The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty James Thurber Pdf
Introduction
For literature enthusiasts, James Thurber's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" is a renowned masterpiece that leaves an indelible mark on the mind. The story explores the life of a man living a dull and unexciting existence in reality but has an exciting inner world. This classic story is a must-read for anyone who appreciates the power of imagination and how it can transform anyone's life.
If you haven't read the story yet, worry not as you can get the PDF version of "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" online. In this article, we review the story's plot, characters, themes, and offer analysis on various aspects of this literary masterpiece.
Plot Summary
The story follows the life of Walter Mitty, a middle-aged man who leads an unremarkable existence. He works as a negative asset manager at a publishing firm and spends his days running errands for his wife while she runs errands. He often daydreams and imagines himself doing heroic deeds despite his mundane life.
Walter's life takes a dramatic turn when his wife sends him to buy overshoes, which sparks a series of daydreams where he imagines himself as a heroic figure. In his daydreams, Walter is a fearless pilot, a skilled surgeon, a daring hunter, and a courageous soldier. However, he is rudely awakened from his daydreams each time his wife calls him back to reality.
As the story progresses, we see Walter using his imagination to evade the dullness of his everyday life. He imagines himself on trial for murder and saving the life of a millionaire's wife. Ultimately, Walter's daydreams come to an end when he faces reality, and his wife wakes him up from his final daydream where he is facing a firing squad.
Main Characters
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty has only a few characters, but each one of them is crucial to the story's development. The main characters are:
- Walter Mitty: The protagonist of the story, Walter is a middle-aged man who leads a boring and mundane life. However, he has a vivid imagination that allows him to escape from reality and live his life according to his terms.
- Mrs. Mitty: Walter's wife, who is depicted as bossy and overbearing. Mrs. Mitty scolds Walter whenever he slips into his daydreams and snaps him back to reality.
- Various characters in Walter's daydreams: These include a surgeon, a pilot, a hunter, a soldier, and a defendant in court. These characters represent Walter's inner desires and aspirations.
Themes
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty explores various themes that are still relevant today, decades after Thurber published the story. The main themes include:
- Escapism: Walter uses his daydreams to escape from the dull and unexciting life he leads. The story explores the power of imagination and how it can help us cope with difficult situations.
- Masculinity: The story challenges traditional notions of masculinity by portraying Walter as a timid and unassertive man who only finds strength and courage in his daydreams.
- Reality vs. fantasy: The story questions the boundary between reality and fantasy and how they intersect in our lives.
Analysis
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a classic example of how the power of imagination can change someone's life. The story explores the importance of escapism and how it can help us cope with challenging situations. It also challenges traditional notions of masculinity by depicting Walter as a timid man who only finds strength in his inner world.
Thurber's language is simple yet evocative. He uses Walter's daydreams to create tension and suspense, keeping the reader engaged throughout the story. The narrative style is unique, with Thurber using short sentences and abrupt transitions to mirror Walter's fragmented daydreams.
The story's ending is ambiguous, leaving the reader to interpret the meaning of Walter's final daydream. Some argue that Walter's final daydream represents his ultimate escape from reality, while others see it as a metaphor for his acceptance of his mundane life. Either way, the ending is powerful and thought-provoking, forcing the reader to reflect on the meaning of Walter's life and his inner world.
Conclusion
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a must-read for anyone who appreciates the power of imagination and its transformational effect on our lives. The story's themes and characters are still relevant today, making it a timeless classic that everyone should read at least once in their life.
So why not download the PDF version of the story and immerse yourself in the world of Walter Mitty? You won't regret it.
