Mr Mitty Symbolism

The authors use symbolism to demonstrate how the characters change and become unsure of their identity. The overshoes and gloves are symbols of Mrs. Mitty’s overprotectiveness that causes Mr. Mitty to become passive, changing his identity and who he could be or become. As she is leaving to get her hair done, Mrs. Mitty tells Walter to “[r]emember to get [some] overshoes” and questions him about “why [he doesn’t] wear [his] gloves” (Thurber 34). Mrs. Mitty is always badgering Walter about things he does wrong and often treats him like a child. He does not learn to do things for himself because he is afraid to do them wrong and make mistakes. Mrs. Mitty makes it seem like Walter is inept and cannot carry out simple tasks. This constant pressure
and intimidation from Mrs. Mitty causes Walter to become submissive. Although he is seen as an unproductive and distracted man, he thinks of himself as a brave man capable of anything.
The fantasies that Walter creates in his mind are the real ways he sees himself, but cannot carry out these adventures because of the controlling nature of Mrs. Mitty. Whereas mirrors are symbols of the change Alice is going through and how she adapts to it and changes her identity. Alice still is not used to her new body and her father says that “[t]he eyes are the mirror of the soul” she questions “whose soul is” in her body (Coakley 14). Mirrors bring fear and an uncomfortable feeling to Alice’s life because she was so used to seeing her old face. When she sees her new body in a mirror it is a reminder of who she used to be and although she insists that she is still the same person, deep down she knows something has changed inside her. She tries as hard as she can to avoid mirrors, but always finds herself running into them. Alice is still figuring out who she is in her new body. Although the characters are in different situations, both Alice and Walter are still figuring out who they are and what their purpose is in the
world. Besides symbols, the conflicts of man versus man illustrate the changes that can arise is one’s identity. When there is conflict between loved ones, it often changes how one would normally deal with a problem. Mrs. Mitty is always putting Walter down, but because Mr. Mitty loves her he changes the way he acts about the problem and does not approach it like he would with someone else. Mrs. Mitty is always asking Mr. Mitty questions about simple tasks to make sure he does them correctly and instead of retaliating in a way that would hurt Mrs. Mitty’s feelings, he simply asks her if “it ever occur[s] to [her] that [he is] sometimes thinking”(Thurber 37). Mrs. Mitty is always questioning Walter and all the things he does. She does not believe he is capable of doing simple things for himself. This causes some agitation between Walter and Mrs. Mitty. He starts to get frustrated by the end of their trip into town and asks Mrs. Mitty if she ever realizes that he’s just thinking sometimes. Conflict with the people that helped configure one’s morals and ethics changes their view on a situation and how emotions play a role in our choices. Walter would have dealt with the situation differently if it were a stranger or an enemy but because Mrs. Mitty is his wife; it changed the way he thought about the situation, sequentially, changing his identity. There are also problems and tension between Alice and Jenny because of Alice’s new body. Jenny is upset and mad at Alice and does not trust her anymore which causes Alice to question the choices she is making, which in turn changes her identity. Jenny feels as though Alice is a completely different person saying that she still “ha[s] to get to know [her] better”(Coakley 13). Jenny does not trust Alice anymore. She feels that because Alice has a different body, she is a different person altogether. The tension between Jenny and Alice grows even more to a point that Jenny lets out all her emotions and frustrations she has with the new Alice. Alice is on the brink of tears because her twin sister is very upset. Alice’s reaction to Jenny’s outburst is far greater than if it was a complete stranger. Because of the relation between Jenny and Alice the conflict between them is dealt with more emotion that alters how Alice reacts to the situation. From birth, Alice and Jenny have been raised with the same morals and ethics. Now that Alice’s body has changed her identity is starting to change as well. Both characters respond differently to the conflicts than how they normally would because their family or loved ones are involved. Conflict often occurs because of the environment and the people within it.
The environment we live in and the people we live with are big factors that control identity. Mr. Mitty is always being controlled and questioned by Mrs. Mitty changing the way he thinks about himself and affecting his identity. “Mrs. Mitty always [makes Walter] drive to a garage to have the chains taken off” his car because she does not trust him to do it himself (Thurber 35). Mrs. Mitty is bossy and controls the relationship making Walter passive. She often puts him down for getting distracted by his fantasies. This makes Walter seem inept because she is always insulting his intelligence. This changes the way Walter acts, altering his self-identity. Walter’s ideas are the real way he wishes to be and the way he really perceives himself. He does not act like the man in his fantasies because he is afraid of being ridiculed by Mrs. Mitty. Alice has grown up in a loving environment for her whole life. This creates a strong support system for anything she does that plays a role in becoming whom she is. Her “mother stroke[s] her hair” after she awakes from surgery (Coakley 14). She encourages and reminds Alice that “[they]’ll get through this” (Coakley 14). However, when the one person closest to her starts to question her decisions it takes a toll on the way Alice thinks and reacts. Her sister Jenny starts to doubt that her twin sister’s personality is the same and gets very upset. A once positive Alice starts to become uncertain of herself and tries not to cry. In just a brief moment Alice’s whole mindset changes as well as her identity. Environment and the way family treat each other is a big factor that can affect self-identity. The similar skills both authors use demonstrate how a person’s identity can be greatly altered by their family and loved ones.
Both authors use symbolism to validate that the characters have been changed and are unsure of their identity. Likewise, in both short stories when conflict arises between loved ones, it often changes how one would normally react or solve the problem. They also establish that the environment we live in and the people we live with are considerable factors that control our identity. It is clear that the people who raise and care for children have some kind of control over who they become but how much of their identity is shaped by those around them and how much is shaped by
themselves?