Literature Photo Project

group: Liam and Deshawn

In the short story “A Secret Life of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber there is a lot of changes from realism to expressionism. Walter tries to escape reality with his insane dangerous and adventurous dreams, and the dreams trigger through the event in his real life. The story also has situational irony, this shows when Walter is dreaming about being a famous doctor who wrote a book on streptothricosis and who is asked to take over difficult surgeries. In reality however Walter is anything but that and when he wakes from his fantasy he realizes that he parked in the wrong spot. The point of view is third person limited omniscient, this plays a big part in this irony example and in the whole story because most of the story is in his head. The project helps to show an understanding of the character and the story’s plot by us making photos ourselves and making us find particular literary element. Then have an explanation on why each quote fits that particular literary element, lastly write the formal paragraph.

a) Exposition
– Quote: The crew, bending to their various tasks in the huge, hurling eight-engine navy hydroplane, looked at each other and grinned.

Explanation: They are on a hydroplane. Working very hard to pilot it but it is hard while in a dog fight with the Germans and the Red baron. Walter is forced to take things into his own hands. This was also bad because when Walter thought he pushing high speed in the hydro plane he was pushing the gas pedal in his car causing his wife to worry.
b) Rising Action Example #1
– Quote: “You’re tensed up again,” said Mrs. Mitty. “it’s one of your days. I wish you’d let Dr. Renshaw look you over.”

Explanation: it shows that he has a problem with dreaming and his wife knows, it also shows how Walter is stubborn with going to the doctor about his dreaming. But Walter enjoys his dreams more that the reality that he lived in.

c) Rising Action Example #2
– Quote: “I don’t need overshoes,” Said Mitty. She put her mirror back into her bag. “We’ve been through that, “she said, getting out of the car. “You’re not a young man any longer .”

Explanation: because he stood up to his wife, and although they already has constant arguments before he wouldn’t listen to Mrs. Mitty when she asked him to please put on his overshoes and he lashed back saying I don’t even need them why do I have to wear them which started the conflict.

d) Rising Action Example #3
– Quote: “in the operating room there were whispered introductions: Dr. Remington, Dr. Mitty.”

Mitty is a surgeon in a hospital about to perform a procedure but it is a bad idea because he isn’t a real doctor. Walter is in a dream and turns out to be a surgeon performing a procedure on somebody without any knowledge of being a doctor. He also tries to say long and random words to play the role as a doctor.

e) Climax
– Quote: “where’s the what’s-its-name?” she would ask. “don’t tell me you forgot the what’s-its-name.”

Explanation: it shows the relationship between him and his wife, it shows that they are not always on the same page with everything they do, it also tells us that he is pretty absent minded with things that his wife tells him or ask him to do, but it seems as though he is absent minded on purpose because she doesn’t let him have freedom.

f) Falling Action                                                                                                                                                                                                                             – Quote: he said evenly, “I could have killed Gregory Fitzhurst at three hundred feet with my left hand”

Explanation: because he got the death penalty for admitting to kill the guy with the gun. because they were not suspecting after they said it would be impossible to shoot him with his non-dominate hand. But Since Walter Pointed out the fact that he could have shot the guy it instantly brought trouble.

g) Denouement
– Quote: “then, with that faint, fleeting smile playing about his lips, he faced the firing squad”

Explanation:  he is up against a wall with a firing squad aiming at him, Although we know he is facing the firing squad we do not know what happened to him and we don’t know if he died in the dream or not, which leaves us with the thought of what happened to Walter Mitty is he dead or alive.

h) Physical Setting
– Quote: “ Walter Mitty drove on towards Waterbury in silence”

Explanation: because it explains that he lives in Waterbury, Kineticist and this is physical setting because this shows where he lives in the story and where the story takes place. This is good because the readers can visualize where the characters are in the story.

I) Emotional Setting
– Quote: “you know I don’t like to go more than forty. You were up to fifty-five.”

Explanation: it shows that the relationship with his wife is not good and he is sad because he has no freedom and he is getting older causing him to not be able to adventure like he may have been able to do when he was younger it also shows that Mrs. Mitty is highly controlling over Walter and does not want him to do things on his own free will.

j) Conflict Type
– Quote: “I’ve been looking all over the hotel for you,” Said Mrs. Mitty. “Why do you have to hide in this old chair?”

Explanation- this shows another example of how Walter Mitty continues to avoid Mrs. Mitty. This is a main conflict because it shows how Walter and his wife do not seem compatible together. Walter’s wife is the one to tell Walter what to wear and do, because of this Walter feels like he is getting to old not to have any freedom and just makes him not want to listen to her anymore.

k) Ending type
– Quote: “then, with that faint, fleeting smile playing about his lips, he faced the firing squad; erect and motionless, proud and disdainful, Walter Mitty the undefeated, inscrutable to the last”

Explanation: cliff hanger, unresolved. This ending type is cliff hanger unresolved because we as reader do no know what happened to Walter Mitty and it does not tell us if the firing squad really shoots or not. If Walter Mitty was not shot, then what happened, that is why this is unresolved because we don’t know what happened to him.

l) Irony Example
– Quote: “I’ve read your book on streptothricosis,” said Pritchard-Mitford, shaking hands”

Explanation:  Walter imagines himself as being a famous doctor who is praised by his peers and who is asked to take over difficult surgeries. In reality however Walter is anything but that and when he wakes from his fantasy he realizes that he parked in the wrong spot.

m) Suspense                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    – Quote: the district attorney suddenly thrust a heavy automatic at the quiet figure on the witness stand.

Explanation: They are in a district court, and there is a witness on the stand, that has something to do with Walter, and a gun. This relates to suspense because you don’t know what is going to happen, did Walter kill someone, did Walter get shot, we don’t know.