“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber offers an imaginative twist on typical romantic relationships seen in various literary works such as Romeo and Juliet and The Great Gatsby . While many of these plots include a couple longing to be together, “Mitty” tells the story of an unhappy man who returns to his daydreams to escape his overbearing wife and high life. The story wittily touches on Walter Mitty's dissatisfaction with his marriage and his different versions of reality. Although he is a coward in the sense that he "uses his imagination to escape the fact that...let someone [his wife] live his life for him", Walter Mitty is still a hero. A hero is not necessarily someone with supernatural powers, but a person who possesses courage, strength, and noble qualities. Walter is heroic because he tolerates his wife's constant harassment and has the courage to stay with her despite her palpable desperation. We say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The story shows different stages of the hero's journey, such as the ordinary world, the call to adventure, crossing the threshold, the reward, and returning with the elixir, justifying that Walter Mitty is indeed a hero. In the “Ordinary World,” Thurber introduces Walter in a sympathetic manner allowing the audience to identify with his situation. Throughout the story, Walter is depicted as a normal person with recognizable problems, one of which is his critical wife. Initially, readers get a clear idea of ​​Walter's relationship with his wife, who is very controlling and domineering in their marriage. After waking up from his first daydream, Walter is surprised by the way his wife scolds him for speeding, saying that she "seemed decidedly unfamiliar, like a strange woman who had yelled at him in a crowd." The simile that Walter uses to outline Mrs. Mitty's harsh tone and negative attitude indicates that he feels awkward and uncomfortable around her. Walter's dissatisfaction makes the audience sympathize with him. Readers who have an overbearing parent or partner can identify with Walter's unhappiness as they too have someone influencing their decisions. Similar to the way Mrs. Mitty speaks and contradicts Walter, "'toxic parents are known for not listening to their children, but instead, talk over or against them'." Mrs. Mitty is talking about Walter when she advises him to see a doctor because he is "uptight again" and having "one of his days", which is ironic judging by the way she mercilessly scolds him for speeding. He has a very condescending tone and suggests that there is something wrong with him. Overall, his unpleasant behavior allows the audience to feel Walter's frustration and favor him. “The Ordinary World” is an important stage where there is a polarity that pushes Walter in different directions. Walter's dissatisfaction pushes him in the direction of his daydreams, while his wife brings him back to reality. Frankly, the only interaction Mitty has in real life is with his wife. Mrs. Mitty often speaks to Walter in a condescending tone and belittles him, making him dislike his actual reality. She, for example, calls him old, nervous and says he should see a doctor. Mrs. Mitty “has complete control over Walter Mitty, and because of her superiority, Mitty is drawn into a fantasy world where he escapes and for once has control over something in his life. He often chooses powerful personalities for the characters he becomes.” Walter daydreams because they give him thesense of fulfillment that he lacks in his marriage. In his dreams, Walter is a powerful and respectable man. For example, imagine you are an Air Force pilot; someone who is strong and has a high level of authority. Mitty's dream of flying also comes from the search for freedom in his life. As the saying goes “free as a bird”, flying is a symbol of freedom. It eradicates any constraints Walter feels in his life and marriage, and his ability to control flight is representative of his personal sense of power. Walter is drawn to his dreams because they allow him to escape his boring life and give him more authority and freedom. Although his wife persistently brings him back to his miserable reality, Walter is strong and courageous enough to stay with her. Each of Walter's daydreams is inspired by a “Call to Adventure”; an event that occurs in the external environment or thoughts that arise from within his mind. For example, when Walter drives past a hospital wearing gloves, he dreams of being a doctor. The gloves and the hospital are a part of the external environment that stimulates this dream. However, Walter's feeling of weakness from being forced to wear gloves also influences the dream. Earlier, Mrs. Mitty insists that Walter wear his glove, saying “why don't you wear gloves? Have you lost your gloves?" Walter has no desire to wear the gloves, but Mrs. Mitty is persistent and ultimately gives up knowing she has no control over this decision. Immediately, Walter returns to his dreams that grant him power. Although his dream of becoming a surgeon was spurred by the gloves and the hospital, it was born from Walter's need for a break and to gain some control. but also from his internal need to feel appreciated and respected. Walter dreams of being a doctor, he feels important and respected by the people around him. For