The American Heritage Dictionary defines a Walter Mitty as “an ordinary often ineffectual person who indulges in fantastic daydreams of personal triumphs“. The most famous of Thurber’s inept male protagonists, the character is considered “the archetype for dreamy, hapless, Thurber Man”.
Then, How does the Walter Mitty short story end?
The imaginary Mitty never triumphs. Just as he is about to achieve his fantasy destiny, he is always pulled back into real life, usually because of an incident resulting from his own distraction. At the end of the story, he envisions himself fearlessly facing death at the hands of a firing squad.
simply so, Is The Secret Life of Walter Mitty a funny or tragic story?
The original Mitty story, although darkly funny and brilliantly told, is also tragic. Mitty is truly trapped in a miserable marriage and his only escape is in his imagination. It ends with his wife disparaging him one more time as he retreats into yet another heroic daydream.
How does Sean O’Connell impact Walter’s life? O’Connell sends Walter photos and a wallet thanking him for his work. Negative #25 is an image that Sean intends for the final cover of LIFE called the “quintessence of life”. … Walter is then thrust into a journey of many “real” adventures in his search for the image and discovers more about life than he expected.
How is Walter Mitty a hero?
Mitty makes for an interesting hero character. The roles he plays in his various fantasies are, of course, typical protagonists – bold, decisive, skilled men who take charge and impress everyone around them.
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What was negative 25 in Walter Mitty?
Negative #25 is an image that Sean intends for the final cover of LIFE called the “quintessence of life”. The image, to Walter’s dismay, is missing and his new boss, Ted Hendricks, is harassing him about negative 25 and his daydreaming.
What are 3 reasons why the author would end the story with a fantasy sequence?
This tale concludes with the protagonist entering a fifth fantasy sequence for three reasons: closure, resolution, and allusion to previous fantasies.
Is Walter sane or insane?
Expert Answers
Walter Mitty is not insane. He is an introvert. He might be said to be a typical James Thurber character.
What is the best way to describe Walter Mitty’s real life?
In real life, Walter Mitty isn’t anything special. He gets bossed around by his wife a lot. … To compensate for his failings in the real world, Mitty creates an entire “secret life” for himself: a series of fantasies in which he is a powerful, decisive man admired by those around him – everything he is not in reality.
What is the meaning of Walter’s final daydream particularly the last two sentences of the story?
Expert Answers
Walter Mitty’s final daydream in which he is standing before a firing squad seems to reveal a secret death wish and to show that he is a very unhappy man. He dislikes himself, dislikes his nagging wife, and dislikes the life he has to lead.
Did Ben Stiller do the skateboarding in Walter Mitty?
In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Ben Stiller plays a mild-mannered desk lackey who finds himself on a quest around the world. At one point, the adventure sends him careening down a mountain on a skateboard. Stiller (who also directed the film) says yes, he took on the stunt himself.
Is Sean O’Connell a real person?
Sean O’Connell (born September 2, 1983) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Professional Fighters League.
What was the negative in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty?
She had told Mitty before but he was daydreaming and failed to hear her. Mitty discovers O’Connell is in the Himalayas, and finds him photographing a rare snow leopard. When asked about the negative, O’Connell explains that the message on the gift wrapping to “look inside” was literal; the negative was in the wallet.
Is Walter Mitty an anti hero?
Walter Mitty is an example of an antihero; i.e., a protagonist who lacks the expected qualities of the hero. An antihero may perform heroic acts, but usually they are for his or her own benefit. Mitty is a hero in his mind only.
Was there a real Walter Mitty?
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is a fictional story written by James Thurber and published in 1939. … While Mitty is a fictional character, James Thurber said that he loosely based the character off of a friend from his own life named Walter Mithoff, who was prone to frequent daydreams.
What is the protagonist of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty?
There are only two main characters in “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” a middle-aged man and his wife. Walter Mitty himself is the most important character because the story is all about his “secret” fantasies. James Thurber introduces Mrs. Mitty in the opening scenes in order to…
Is there really a Papa John’s in Iceland?
The Papa John’s in the film does not exist in real life. It is a bakery in Borganes that was turned into a Papa John’s for a few days during filming.
What was the last cover of Life magazine?
Technically, LIFE magazine had two “last” issues. The last monthly issue was published May 20, 2000. The cover story, “Premature Baby” by Jason Michael Waldmann Jr., featured a picture of a tiny baby, born prematurely, held in someone’s hands, connected to life-supporting tubes.
Did Ben Stiller do the stunts in Walter Mitty?
In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Ben Stiller plays a mild-mannered desk lackey who finds himself on a quest around the world. At one point, the adventure sends him careening down a mountain on a skateboard. Stiller (who also directed the film) says yes, he took on the stunt himself.
Why does the writer end his story with Mitty facing a firing squad?
Putting himself in front of a firing squad would initially be contradictory to his usual daydreams; however in this particular day dream, he plays the part of a noble hero who is put innocently in front of a firing squad. This may also reflect his feelings about how he feels in his relationship with his wife.
What does the ending of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty mean?
You could view the firing squad symbolically, as representative of the people in the real world who hassle Mitty about being a dreamer. In this sense, the ending seems like a defeat for Mitty. He can dream all he wants, but there are always going to be people who “shoot” him for it.
How does Walter Mitty change throughout the story?
Overall in the film, Walter Mitty changed a lot over the course of the film, and learned to not just let people step all over him, and he gained a lot of confidence and was able to say he did something exciting in his life. … Overall, the character of Walter Mitty made the film what it is.
