A Peek Into "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"

emmasotomayor134
Oct 7, 2024
1 min read

Summary

Walter Mitty, a man with a great imagination living an ordinary life, spends the day doing humdrum activities such as shopping or driving his wife places. Amidst his usual activities, he fantasizes about greatness—whether he is a doctor, saving a patient's life, an accused man in a courtroom, a flying ace sacrificing his life for the war, and more. Throughout the story, it is hinted that Mitty does this often, with his wife believing him to need medical help for it. The story ends ambivalent about whether Mitty actually has mental issues or not.

Characters

Walter Mitty: a man with an overactive imagination who is also very absent-minded when it comes to everyday activities.

Mrs. Mitty: Walter's wife, who is rather practical and often fusses over her husband

Then, with that faint, fleeting smile playing about his lips, he faced the firing squad; erect and motionless, proud and disdainful, Walter Mitty the Undefeated, inscrutable to the last.

Final Notes

By the end of the story, Mitty's wife, while concerned about him, still has not an inkling about what he is thinking about. While his dreams and delusions might seem comical, Mitty's thoughts are still his own, showing how difficult it can be as a human to be understood. His mind is inscrutable; even his wife does not comprehend what he thinks about.