Dinner With Walter Mitty
From what we’ve read in James Thurber’s “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” Walter Mitty has an ebullient and wandering imagination. There are multiple occasions in the short story in which Mitty is distracted by a daydream that is somehow tied to what’s happening in reality, causing him to lose sight of what he’s doing at the time. Absent-mindedness can cause some trouble if one finds themselves in a daydream while driving, or perhaps in the middle of a conversation. On the other hand, daydreams can be beneficial for coming up with ways to problem-solve, and for improving mood and brain function. With this in mind, I imagine a dinner with Walter Mitty as being an interesting-or at least, amusing- experience
The first reason for this speculation is the neuropsychological study opportunity. The human brain is one of the most fascinating and complex of our organs. During a daydream, both the …show more content…
Throughout the short story, Walter Mitty is repeatedly walked over and disregarded. His wife orders him around and criticises his actions along with the policeman, mechanic, and even a simple passerby. With the way humans are generally wired, positive interactions cause less production of the stress hormone cortisol, which means a less guarded demeanor. If Mitty is given a more dignified reception rather than being put aside, then perhaps he wouldn’t be so timid and reticent. Aside from the scientific aspect, a dinner with Walter Mitty would also mean less pressure on dialogue. I myself am a fairly introverted person, and I get nervous when I have to converse with someone I don’t know well. In the story, Mitty is repeatedly shown to be quiet and obedient, which means the expectation for steady conversation wouldn’t be such an encumbrance. In lieu of speaking, both Mitty and I could simply have time to
From what we’ve read in James Thurber’s “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” Walter Mitty has an ebullient and wandering imagination. There are multiple occasions in the short story in which Mitty is distracted by a daydream that is somehow tied to what’s happening in reality, causing him to lose sight of what he’s doing at the time. Absent-mindedness can cause some trouble if one finds themselves in a daydream while driving, or perhaps in the middle of a conversation. On the other hand, daydreams can be beneficial for coming up with ways to problem-solve, and for improving mood and brain function. With this in mind, I imagine a dinner with Walter Mitty as being an interesting-or at least, amusing- experience
The first reason for this speculation is the neuropsychological study opportunity. The human brain is one of the most fascinating and complex of our organs. During a daydream, both the …show more content…
Throughout the short story, Walter Mitty is repeatedly walked over and disregarded. His wife orders him around and criticises his actions along with the policeman, mechanic, and even a simple passerby. With the way humans are generally wired, positive interactions cause less production of the stress hormone cortisol, which means a less guarded demeanor. If Mitty is given a more dignified reception rather than being put aside, then perhaps he wouldn’t be so timid and reticent. Aside from the scientific aspect, a dinner with Walter Mitty would also mean less pressure on dialogue. I myself am a fairly introverted person, and I get nervous when I have to converse with someone I don’t know well. In the story, Mitty is repeatedly shown to be quiet and obedient, which means the expectation for steady conversation wouldn’t be such an encumbrance. In lieu of speaking, both Mitty and I could simply have time to