In James Thurber's short story, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," the character .
Walter Mitty uses his imagination as a need to escape and express his emotions of anger and self-pity. By daydreaming, one might be able to escape the petty details of life and obtain freedom from their reality. Through the literary elements of character, setting, and symbolism, James Thurber shows how Walter Mitty escapes his everyday life by daydreaming. .
Character traits throughout the story are one of the elements that helps reveal the theme to the reader. Walter Mitty is described as a meek and mild-mannered, hen-pecked husband who learns to escape reality through daydreams (Thurber 77). Most of Walter Mittys sluggish behavior is probably caused by his wife's overpowering and demanding attitude. "She is a nag and an extremely overbearing woman, who is perhaps the ultimate cause of Walter's secret life" (Mann). We begin to see that Mrs. Mitty is definitely the dominant one in the relationship, and as orders are given by her, Walter begins to wander into his fantasy world. Living with Mrs. Mitty clearly poses problems and frustrations from her husband, but Walter never seems to complain. Walter's lack of rebellion clearly indicates that he has finally defeated his nagging wife by escaping into his own world (Mann). The thought of becoming "the best doctor" or a "heroic army general", portrays the way Mitty deals with his self-fulfillment. To the outer world, Mitty seems to be controlled by his wife, however, in his dream world Walter is completely in touch with how he feels. "Walter Mitty, the Undefeated, inscrutable, to the last" (Cheatham 608). .
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This quote that describes Walter Mitty at the end of the story suggests that he is finally triumphant over his wife, and the obstacles he faces in the real world. James Thurber clearly demonstrates the theme of the story through his use of character traits. .
