"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"

Mariam Zaidan

Section 1

Answers to "The Secret

Life of Walter Mitty"

1. Do you feel sorry for Walter Mitty? Why or why not?

No, I do not feel sorry for Walter Witty because he is not living a hard life; also, he must have a good job if he can afford to send his wife to the hairdresser's every week. He may be dreaming of a life of action, but I doubt he would be able to handle the stress of being in war or performing high-risk surgery.

2. What differences do you see between the kind of person Mitty is in his fantasies and the kind of person he is in real life?

In Mitty's fantasies he is brave, always in charge, and unafraid to act on a spur, while in real life Mitty is can barely stand up to his wife who treats him like an errand boy. Furthermore, in his fantasies, Mitty is always a man of importance or one with power, but in real life he's just your average Joe, if not less.

3. How would you characterize the way Mitty's wife and other people in the story treat him?

I think Mitty's wife and other people treat him like a child or one who is incapable of handling responsibility. Others may also see him as less of a man because of the way his wife treats him, his incapability of changing the chains on his tires, and his poor driving. Granted he maybe treated this way because he is always in another world dreaming about a life he'd rather be living.

4. Why do you think Mitty's fantasies are so important to him?

I think Mitty's fantasies are important to him because they give him a chance to escape, escape from daily life, escape from his nagging wife, escape from his embarrassment for needing a mechanic. By imagining he is a powerful man he may convince himself that he is instead of becoming depressed by his real self.

5. Why do you think Mitty has the fantasy of the firing squad at the end?

I think Mitty has the fantasy of the firing squad at the end because he would rather die an exciting life than continue his mundane existence, or that he considers himself of the same worth dead or alive since he isn't doing much alive.

6. Are Mitty's daydreams a help or hindrance to him, or both? Explain your opinion.

I think Mitty's daydreams are both a help and a hindrance to him; they help him by filling up his time so he isn't so bored when he goes with his wife and allowing him to escape his disappointment in himself. At the same time though, they are a hindrance because he gets so involved into the fantasies he doesn't pay attention to the world around him and starts making mistakes. The fantasies may also depress him even more when he wakes up from his fantasies and realizes that they'll never come true.

LITERARY CONCEPT: Conflict

I think the internal conflict that occurs in Walter Mitty is his inability to be satisfied with himself or the world he is living in. He should be more aware of all the positive things he has in his life; he supports himself, he is married, we can assume that he is in good health, and he has enough free time to make it to the city once a week. A lot of people are worse off than he is especially if the story is taking place during the Great Depression or shortly afterwards. I think the internal conflict is the more important conflict in the story because Walter Mitty is capable of changing himself. Every person, who has the willpower, can change himself and create a better outlook on the world. Meanwhile, it is impossible for Walter Mitty or anyone else to change everything in the world that he doesn't like. He'd be lucky if he could change one thing.

VOCABULARY PRACTICE

1. Incorrect 6. Incorrect

2. Correct 7. Correct

3. Correct 8. Correct

4. Incorrect 9. Correct

5. Correct 10. Correct