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Walter Mitty is an ordinary, insignificant man who is henpecked or dominated by his wife. People ridicule
him but he escapes from his boring, unhappy existence by fantasising that he is an heroic character who
enjoys various adventures.
In these adventures -- his secret life -- he takes control, people admire and respect him, and he is the
hero who saves the day. These fantasies, however, are always interrupted and we never hear the end
result, although it is clear from his fantasising that he firmly believes he will save the situation.
In each fantasy he possesses a particular skill. There is always an occurrence which leads him into his
next fantasy. The story has even led to a medical term and an adjective: Walter Mitty Syndrome or
Mittyesque -- used to describe people who fantasise in order to escape from the real world.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
James Thurber was born in Columbus, Ohio, in December 1894. His father is said to have been the
inspiration for the small, timid hero typical of many of his stories -- like Walter Mitty. His mother, on the
other hand, had a comic character, always being the practical joker.
Because he was shot in the eye by one of his brothers and went almost blind, he could not therefore
participate in any serious activities -- like sport -- and so focussed himself on developing his
imagination.
He attended Ohio State University but never graduated because his poor eyesight prevented him from
taking some mandatory courses. The university would later give him an honorary degree in 1995, over
30 years after his death.
Following the Great War, Thurber began a career as a reporter for the Columbus Dispatch, during
which time he reviewed books, movies and plays. He also wrote for the Chicago Tribune and
then for New York's Evening Post.
He became an editor for The New Yorker in 1927, and it was there that his drawings and doodles,
thrown away as rubbish, were found to be very useful to illustrate his writing. Thus he began a career as
a cartoonist.
For a period of 20 years, Thurber published his writings and his drawings in The New Yorker.
He married twice, the first time to Althea Adams with whom he had his only child, a daughter. The
marriage, however, ended in divorce and he thereafter remarried to Helen Wismer.
Thurber died from pneumonia following a stroke in 1961. He was then 66 years of age.
Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?
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TEST YOURSELF!
Read the left column and then answer
the following questions:
Walter Mitty stopped the car in front of the building where his wife went to have her hair done.
"Remember to get those overshoes while I'm having my hair done," she said. "I don't need overshoes,"
said Mitty. She put her mirror back into her bag. "We've been all through that," she said, getting out of
the car. "You're not a young man any longer." He raced the engine a little. "Why don't you wear your
gloves? Have you lost your gloves?" Walter Mitty reached in a pocket and brought out the gloves. He
put them on, but after she had turned and gone into the building and he had driven on to a red light, he
took them off again. "Pick it up, brother!" snapped a cop as the light changed, and Mitty hastily pulled on
his gloves and lurched ahead. He drove around the streets aimlessly for a time, and then he drove past
the hospital on his way to the parking lot.
- What leads to the second fantasy? (4)
[Need help?]
His wife says that he is tense and needs to see a doctor. This leads to his fantasy that he is a famous
surgeon.
His wife refers to his gloves. This makes him imagine he is a surgeon putting on his surgical gloves
before operating.
He also drives past a hospital while looking for parking.
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- "We've been through all that." What is his wife's attitude? (2)
[Need help?]
She treats him like a child. She is telling him not to argue with her.
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- What makes it clear that Walter is irritated by his wife's nagging? (2)
[Need help?]
His irritation shows when he "races" (revs) the engine.
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- How does Walter try to maintain some sense of authority over his own life? How do we know that his
attempt to take some control over his life does not succeed? (4)
[Need help?]
When his wife insists, Mitty puts on the gloves, but takes them off after she has gone to the hairdresser
when he stops at the red light.
The policeman shouts at him to get a move on when the lights change to green. He quickly puts the
gloves back on and the car lurches forward as he tries to accelerate.
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. . . "It's the millionaire banker, Wellington McMillan," said the pretty nurse. "Yes?" said Walter Mitty,
removing his gloves slowly. "Who has the case?" "Dr. Renshaw and Dr. Benbow, but there are two
specialists here, Dr. Remington from New York and Dr. Pritchard-Mitford from London. He flew over." A
door opened down a long, cool corridor and Dr. Renshaw came out. He looked distraught and haggard.
"Hello, Mitty," he said. `'We're having the devil's own time with McMillan, the millionaire banker and close
personal friend of Roosevelt. Obstreosis of the ductal tract. Tertiary. Wish you'd take a look at him." "Glad
to," said Mitty.
- Comment on the use of names in this particular fantasy. (2)
[Need help?]
The names are all very grandiose and sound very English. Dr Renshaw is the name of the doctor Mitty's
wife had mentioned he should see for his tension.
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- Why does the author specifically refer to "two specialists"? (2)
[Need help?]
It is to highlight the fact that even though they are specialists in their field, Walter Mitty is far more skilled
than they are.
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- Quote the words which tell the reader that the specialists are struggling to cope with the
situation. (4)
[Need help?]
Dr Renshaw is "distraught and haggard" (upset and stressed). He says they are having "the
devil's own time" (a very difficult time) coping with the situation.
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- For what reason does the author refer to President Roosevelt? (4)
[Need help?]
Roosevelt was the American president from 1933 till 1945. If someone is a close friend of the president,
he is a very important person and saving his life will carry great significance.
It also adds to the pressure the doctors are under: they are expected to save the life of the president's
close friend.
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