Analysis of the Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber - Book Report/Review Example

When one is reading any literary work, it is necessary for the reader to shift from the real world to the imaginary world where he understands the story better (Guerin, 2005). The title of the book piqued my interest to know what Walter might be doing in the secret world and hiding it away from the real world. In his daydreams, Walter is portrayed as a man of high esteem. It would, therefore, be necessary for me as the reader to know the secret behind Walters’ high esteem. In the first instance of his daydream, the crew insinuates that the “old man will get us through, he is not afraid of hell”.

This instance creates an image of a man who is not afraid of situations. It is also interesting to know why other members hold the man in such high esteem in his group. The scenes portrayed in the daydreams sustain my interest in the story. The first instance of a daydream Walter is a commander, the second daydream he is a famous surgeon attending to a millionaire. The last-second daydream Walter is a witness in a courtroom whereas the last instance of a daydream is a captain of a warplane. My interest in this story was driven by the desire to know whether Walter wanted to become some of the people described in the daydreams in his real life. .The reader should account for his feelings with certain aspects in the literary work that makes him have feelings.

This approach requires the reader to connect with the story, and assess the insight that the connection with the story brought (David, 1984). It is also paramount for the reader to consider the connection with the story and other stories that he has read. He should then evaluate if the connection added anything new to what he already knew. In this story, there is a connection with Walter’s daydreaming behavior. The daydreams in this story, which help the reader to connect with the story, enable one to understand the meaning of the story.

Walter’s daydreams are all frenziedly ranging from flying in the middle of a deadly storm, working with faulty machines in the surgery room, as well as facing a firing squad boldly. It is evident that the daydreams may be prompted by the chaos in his life brought about by his relationship with his wife. His wife is portrayed as a person who always quarrels with Walter over one thing or another. The aspect of Walter daydreaming is a means of escaping tribulations in his real life. He wants to escape to a world where he is in control of his own situations.

He escapes from the real world to an imaginary world where he is in control of his own affairs. It is, however, worth noting that his escapism leads him to more troubles. In one instance as he is daydreaming, he is unable to pack the car correctly only to be assisted by the parking attendant. While heading to town with his wife, he daydreams and ends up over speeding the car. His daydreaming behavior also makes him forgetful. He forgets what his wife requested him to buy before they left home.