example, Walter feels appreciated when Pritchard-Mitford praises him for his “brilliant performance ” in his book about streptotrichosis. It is a combination of his internal needs not being met by his wife and an external event that stimulates each of Walter's dreams. As Walter "crosses the threshold," he abandons the ordinary world for a more refreshing one in which he is most enthusiastic and admirable. Walter dreams not only of entering a physically new environment, but also of leaving behind the thought of his wife, along with her monotonous and passive qualities. Although Walter is unhappy in his marriage, none of his dreams involve a better relationship with his wife. This further highlights the fact that Walter daydreams about escaping his miserable life and marriage to be in a world where he is praised rather than one where he is happy with his wife. For example, when Walter dreams of a doctor, he is flattered when people express that they admire his book. In this same daydream, Walter is much more conversational and friendly with his peers. In reality, though, he isn't very interactive with anyone except his wife. Instead he is silent and talks to himself saying “puppy cookie,” when a woman overheard him and laughed. However, when he was a doctor, Walter communicates with Pritchard-Mitford and collaborates with a nurse and Dr. Renshaw. Walter also has more authority than reality and gives orders saying “give me a fountain pen” and “go ahead with the operation”. In terms of physical conditions in daydreams, each one takes place in a different place. The dream in which he is a doctor is very hectic and fast-paced compared to his real life. In reality, Walter doesn't seem very busy. He simply goes around running errands for himselfwife. Every time Walter crosses the threshold, both his character and the conditions in his new environment take an exciting turn. Walter's "reward" in his heroic act of staying with his wife is that he is able to sustain his marriage and find stability in his life. Without his dreams, Walter would not have found the grit to stay with Mrs. Mitty. His dreams fill the void in his life that his wife had failed to fill. Walter's characters in each of his dreams give him the courage to stay with his wife. The dream version of Walter does not directly give Walter the ability to talk to him or guide him per se. Instead, each version of Walter in his dreams indirectly gives him a sense of accomplishment and the confidence he needs to be with his authoritative wife. He likes to be portrayed as a successful surgeon, Navy commander, and Air Force pilot because he "has power and control over the decisions [he] made and [he] performed skills." Every time Walter transitions into his daydreams, he feels respected, strong, and fulfilled. However, when he is with his wife, he is belittled. For example, Mrs. Mitty tells Walter "you're not a young man anymore," implying that he is old. Despite this, Walter can always rely on his dream self to find the happiness he desires in his bland life and marriage. His dreams give him power in a way that Mrs. Mitty does not. Thanks to his reassuring dreams, Walter is able to find emotional stability in his life and the will to stay with Mrs. Mitty. While Walter's heroism is rewarding, an important element in A Hero's Reward is the risk of losing him. In Walter's case, the more time he spends in reality, the less stability and courage he will have to be with Mrs. Mitty. Walter's dreams are his way of escaping his overbearing wife, and without them, he would not be able to tolerate her harassment. In essence, Walter's marriage depends on his daydreams. In "Return with the Elixir", Walter has the power to help people going through a midlife crisis by giving them hope that life can be adventurous despite their difficulties. A midlife crisis can manifest itself in two ways: it can motivate people to pursue their goals or make them feel lost in their search for meaning in their life. Walter's commitment to his wife, despite his dissatisfaction, is promising for those who feel lost in their own lives. “Middle age is a turbulent time for many. With their children grown and their careers and marriages stalled, the boomer generation is looking for the next step.” Although Walter is unhappy, he is still patient with his wife and distracts himself with his imagination. For example, he never expresses his dissatisfaction and lets his wife vent her frustration on him. When Mrs. Mitty scolds him for speeding, he does not express his "shocked amazement." Walter keeps his thoughts inside and patiently allows her to scold him for speeding, order him to put on his overshoes, and put on his gloves. He does all this without complaining or arguing with Mrs. Mitty. So, he escapes his problems by distracting himself with the life he wants. Walter shows that patience and accepting reality without complaining are the key to finding yourself and overcoming a midlife crisis. It also shows that if people keep busy and distract themselves from their problems, like Walter does with his dreams, they can definitely overcome their challenges. According to Whelan's review of Hagerty's Reimagining Life, staying positive, cultivating meaningful friendships, and volunteering helps overcome a midlife crisis. “A shock test that demonstrates power.