Society has created unrealistic standards, which individuals would have to meet in order to be respected by society. Standards can range from body standards to income standards, necessary to be considered valuable by society. In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber, the character Walter Mitty is a portrait of a man who lives an ordinary life but is unsure of himself due to the lack of control and satisfaction he feels about his life. Throughout the story he experiences dissatisfaction, versions of reality and the desire to feel masculine. To feel in control of his life he creates these versions of reality, to feel in control. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Walter Mitty finds himself dissatisfied with everyday life, which is described as mundane. He is not satisfied with his marriage because he feels like a passive husband. He doesn't like the way he is treated like a clumsy, old man. He would like to be treated like an extraordinary man. The character of Mr. Mitty is related to the reader because, at one point or another, the reader has felt dissatisfaction in his or her life. As if their life is too boring, ordinary, or the abilities we possess are common and not as unique as once believed. Mr. Mitty's way of dealing with dissatisfaction is to retreat into a fantasy world that he has created for himself, in the same way that individuals have dreams and goals for themselves. To escape his mundane reality, Mr. Mitty retreats into a version of reality he created for himself. In the real reality, Mr. Mitty is ordinary, passive, and sometimes incompetent, but in the version of reality he created Mr. Mitty is decisive and possesses all the good qualities that he lacks in his reality. Mr. Mitty is not a passive husband but rather is in control of his marriage. Walter Mitty is endearing, respected by the people around him, and seen as the extraordinary man he believes himself to be. Mr. Mitty creates a version of reality that he wishes to be true, to make up for his real life that he is extremely dissatisfied with. Walter Mitty is dissatisfied with his daily life because he believes he falls short in his understanding of masculinity. Mr. Mitty is a passive, forgetful husband and a poor driver, for him a masculine man should not have these attributes. Walter Mitty in his created version of reality is skilled, decisive, bold, courageous and, above all, respected by those around him. He strives to experience the satisfaction of being treated like an extraordinary man by those around him, of feeling accepted as a masculine man. For Mr. Mitty's understanding of masculinity, you have to have these attributes, so he created himself to be masculine in his version of reality because he doesn't feel masculine in his daily life. Please note: this is just an example. Get an article customization now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay Walter Mitty creates a version of reality to satisfy his desire to feel masculine, to satisfy the dissatisfaction he feels with his life, and to feel that he has control over some aspects of his life. Walter Mitty is a reader-related character, as many individuals have a created version of reality that they want to live up to..