StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Theme and Narrative elements in the short story - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The plot of the story helps create the picture of an old man living a normal mundane life but craves some excitement in his life which he is resigned he will never get. Looking at the narrative, the plot is simple but very effective in bringing out the central themes around the…
Download free paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER98.3% of users find it useful
Theme and Narrative elements in the short story
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Theme and Narrative elements in the short story"

THE SECTRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY The plot of the story helps create the picture of an old man living a normal mundane life but craves some excitementin his life which he is resigned he will never get. Looking at the narrative, the plot is simple but very effective in bringing out the central themes around the narrative. The story starts off in a tense scene where Mr. Mitty is referred to as’ the old man’ by the crew of a navy hydroplane which he commands. In this scene, the author sets a serious tone and we are brought back down to reality with a bit of an anti climax.

The plot of the narrative moves from serious and grave situations to some very informal and very ordinary settings.In the first daydream, the plot shifts from the highly charged setting of the navy hydroplane to the exceedingly routine and normal domestic setting of MR. and Mrs. Mitty in the vehicle having a conversation. This helps to bring out the perfect image of a daydream. In the same passage, the tone moves from the very serious to the other extreme of very informal. At one point, the commander and his crew are in a life threatening situation and in an instant; we are jolted back to a reality where things are moving at a much slower pace.

It is funny and ironic that the wife even demands that the car speed be kept below forty while earlier he was daydreaming of being in a speeding aircraft.At the same time, we find Mr. Mitty oscillating from his daydreams where he is a big hero admired by every body and treated with deference by his peers, and the reality where he is an old man being told what to do by his wife and even a parking attendant. It’s rather ironic that he possesses a lot of control in his daydreams but very little in real life.

His wife dictates to him even what he wears and the speed at which to drive his car. This is very evident right from the first paragraph where we get to see how he feels about his wife telling him what to wear and buy. Though he tries to protest, his wife has the final word and eventually he buys the overshoes and puts on the gloves.The settings of the story are also vastly diverse with the daydream having some very exciting and sometimes risky settings while in reality he is on a normal run of the mill town street setting.

The first daydream starts off in a high adrenaline setting aboard a navy hydroplane heading into the eye of a storm and then we crash back tom reality in a town car sedately moving to town to do some shopping and drop the wife at the hairdressers.It is interesting to see how the setting and the plot intertwine to give a vivid picture of Mr. Mitty and the life that he leads. The plot takes us deep into his fantasy world while at the same time letting us into his real life. This lets us have a unique vantage point to view his life and make accurate judgments.

The tones set in the story range from serious like in the case of his daydreams as a commander or surgeon to disdainful like when he thinks of the car attendants. We can also see how he yearns for people to respect him more in real life but that not being the case; he opts to get this in his daydreams. He even yearns to be associated with the rich and the powerful as is the case in the second daydream where he is operating on a millionaire who is also a close friend ton the president.In conclusion, we can say that it is true that the author through the use of his plot development, tone, and the settings he employs, succeeds in creating the image of an old man living a very normal and mundane life but secretly yearning for more.

His daydreams are his avenues to get some excitement. By the use of these literary elements, the writer effectively gives his narration two viewpoints which are very different but in that irony lays the beauty of this piece.References

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Theme and Narrative elements in the short story Essay”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/literature/1601920-theme-and-narrative-elements-in-the-short-story
(Theme and Narrative Elements in the Short Story Essay)
https://studentshare.org/literature/1601920-theme-and-narrative-elements-in-the-short-story.
“Theme and Narrative Elements in the Short Story Essay”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/literature/1601920-theme-and-narrative-elements-in-the-short-story.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Theme and Narrative elements in the short story

A Specific Theme Portrayed in the Story A Rose for Emily

At a different scene the entirety of the town, initially called as ‘our' is evidently denoted as ‘we'.... The individually feeble ‘our town,' which gives the storyteller some extent of detachment from the group, opens up the ‘our' which permits the storyteller to unite completely with the group (Kirszner & Mandell 1994): “The day after his death all the ladies prepared to call at the house and offer condolence and aid, as is our custom” (Kirszner & & Mandell 1994, 78)....
9 Pages (2250 words) Essay

Narrative Techniques Used in The Dead and in The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber

The paper "Narrative Techniques Used in The Dead and in the short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" discusses that both stories diverge in terms of complexity of prose and internal vs.... Hemingway's short story begins with direct and easy to understand first-person dialogue that sets a general tone for the story.... In terms of narrative technique, this essay compares Ernest Hemingway's 'the short, Happy Life of Francis Macomber' with James Joyce's 'the Dead'....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Chopins The Storm: A Metaphor of Lust and Passion

One of the early narrative concerns of the story is the recognition that the narrative elements build along with the specific oncoming storm.... In her story The Storm she follows the events of a storm that causes individuals to brace for shelter.... While ostensibly the story is about taking shelter from the storm, this essay argues that on a literary level it functions as a metaphor of the chaotic intensities of love, passion, and lust.... While the story presents a unified narrative, this narrative advances through a number of stages that heighten its underlining metaphorical significance by gradually heightened emotional intensity....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Critical Analysis of the Work A Family Finds Entertainment of Ryan Trecartin

The story is generally reflective of a teenager's life in a highly urbanized environment whose sense of self is driven by consumerism and mass media.... The way it investigate the circumstances and progression of the life of Skippy demonstrates that narration and story-telling can be done in non linear and even unrealistic way.... Taking the whole context and narration of the film, Trecatin only illustrates that there are other ways of investigating certain phenomena whose story-telling is more contemporary albeit absurd in its presentation but the...
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Response paper to peter brooks' reading for the plot, and one of freud's most famous

Although this has an underlying negative view that some critics might say as the commoditization of the written work by giving the main objective of writing narratives that readers would love and would eventually be considered bestsellers, Peter Brooks still made a breakthrough by shifting the importance from structuralism to what readers would want and enjoy—a more exciting plot and narrative.... Brooks stressed… It is the center and the one that makes the story move forward and the readers turn to the next page....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Comparing and Contrasting the Use of Language

It is also noted that Anne applies the use of such literary elements such as alliteration, hyperbole, irony, imagery, comparison, and repetition.... The writers visual examination means that the cypress tree denoted as the "black-haired tree" stands for death, the ultimate freedom that guides to… In the painting, the clouds are interpreted as the unobserved serpent eating the shown eleven stars....
5 Pages (1250 words) Assignment

Textual Paper: Plato and the Genesis 1 Story

hellip; They both tell a similar story about a great and good Creator God fashioning the physical world in a distant past, long before the time when the actual narrative was written down.... Critias wants to tell a story involving the city of Athens, but he tells Socrates that before this story is told, Timaeus, who has studied astronomy and knows about the nature of the universe, will start off the narrative from the very beginning.... The reporter states that two texts of Plato's Timaeus and the biblical narrative in Genesis, chapter 1 deal with one of the most fundamental problems that human beings have ever faced, namely how to figure out the meaning and purpose of existence....
5 Pages (1250 words) Book Report/Review

Short Film - Structure and Aesthetics

The "short Film - Structure and Aesthetics" paper focuses on a short film that can be described as a film that is not long enough to be regarded as a feature film.... However, there is no distinctive boundary drawn between the feature film and short film.... hellip; short films are not very different from feature films; the main difference being the length, and are often created by freelance filmmakers for non-profit.... They are a regular first stage for upcoming professional filmmakers; however professional crews and actors also make short films as another way of expression....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us