Critical Response Walter Mitty
Maya Guedouar
Mr. Forsyth
ENG 3U
October 7, 2014
Ta-pocketa-pocketa: the analysis of Mitty’s character
In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, by James Thurber, Walter Mitty desires dominance, but knows that he cannot achieve his dreams due to the constant put down by his controlling wife. Walter, a middle-aged man has daydreams to assert his dominance which he does not have in his real life. Mitty starts to daydream that he is a “commander” of a “navy hydroplane” and he is trying to save his whole crew from a “hurricane”, all the males see him as their savior as they believe the “Old Man’ll get us through”(sic) (Thurber 1). In the protagonist’s fantasy, the navy hydroplane plane is used as a phallic symbol to establish Mitty’s dominance, as he saves the crew using his masculinity, while his commander status represents his power over other males. Walter is looked up by other males and is portrayed as the most dominant and powerful one out of the others. Although Mitty fantasizes that he is the alpha male, in reality he is the one being controlled by his spouse. Walter’s wife controls most of the things that he does by giving him commands, “‘you’re driving too fast..., I don’t like to go more than forty [miles], Mrs. Mitty treats Walter like a child by ordering , “get those overshoes...,why don’t you put on your gloves, [did] you lose your gloves’(1). The main character’s spouse is the dominant one in the relationship; she controls Mitty and treats him like a child which puts him down. Not only is the protagonist brought down by his wife, but also by others. First, he is being put down by the parking lot attendant who “vaulted into Mitty’s car and backed it up with insolent skill” then “a woman who was passing by laughed at him” for saying “‘puppy biscuits to himself’” (2). By constantly being brought down by people, Walter realizes that he is not the dominant man he wishes to be, this crushes his dream. Due to the constant criticism, Walter no longer sees
Mr. Forsyth
ENG 3U
October 7, 2014
Ta-pocketa-pocketa: the analysis of Mitty’s character
In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, by James Thurber, Walter Mitty desires dominance, but knows that he cannot achieve his dreams due to the constant put down by his controlling wife. Walter, a middle-aged man has daydreams to assert his dominance which he does not have in his real life. Mitty starts to daydream that he is a “commander” of a “navy hydroplane” and he is trying to save his whole crew from a “hurricane”, all the males see him as their savior as they believe the “Old Man’ll get us through”(sic) (Thurber 1). In the protagonist’s fantasy, the navy hydroplane plane is used as a phallic symbol to establish Mitty’s dominance, as he saves the crew using his masculinity, while his commander status represents his power over other males. Walter is looked up by other males and is portrayed as the most dominant and powerful one out of the others. Although Mitty fantasizes that he is the alpha male, in reality he is the one being controlled by his spouse. Walter’s wife controls most of the things that he does by giving him commands, “‘you’re driving too fast..., I don’t like to go more than forty [miles], Mrs. Mitty treats Walter like a child by ordering , “get those overshoes...,why don’t you put on your gloves, [did] you lose your gloves’(1). The main character’s spouse is the dominant one in the relationship; she controls Mitty and treats him like a child which puts him down. Not only is the protagonist brought down by his wife, but also by others. First, he is being put down by the parking lot attendant who “vaulted into Mitty’s car and backed it up with insolent skill” then “a woman who was passing by laughed at him” for saying “‘puppy biscuits to himself’” (2). By constantly being brought down by people, Walter realizes that he is not the dominant man he wishes to be, this crushes his dream. Due to the constant criticism, Walter no longer sees