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Similarities Between Walter Mitty And A Jury Of Her Peers

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Walter Mitty is a man who uses his active imagination to escape the pressures of his wife. Shrewd and controlling in nature Mrs.Mitty is constantly emasculating Walter. The only thing that allows Walter to endure is his vivid imagination; however his wife tries to smother this form of self expression too. In “ A Jury of Her Peers” the motif of oppressive marriages is explored again. The women in this story are dominated by their husbands. They are forced to complete arduous and bland housework all day. The author portrays the women’s lifestyle after marriage as insipid and bleak in comparison to their vibrant lives before marriage. In both “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” and “A jury of Her Peers” the main characters are in an oppressive marital relationship, and find a way to cope with this matrimonial burden. …show more content…
The men invariably refer to their wives as lesser and unimportant, “With good natured superiority, women are used to worrying over trifles.” (Pg 148). Mr. Hale is able to belittle his wife casually, while dismissing her opinion and regarding her worries as “trifles”. There are are countless examples of the husbands demoralizing and micromanaging their wives.
This mirrors the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Mitty. Mrs. Mitty has complete dominance over Walter. She makes him run meaningless errands like, ”Remember to get those overshoes while I get my hair done” (pg 545) and if her instructions are not followed explicitly she lashes out at him with demoralizing comments such as “We’ve been all through that … You’re not a young man anymore”. Walter Mitty like the wives in “A Jury of Our Peers” are subject to the abuse of their spouses ,and receive it without

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