A Deconstruction of the Character Walter Mitty

In the short story “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” we see the main character as a rejected misfit in society. He is often unaware of the world around him and reacts in what others would call a negative way to those situations he actually responds to. However, close examination of the text used by James Thurber to portray him prompts a need to deconstruct the character Walter Mitty. In doing so, we find that, far from being a misfit, he is actually the one member of society that is truly sound.

To determine that he is truly unique, we must first show that Mitty has elevated himself above the seemingly “normal” members of the society in the book. One great example is by refusing concede to do what others tell him, even in a dream. “Captain Mitty” knows that “somebody has to get the ammunition dump,” so he steps up to the challenge, paying no heed to the sergeant’s warnings. This may seem irrational, but he was willing to put his life on the line for his country. The other example is how society reacts to him, and not vice-versa. To see this, you must understand that the people in the story have the wrong ideals. They idolize hard work and neurotic behavior, which helps maintain order but stunts the ability to have an intimate relationship with one’s self. By rejecting Walter from themselves and ultimately their way of thinking, the people in the story forced him to adopt new values. Now, Mitty could take care of himself and meet his own psychological needs. This will be discussed in greater depth later, but the outcome is that civilization forced our character to become a better person than any of them could be.

The effect of his rise from the rest of humanity is the satisfaction of Walter’s psychological needs. In examining Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the most basic mental requirements are belongingness and esteem needs (Huitt). Mitty’s first daydream illustrates this point well. As he is navigating through the ice, the crew “looked at each other and grinned. ‘The Old Man’ll get us through….’” This commentary shows the bond and respect they have with and for “the Commander.” The next levels deal with the need to explore and the need for order (Huitt). These are two main themes in most of his dreams. He is a doctor in one, fixing new problems and telling nurses what to do. “‘Give me a fountain pen’, he snapped.” In another dream Mitty is a sergeant, giving orders before heading out to fight the Germans. The top levels of the hierarchy deal with self-fulfillment (Huitt). Thurber provides many descriptions of Mitty that show he is very pleased with what he has accomplished. The best example is in the final paragraph: “Then, with that faint, fleeting smile playing about his lips, he faced the firing squad; erect and motionless, proud and disdainful….” This creates a picture of a confident man who knows his life was lived well. One can clearly tell that Walter Mitty is an outstanding individual in this short story.

The final point that emphasizes this character’s exclusive status in society in “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” comes from the well-known psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. It concerns our character’s mental health. According to Freud, our desires and fears are repressed in the unconscious mind (Samuel). And Mitty is clearly accessing his unconscious mind while daydreaming. After being awakened from the first dream we read of, Walter “looked at his wife in the seat beside him, with shocked astonishment. She seemed grossly unfamiliar, like a strange woman….” By opening his mind so often, he is more in touch with his desires and fears. So, he has a better definition of himself than others do of themselves. In addition, this means that although he is often “dreaming,” Walter lives in more of a reality than anyone else. The “real world” outside of his dreams is filled with lies and misconceptions. However, in his dream world, Mitty is completely in touch with what and how he feels. Therefore, he is in a better mental condition than the so-called “normal” people of society who label him as a misfit.

There is clearly a great deal that Thurber uses to characterize Walter Mitty. However, it is important that we correctly interpret this text. When one looks past the primary, more common assessment of this short story, Mitty’s true character is revealed. And the irony is, he is saner than anyone else who ridicules him as insane. The society is just not open-minded enough to see their own stupidity.

Works Cited

Huitt, William G. “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.” November 2000. <http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/regsys/ maslow.html>

Samuel, Jessica and Ritter, Channing. “The Basics of Freudian Analysis.” February 2001. <http://home.insight.rr.com/ englishodyssey/Resources/Freudian%20Analysis.htm>