive tone is also befitting for his position. Similarly, the crew’s statement, “The Old Man’ll get us through,” illustrate a laudatory tone as they are confident in their Commander’s leadership. From the way she speaks, it is evident that Mrs. Mitty is a controlling individual. She is scornful when she says, “What are you driving fast for?” From the question, it is equally clear that Mrs. Mitty does not understand Mitty’s fantasy. The tones in the passage convey the speakers’ personalities, and it is easy to tell who is in charge.
Again, the narration technique illustrates the contrast between Mitty’s reality and fantasy. In the passage, the fantasy precedes Mitty’s real-life occurrence. As a Commander, Mitty is a powerful individual. However, the truth is grim; Mitty’s wife is the one giving orders and reprimanding him. From the differences, it is evident that Mitty daydreams as a Commander because it is an opportunity for him to control a situation and people. Moreover, there is a clear connection between fantasy and reality. For example, as a Commander, Mitty shouts, “Full strength in No. 3 turret!” and, in turn, drives his car at high speed, to the chagrin of his wife (Thurber). That the words are written in the first person clearly conveys the feelings of the speakers. Equally, there is a lot of repetition in the extract. Phrases like “Switch on No. 8 auxiliary” and “Full strength in No. 3 turret!” have been repeated several times (Thurber). The repetition is for clarity and emphasis so that the navy clearly follows the Commander’s instructions. Equally, the navy calls the Commander “The Old Man” twice (Thurber). This title emphasizes the old age of the Commander, who has a grey eye, and his long experience in the navy. Mrs. Mitty also repeats the statements “So fast” and “Up to fifty-five” to denote her anger and displeasure at Mitty’s driving. Moreover, punctuations improve the clarity of the passage. The exclamations express the emotions of the characters. For instance, when the Commander says, “We’re going through!” one can tell he is assertive. In contrast, when Mrs. Mitty states, “You’re driving too fast!” it is clear that she is angry and shocked. The ellipsis signal the interruption of Mitty’s fantasy, and usher in reality. The styles used to contribute to clarity and make the reading enjoyable.
There are some themes in the short passage. The first theme is heroism. The Commander is a heroic figure to his navy juniors. He inspires confidence in his crew, who believe that he will save them from a hurricane because he is very assertive and confident. Another theme is the close relationship between reality and fantasy. Mitty practices what he imagines when he increases the car speed because, in his fantasy, the hydroplane is also being propelled at full speed (Thurber). Further, the weather conditions in the imagination and real-world are dangerous. The storm, which exists in the real-world, inspires the hurricane conditions that Mitty creates in his fantasy. In both, Mitty aims to conquer nature. In fact, Mitty is so wrapped up in the illusion that he barely recognizes his wife (Thurber). The fantasy is also an escape from reality. It is Mitty’s comfort from his wife and his boring life. The themes in the passage surround Mitty’s life.
There are several figures of speech in the paragraph. The first is the situational irony with regards to Mitty’s life. Ironically, Mitty is nothing like the Commander he dreams about. Instead of being just as tough and affirmative in his reality, Mitty allows his wife to control and boss him around (Thurber). Mitty’s existence is an ironic twist to his fantasy, which can also explain why Mitty likes to daydream. Thurber also uses a simile, “Commander’s voice was like thin ice breaking,” to emphasize the Commander’s voice’s hoarseness. His voice corresponds with his old man’s status. The engine of Walter’s car, which is described as ‘roaring,’ demonstrates personification. The roaring noise leads to the imagination that the engines produce the same sound as a roaring lion. There is also onomatopoeia, arising from the sound of the cylinders, “ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketapocketa-pocketa.” The excerpt has stylistic devices that make the reading clear and exciting.
Conclusion
The reading has taught me that how the text is written directly affects understanding and interests. From the narration style and tone, it is possible to tell Mitty and his wife’s traits. The figures of speech also add emphasis and clarity to the content. Without the various styles and tones, it would be hard to decipher how the characters feel or differentiate Mitty’s reality from fantasy. Henceforth, form, and content are closely related. Form, which is the structure and organization of a writing piece, dictates the content. For example, Thurber’s work is fictional; hence, the content should embody the qualities of fictional writing. The literary form influences content. Thurber’s text, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” combines various literature devices successfully.
Work Cited
Thurber, James. “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” The New York Post, 2013, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1939/03/18/the-secret-life-of-walter-james-thurber. Accessed 1 Jun 2020.
Appendix: Excerpt Used in the Analysis
“We’re going through!” The Commander’s voice was like thin ice breaking. He wore his full-dress uniform, with the heavily braided white cap pulled down rakishly over one cold gray eye. “We can’t make it, sir. It’s spoiling for a hurricane, if you ask me.” “I’m not asking you, Lieutenant Berg,” said the Commander. “Throw on the power lights! Rev her up to 8,500! We’re going through!” The pounding of the cylinders increased: ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketapocketa-pocketa. The Commander stared at the ice forming on the pilot window. He walked over and twisted a row of complicated dials. “Switch on No. 8 auxiliary!” he shouted. “Switch on No. 8 auxiliary!” repeated Lieutenant Berg. “Full strength in No. 3 turret!” shouted the Commander. “Full strength in No. 3 turret!” The crew, bending to their various tasks in the huge, hurtling eight-engined Navy hydroplane, 1 looked at each other and grinned. “The Old Man’ll get us through,” they said to one another. “The Old Man ain’t afraid of Hell!” . . .
“Not so fast! You’re driving too fast!” said Mrs. Mitty. “What are you driving so fast for?” “Hmm?” said Walter Mitty. He looked at his wife, in the seat beside him, with shocked astonishment. She seemed grossly unfamiliar, like a strange woman who had yelled at him in a crowd. “You were up to fifty-five,” she said. “You know I don’t like to go more than forty. You were up to fifty-five.” Walter Mitty drove on toward Waterbury in silence, the roaring of the SN202 through the worst storm in twenty years of Navy flying fading in the remote, intimate airways of his mind. “You’re tensed up again,” said Mrs. Mitty. “It’s one of your days. I wish you’d let Dr. Renshaw look you over.”