Dreams Left As Dreams: Analysis of “The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty” “The motivational speaker Jack Canfield expresses that ‘You only have control of three things in your life - the thoughts you think, the images you visualize, and the actions you take’.” There are many ways that people find joy in life and sometimes the only way that they can make something of it is inside their head. In “The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber, Walter Mitty is an older gentleman who constantly goes through his days fantasizing about what he could be doing or the places he could be. The reader is given a general overlook of the story but is also given an inside peek on what Walter Mitty is thinking throughout his day. Through the short story, Walter
…show more content…
He is living in reality with his wife but he is constantly distracted by this “secret life” that he is preoccupied with. As Walter is confronted by his wife in the hotel lobby he is defending himself and asks “Does it ever occur to you that I am sometimes thinking?” (Thurber 5) This reaction to his wife is defending himself but his wife is not convinced. As she stands there with Walter she is persistent and concludes telling Walter that “I’m going to take your temperature when I get you home” (Thurber 5) Mrs.Mitty is not convinced by Walter and finds that she has to take matters into her own hands. This leads to Walter not being happy with his reality and realizing that other people are noticing his daydreams. He is observing that these daydreams are not much of a secret anymore and that his life is not being fulfilled to the adventurous expectations he has in his head. In the short story “The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty,” Walter is realizing that his dreams are not what his life represents and that he longs for these dreams to fill his life but instead they are found only in his head. He finds himself not pleased with the life he is living and is using the daydreams to cope with his reality. Living life that is not what you dreamed it would be and not trying to pursue those dreams is a life where the dreams will only be
He is living in reality with his wife but he is constantly distracted by this “secret life” that he is preoccupied with. As Walter is confronted by his wife in the hotel lobby he is defending himself and asks “Does it ever occur to you that I am sometimes thinking?” (Thurber 5) This reaction to his wife is defending himself but his wife is not convinced. As she stands there with Walter she is persistent and concludes telling Walter that “I’m going to take your temperature when I get you home” (Thurber 5) Mrs.Mitty is not convinced by Walter and finds that she has to take matters into her own hands. This leads to Walter not being happy with his reality and realizing that other people are noticing his daydreams. He is observing that these daydreams are not much of a secret anymore and that his life is not being fulfilled to the adventurous expectations he has in his head. In the short story “The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty,” Walter is realizing that his dreams are not what his life represents and that he longs for these dreams to fill his life but instead they are found only in his head. He finds himself not pleased with the life he is living and is using the daydreams to cope with his reality. Living life that is not what you dreamed it would be and not trying to pursue those dreams is a life where the dreams will only be