The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Mikaela McGurkin
Thesis
The use of daydreams characterizes Walter Mitty as a pushover, a victim, and someone who suffers from depression.
Claim 1
First, Walter Mitty is a victim of many people in his life. In the story the parking attendant tells him to back his car up and that he is in the wrong lane. Walter Mitty then backs up, but the parking attendant says nevermind I'll do it and then he laughs. He found Walter Mitty as incapable of parking gthe car. This is the point in the story where Walter Mitty realizes that people treat him poorly. Secondly, while Walter Mitty is in the hotel he is walking around. Meanwhile his wife is trying to find him. When his wife finally finds him she yells at him for wandering around and for her not being able to find him.
Claim 2
Secondly, Walter Mitty is also a pushover. This means that people take advantage of him. The sad thing is that he lets people take advantage of him. For example, his wife yells at him and tells him to put on his gloves while he is driving. Also that Walter was going to fast. Secondly, the cop took advantage of him. He did this when he told Walter that he should go even though it was quite obvious because it was a green light.
Claim 3
Finally, Walter Mitty suffers from depression. The reader knows that Walter Mitty suffers from depression because he walks around aimlessly sometimes. Secondly, he was really out of it when he was talking with the parking attendant.
Conclusion
The text structure and use of daydreams proves to the reader that Walter Mitty is a victim, a pushover, and someone who suffers from depression.