The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and the Story of an Hour...

Jurrell D. Harrison The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and The Story of an Hour Introduction to Literature Professor Daw Monday 12th December 2011 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, written by James Thurber (1939) and the Story of an Hour written by Chopin (1894) are the two literary works that will be compared and contrasted in this paper. Both these pieces depict some of the trials and tribulations of a union in marriage, such as the want of independence and excitement; experiences that a marriage can inadvertently inhibit. Not only do both these stories illustrate some of the wants or needs that arise out of marriage, but they both also show how at times; the only means by which desire or necessity can be satisfied or†¦show more content†¦For example, look back to the beginning part of the piece again and not how Thurber describes the rainy weather as: a terrible storm raging.† By using this metaphor, Thurber clearly engages the readers mind in an imaginative way. Another example is when Mitty describes sound of the hotel lobby doors as faintly derisive whistling, it is clear therefore to see that there is a playfulness, and a great detail of description through imagery in Thurber’s writing. Unlike Thurber however, Chopin’s piece is a lot darker – It isn’t as playful as Thurber’s. A similarity that can be found in the two pieces is that they both use scenery to set tone and description. Chopin’s piece is also ironic, unlike Thurber’s, which will be discussed later in this paper. With the theme of both stories being similar, it is also very interesting to note, that both characters in their stories, explore the freedoms that they desire through imagination. Divert again to the first part of Thurber’s piece, where Mitty exceeds his wife’s comfort speed. He begins to speed only when he begins to daydream about being the Commader of the Navy hydroplane. This relation between his speed and his daydream is clearly direct. Simply put, Mitty’s lack of concentration while driving is because in his mind, he is doing things, that make him feel or experience excitement. And for those very moments, it is in his mind that he escapes the world. LikeShow MoreRelatedThe Secret Life Of Walter Mitty1086 Words   |  5 Pagesexcitement and fun. The ideas that inhabit stories, movies, and the minds of those who wish to escape from their dreary, unhappy lives and live a life of action and excitement. This concept is the exact idea that James Thurber wr ote about in â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,† utilizing indirect characterization and motifs to highlight those ideas. In â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,† the characterization through the actions and thoughts of Walter Mitty are employed to expose his personality andRead MoreChopin VS Thurber and Relationships2545 Words   |  11 PagesIn the stories â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty† by James Thurber (Clugston, sec. h1.1) and â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin (Clugston, sec. h2.1) escapism is a similar theme with in both these stories, yet there is a slight variance in how each of these authors place these characters into their escape from reality, relationships, and everyday chaos. In each of these stories the author shows the characters escaping the realities of the relationship, one through Walter Mitts’ daydreams, and theRead MoreStory of an Hour Literary Analysis1990 Words   |  8 PagesLiterature Professor Joan Golding 10-16-2011 â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin and â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty† by James Thurber both captured my interest from the very beginning. These short stories represent gender roles and marriage. They both are about married couples with controlling mates. â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is about a young married woman and how she reacts to the news of her husband dying in a train accident. The story takes place in the home of the young woman, Mrs. MallardRead MorePeople throught out the world and throughout time all had different perceptions of death. Some500 Words   |  2 Pageswere or where they came from but he stayed awake for hours so he wouldnt be harmed. Finally once the murderer killed the old man and the police came to investigate, the murderer was starting to suffer from his insanity. The murderers insanity was too great for him and he told the police he killed the old man hoping the would kill him right then and there so he wouldnt hav e to hear the noises anymore. Mrs. Mallard from The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin found freedom and independence when she